Difference Between Office 365 Education E3 and A3 for Faculty
Question details
The user wants to understand the terminology and feature differences between the older Office 365 Education E3 for Faculty plan and the newer A3 for Faculty plan.
- Product
- Microsoft Office 365 Education
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Evaluating faculty subscriptions or managing licensing for an educational institution.
- Observed behavior
- The shift in Microsoft's terminology from E-plans (E3) to A-plans (A3) creates confusion regarding included features and plan continuity.
Ensure you have access to your Microsoft 365 Admin Center to verify your institution's current faculty license assignments and active subscriptions.
Understand the Transition from E3 to A3 Education Plans
Review Microsoft's updated product naming conventions to confirm that the A3 tier replaces and mirrors the legacy E3 tier for educational institutions.
Historically, Microsoft offered Office 365 E3 plans (Enterprise) that were tailored for educational institutions. To streamline its academic offerings, Microsoft introduced a new categorization using 'A' (Academic) tiers, specifically A1, A3, and A5.
The A3 for Faculty plan is the direct counterpart to the older E3 plan. It offers substantially similar features, including fully installed desktop versions of Office applications, advanced security management, and Insights by MyAnalytics.
Visit the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and sign in with your institutional administrator credentials.
Navigate to the 'Billing' section in the left-hand menu and select 'Your products' to see if your institution is currently provisioned with A3 or legacy E3 licenses.
Consult the official Microsoft Office 365 Education service description documentation online to compare the exact tools, apps, and compliance features included in your current A3 plan.
Looking for a cost-effective alternative to Office 365 Education?
If navigating changing subscription tiers and licensing costs is becoming too complex for your institution or personal use, consider WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and completely free alternative to Microsoft Office, supporting all standard academic document formats without the confusing subscription plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the current Microsoft Office 365 Education plans?
Microsoft currently categorizes its education plans into three main tiers: A1 (free, online-only web apps), A3 (includes downloadable desktop applications and advanced management features), and A5 (includes everything in A3 plus premium security and advanced analytics).
Does the A3 for Faculty plan include Insights by MyAnalytics?
Yes, just like the older E3 plan, the Office 365 Education A3 plan includes Insights by MyAnalytics to help faculty manage their work habits and productivity.
Will transitioning from E3 to A3 affect my existing faculty files?
No. When an institution updates its licensing from a legacy E3 plan to a current A3 plan, user data, OneDrive files, and emails remain completely unaffected.
Can I use WPS Office to open documents created in Office 365 A3?
Absolutely. WPS Office supports seamless editing of all standard Microsoft document formats, allowing you to easily open, edit, and save files originally created using Office 365 Education.
