Microsoft has a Microsoft 365 offer for students and recent graduates that’s worth a look but watch out for the fine print.
The offer is Microsoft 365 Personal for $12 instead of $69.99 which is a good deal if you qualify.
It’s available to students and recent graduates of colleges/universities that have a Microsoft 365 Education licence allocated to them.
Check your eligibility by going to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/alumni-discount and entering your .edu address. If you qualify, Microsoft will send an email.
The offer is intended as an option for students leaving their studies and wanting to keep their Office software running as it is. It does NOT preserve their .edu mailboxes or files saved online … they have to be copied elsewhere before the student account is closed.
The new Microsoft 365 Personal licence is applied to another non-education email account linked to a Microsoft account.
The Fine Print
It’s a good discount but be aware of the conditions.
- Timing is everything. Make sure you get the discounted rate while you still have a Microsoft 365 (Office 365) Education licence linked to your .edu address. Microsoft says ‘recent’ graduates qualify but doesn’t say how long that it. Presumably you need to get this deal before a student .edu mailbox is removed.
- This offer is for the Personal (one person) plan only, not the more common Family (formerly Home, six person) plan.
- The $12 price is only for the first year, after that Microsoft will charge full price ($69.99) plus taxes. Unless you buy a Personal plan cheaper elsewhere and extend your plan before auto-renewal happens.
- The offer only applies in the USA and taxes are extra
- For details go to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/alumni-discount scroll down past the standard marketing blurbs to the FAQ section.
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