Microsoft Retires Free Office 365 A1 for Schools
Microsoft is ending its no-cost Office 365 A1 education license and free alumni email, shifting institutions toward paid Microsoft 365 Education plans.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Distance Learning
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Microsoft has announced the retirement of Office 365 A1, the Student Use Benefit, and free Exchange Online for Alumni, while introducing Microsoft 365 Education A7 as its most advanced education offering. Office 365 A1 stopped accepting new web-direct orders on November 5, 2026, and existing agreements remain valid through their current terms.
Why it matters
The change removes a no-cost option that gave eligible institutions web-based Office applications, Teams, and email, and it ends free mailboxes for graduates who previously kept them. Institutions that want continued service will need to move to paid replacement licenses at their next renewal or contract expiry.
Office 365 A1 stopped accepting new web-direct orders on November 5, 2026, and partner-channel sales end May 1, 2027. Retirement is scheduled for January 1, 2028, with changes generally taking effect at each institution's first renewal on or after that date.
The players
Microsoft
Microsoft is the American technology company that develops the Office suite, Teams, and Exchange Online, and it has been a dominant supplier of productivity software to schools and universities worldwide.
The details
Office 365 A1 provided eligible institutions with web-based Office applications, Teams, and email at no charge, with eligibility tied to paid faculty licensing and active use of Windows devices for education. Microsoft 365 Education A0, a related tier, excludes Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Teams, while the new A7 tier adds AI, security, governance, and device-management features.
Timeline
November 5, 2026: Office 365 A1 stopped accepting new web-direct orders.
May 1, 2027: Partner-channel sales of Office 365 A1 end.
January 1, 2028: Office 365 A1 retirement scheduled, with changes taking effect at renewal.
Roadmap
The retirement of Office 365 A1 continues a pattern in which Microsoft moves education customers from free and low-cost tiers toward its paid Microsoft 365 Education licenses. The new A7 tier positions AI, security, and device management as the premium layer of its schools offering.
Schools and universities that depend on free Microsoft email and web apps will need to budget for paid replacement licenses at renewal. Graduates who relied on free Exchange Online mailboxes will need to watch for Microsoft's paid alumni option.
The takeaway
Institutions and alumni should audit their current Microsoft licenses now, since the shift from free to paid tiers will take effect gradually through renewal cycles.
What happens next
Institutions that rely on Office 365 A1 should plan to move to replacement licenses before their first renewal or extension on or after January 1, 2028.
Further reading
For more on how schools are adapting their tools, see our coverage of Distance Learning.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TheRegister.
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