Microsoft is giving U.S. college students a free year of Microsoft 365 Personal with Copilot, the company announced at a White House AI Education Task Force meeting. After the free 12-month period ends, students will get a 50% discount, bringing the monthly cost down to $4.99 instead of the regular $9.99.
Students must sign up by October 31 to take advantage of this offer. The package includes popular Microsoft apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook. It also comes with Microsoft Designer, Microsoft Defender, and 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage – enough space to store roughly 500,000 photos.
This offer specifically applies to students’ personal Microsoft accounts, not school-provided accounts that many colleges already supply. To qualify, students need to be enrolled full-time or part-time at accredited U.S. colleges and universities.
“We believe delivering on the real promise of AI depends on how broadly it’s diffused. This requires investment and innovation in AI education, training, and job certification,” Microsoft stated in its press release.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the initiative as part of broader commitments to meet the Presidential AI Challenge and the AI Education Executive Order. Beyond the free software, Microsoft is investing $1.25 million in educator grants and providing free LinkedIn Learning AI courses for students, teachers, and job seekers.
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The company is putting special emphasis on community colleges through partnerships with the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Applied AI Consortium. These partnerships will deliver no-cost AI webinars and certifications for community college staff. Additionally, 30 community colleges will receive grants to support AI learning initiatives and help integrate Copilot into faculty workflows.
According to ZDNET, 92% of students are already using AI in some capacity. With Copilot usage increasing by 175% in recent months, Microsoft’s offer helps students access tools they’re already depending on in the classroom.
Students can verify their eligibility using a school email account, enrollment details, student ID, verification code, current progress report, dated class schedule, or acceptance letter. Microsoft may require students to re-verify their status periodically to maintain the discount.
For students who choose to continue after the free year, the 50% discount represents significant savings – approximately $60 per year compared to the standard annual subscription cost of $99.99.
The timing of this offer comes as students return to school for the fall semester and as Microsoft continues to expand the reach of its AI tools in educational settings. The company emphasizes that these tools will be provided with age-appropriate safeguards in place.
Students interested in claiming the offer can visit Microsoft’s official page to register before the October 31 deadline.
This latest offer expands on Microsoft’s previous May 2025 initiative, which had offered U.S. students a shorter 3-month free trial with the same 50% discount afterward. The extension to a full year suggests Microsoft is making a stronger push to get its AI tools into education as the new academic year begins.
One detail worth noting: some reports indicate that existing Microsoft 365 Personal subscribers may not be eligible for this offer. Students should check the official Microsoft offer page for complete eligibility details before attempting to sign up.
