AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
Is Microsoft 365 free for students?
Yes. Students and educators with an eligible school email can get Office 365 A1 for free, and the $5,000 in Microsoft 365 credits card shows who qualifies and how to claim.
Microsoft donates Office 365 Education to eligible institutions at no cost, so the student gets the tools without paying. The perk card is where the eligibility details and claim route live, so this guide sticks to what the offer contains and what it is worth.
AI Perks tracks more student offers beyond Microsoft, from cloud credits to AI subscriptions. We cover those further down, after the Microsoft plans.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Microsoft 365 $5,000
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
What does the free Office 365 Education plan include?
The free plan gives you web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. The A1 tier also includes web-based Outlook, plus PC-only versions of Publisher and Access.
There is a higher tier, A3, which adds full Office desktop apps, Minecraft Education and simplified management. Whether your school provides A1 or A3 is not something you choose, so check what your account shows.
| Tier | What you get |
|---|---|
| A1 (free) | Web Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote; Teams; Copilot Chat; PC-only Publisher and Access |
| A3 | Everything in A1, plus full Office desktop apps, Minecraft Education, simplified management |
If the free plan is what you are after, open the Microsoft 365 perk card to check your route before anything else.
How is it different from the free web version for everyone?
Anyone can use free web versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint through Microsoft 365 for the web. That is the baseline, and it is useful if you only need to write a paper or build a quick spreadsheet.
The education plan goes further. It adds Outlook, OneNote, Teams, Copilot Chat and the PC-only Publisher and Access apps, all tied to your school account. Microsoft 365 itself builds on Office 365 with enhanced management, security and compliance tools.
If all you want is free Word for students, the public web version already covers that. The education plan is the better fit when you also need mail, notes and team chat in one place.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Microsoft 365 $5,000
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
What is the Microsoft 365 student discount?
Separate from the free plan, students can save 50% on Microsoft 365 Personal. The discounted plan includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint, 1 TB of cloud storage and advanced security across PC, Mac, iOS and Android.
It also includes Copilot in desktop apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook) and AI image creation in Copilot chat. One catch: Copilot in Excel needs AutoSave switched on, so the file must be saved to OneDrive. It does not work on unsaved files, and minimum age limits may apply to AI features.
The price is the same every month, and Microsoft gives notice before any change. It auto-renews unless you cancel in your Microsoft account, which also stops future charges. No dollar figure is quoted here, so check Microsoft's student pricing page for the live price.
One more point in its favour: using your own Microsoft 365 account means your creations stay with you after graduation.
Are there other Microsoft student offers right now?
Two more Microsoft offers are public. A limited-time offer gives 12 months of Microsoft 365 Premium free to eligible college-email users, and no end date is published. A PC bundle includes 1 year of Microsoft 365 Premium plus Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and a design-your-own Xbox Wireless Controller, worth $500+ in added value.
Students and parents can also get 10% off select devices, including Surface, at the Microsoft Store. Note that the Microsoft Store student discount excludes Microsoft 365 itself, so it will not stack on the software.
| Offer | Headline value |
|---|---|
| Office 365 A1 | Free |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | 50% off |
| Microsoft 365 Premium (limited time) | 12 months free |
| PC bundle | 1 year Premium, $500+ added value |
| Select devices | 10% off |
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Microsoft 365 $5,000
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
What happens when your free plan ends?
Free access is tied to your status at a school, and your eligibility may be re-verified at any time. When the plan expires, the Office 365 applications drop into reduced-functionality mode: you can view documents but cannot edit or create new ones.
Online services tied to your school email, including Office 365 for the web and OneDrive, stop working. That means anything stored there needs a new home before you leave.
You can extend an expired plan by re-verifying your status, or by moving to a personal plan. The discount in the section above is the natural landing spot, since it runs on your own account. For the exact re-verification route, use the card rather than guessing.
Which student credits sit alongside Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 is one of four student-friendly perks worth stacking. Each row links to its own card, where you can see who qualifies and how to claim.
| Company | Free credits | How to get |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 | $5,000 | Get this perk |
| Microsoft Azure (students) | $100 | Get this perk |
| Notion (education) | $120 | Get this perk |
| Google Gemini (students) | $240 | Get this perk |
Total: $5,000 + $100 + $120 + $240 = $5,460 in credits across these four perks.
Our write-ups on free AI credits for students and every verified AI student discount compare more of them side by side.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Microsoft 365 $5,000
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
How do you get started step by step?
Step 1: Get credits via AI Perks. Go to getaiperks.com and open the student and education perk cards. Each card shows who qualifies and how to claim.
Step 2: Open the Microsoft 365 card. Read the card first, then decide between the free education plan and the 50% discount.
Step 3: Add the extras. Check the Azure, Notion and Gemini cards from the table above, since each is a separate perk with its own card.
Step 4: Plan for the end date. Move your files to an account you own before your school access can lapse, so documents stay editable.
Step 5: Check what else your school email unlocks. Our guide to edu email discounts lists more tools worth a look.
FAQ
Is Office 365 free for students?
Yes. Students and educators with an eligible school email can get Office 365 A1 free, including web Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. The Microsoft 365 perk card shows who qualifies and how to claim it.
Does the free plan include desktop apps?
A1 covers web versions of the core apps, plus PC-only Publisher and Access. Full Office desktop apps come with the higher A3 tier, which also adds Minecraft Education. Which tier you get depends on your school, so check what your account shows before you plan around desktop software.
How much is the Microsoft 365 student discount?
Students can save 50% on Microsoft 365 Personal, which includes 1 TB of cloud storage and Copilot in desktop apps. The live dollar price sits on Microsoft's own page. To compare it with free options, browse the student cards at getaiperks.com.
What happens to my files when I leave school?
Once the plan expires, the apps become view-only and school-email services such as OneDrive and the web apps stop working. Move your files first. You can extend by re-verifying or switching to a personal plan, and getaiperks.com points you to the right card.
Can I get free Word without a school email?
Yes. Microsoft 365 for the web offers free Word, Excel and PowerPoint to anyone. It is a lighter set than the education plan, which adds Outlook, OneNote, Teams and Copilot Chat. For other free student tools, see free AI tools by study task.
Are there student credits beyond Microsoft 365?
Yes. The catalogue lists $100 in Microsoft Azure credits for students, plus Notion and Google Gemini education perks. Each card shows who qualifies and how to claim. More student offers are collected at getaiperks.com.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Microsoft 365 $5,000
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Ready to claim your student perks?
Start with the Microsoft 365 card, then stack the cloud, notes and AI credits that fit your courses.
Get free AI credits at getaiperks.com →
Browse the full catalogue of companies and perks, and find every student offer, at getaiperks.com.
