14 DAY TRIAL // The Office division remains Microsoft’s main cash cow right now, and Office 365 is a key part of the company’s long-term strategy, so improving the product on a regular basis is a priority in order to bring more users on board.
In the past, the company offered Office 365 free of charge to educational institutions through a number of campaigns and it’s now reminding everyone that the cloud-based productivity suite is available free of charge to students if their school districts have a Professional Plus subscription.
It’s all possible thanks to the Student Advantage program, which is available at absolutely no cost for students if the school district previous purchased a Professional Plus subscription for faculty and staff, thus getting access to the common apps, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
“Students can install and use all of the Microsoft Office tools on up-to-five personal devices. That’s Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, Access, Lync and so much more. These are not watered down, lite editions. These are not simple document readers,” Microsoft explains.
“These are the real deal Office apps that students need proficiency to be college and career-ready. Also, if your students need assistive technologies, Microsoft Office provides the most robust support for learners with special needs.”
Student Advantage was officially introduced in October 2013 and is available not only in the United States, but also in other countries across the world, as long as schools and universities purchase Office 365 ProPlus or Office Professional Plus for staff and faculty.
Students are automatically provided with free access to Office 365 ProPlus as well at no additional cost, with unlimited support for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the other cloud-based productivity apps included in the suite.
Back in 2013, Microsoft pointed to an IDC study in the official Student Advantage announcement, explaining that most companies were asking for proficiency with Microsoft Office, including its long-time rival Google.
“Employers are looking for candidates that have 20 specific skills for high-growth, high-wage occupations,” Microsoft said at that time.
“Coming in at number 3 on this list is proficiency with Microsoft Office, with proficiency with PowerPoint and Word specifically highlighted at #11 and #13 on the list. In fact, Microsoft Office skills were sought after five times more than any other productivity tools. Even Google’s own job postings require competency with Microsoft Office tools.”
More information about Student Advantage is available on Microsoft’s website.