Is Office 365 A1 Still Free for Schools? How to Verify Education Status
Question details
The user needs to confirm whether Microsoft Office 365 A1 is still free for schools and understand how to obtain or renew education verification after receiving a trial renewal email.
- Product
- Microsoft Office 365 A1
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- A school set up Microsoft Teams and Office 365 A1 and received a trial renewal email. The administrator wants to keep no-cost access for students and staff.
- Observed behavior
- The tenant shows a trial renewal notice, and the school is unsure whether education verification has been applied or how to request it.
Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center with a global administrator account, and prepare the school domain, administrator and staff email addresses, and school website before contacting Microsoft Support.
Request Office 365 A1 education verification through Microsoft Support
Use this if your school received a trial or renewal notice and needs to keep Office 365 A1 at no cost for students and staff.
Office 365 A1 is free only for verified education tenants. Microsoft Support can verify the organization and convert the trial, but the request must be made from a global administrator account.
Open the Microsoft 365 admin center at admin.microsoft.com and sign in with a global administrator account.
In the left navigation, select Support, then choose New service request.
Describe that the school needs Office 365 A1 education verification and ask Microsoft to verify the organization as an education tenant.
Supply the school domain, administrator and staff email addresses, and the school website if Microsoft Support requests them.
After verification, check Billing > Your products in the admin center and confirm that Office 365 A1 appears for students and staff without trial expiry.
Confirm Office 365 A1 education verification status and validity
Use this to check whether your tenant is already verified and when you need to re-verify.
WPS Office: A Free, Lightweight Microsoft Office Alternative for Schools
WPS Office gives schools a free, lightweight alternative to Microsoft Office 365 A1 with familiar Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF tools, strong Microsoft Office format compatibility, and easy document migration without Microsoft education-tenant verification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Office 365 A1 still free for schools?
Yes, Office 365 A1 remains free for verified education institutions. A global administrator must request education verification through the Microsoft 365 admin center by selecting Support > New service request.
What information does a school need for Office 365 A1 education verification?
Microsoft may require a school domain, administrator and staff email addresses, and a school website. A global administrator account is also needed to open the request.
How long does Office 365 A1 education verification last?
Education verification is generally valid for two years. After that, the school should contact Microsoft Support again to renew or re-confirm education tenant status.
Can WPS Office verify or renew Microsoft Office 365 A1 education status?
No, WPS Office does not manage Microsoft licensing or education verification. That must be handled in the Microsoft 365 admin center with Microsoft Support.
Can WPS Office open files created in Office 365 A1?
Yes, WPS Office can open, edit, and save Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files, making it easy to work with existing .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx documents.
