In a new push to bring digital productivity and AI services to students, Microsoft announced during a White House AI Education Task Force session that it will give U.S. college students a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Personal completely free of charge. Normally priced at $99.99 per year, the subscription includes access to Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and other essential Office apps, as well as Microsoft’s Copilot AI and 1 TB of cloud storage. For students already juggling financial burdens, the offer provides welcome relief while also ensuring access to tools that are widely used in classrooms and workplaces alike.
To redeem the free offer, students will need to register with a verified college email address. Once the first free year is complete, Microsoft will extend the subscription at a steep discount—about $50 annually or $4.99 monthly, which is half the usual cost. This move effectively creates a funnel for students to become long-term Microsoft 365 users, while giving them meaningful short-term value during their studies.
The company is also broadening its support for education beyond subscriptions. As part of the initiative, Microsoft will make AI-focused courses available at no cost on LinkedIn Learning for both students and teachers. This is designed to help the academic community gain practical knowledge in emerging technologies that are increasingly shaping future job markets.
Rival tech giants are pursuing similar strategies to win over student users. Google, for example, revealed earlier this year that it would give students free access to its Gemini Advanced AI platform, complemented by benefits such as NotebookLM Plus and 2TB of cloud storage. These parallel efforts highlight how the competition between Microsoft and Google is turning into a win for students, who are gaining unprecedented access to premium productivity suites and cutting-edge AI tools as part of their educational journey.