Microsoft has joined OpenAI and Google in offering time-limited free access to its premium Office apps and Copilot AI for students. College students in the US can now sign up for a 3-month free trial, which provides access to Microsoft 365 Personal and Copilot. This includes desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook, all with Copilot integration.
In addition, college students receive 1 TB of cloud storage during the free trial. After the 3-month period, they can continue using the plan at a 50% discount, reducing the cost from $9.99 per month to $4.99 per month. Essentially, Microsoft is offering an extended free trial and bundling Copilot access to attract college students.
— Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) May 13, 2025
College students:
Microsoft 365 Personal is free for 3 months—with Copilot included.https://t.co/Syn1YwmDPi
Please note that the 3-month free trial is available exclusively to college students in the US. However, students outside the US can still subscribe to the discounted $4.99 monthly plan. To claim the 3-month free trial, simply visit this link. Students must sign up using their college or university email address to verify their student status.
In February, I reported that Microsoft was testing a free, ad-supported version of Office in select countries. If you’re unable to access the student offer, you can try this ad-supported desktop version of Office, but be aware that many key features are missing.
Meanwhile, OpenAI is offering ChatGPT Plus for free to students, and Google has recently joined the trend, announcing that Gemini Advanced is now available for free to students. These offers provide great opportunities for students to enhance their academics and productivity.
