License & Subscription Issues

Why Did My OneDrive Education Storage Drop from 1TB to 100GB?

Algirdas Jasaitis Sep 30, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user's OneDrive Education cloud storage capacity has unexpectedly decreased from 1 TB to 100 GB.

Why Did My OneDrive Education Storage Drop from 1TB to 100GB?

Product: Microsoft OneDrive / Microsoft 365 Education
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Checking available cloud storage space or attempting to upload files on a school or university account.
Observed behavior: The maximum storage limit displays as 100 GB, and users who exceed this limit may receive a storage full error instead of the previous 1 TB limit.

Before you start

Log into your Microsoft account online and verify your current Microsoft 365 license type (such as Office 365 A1, A3, or A5) under your subscription settings before proceeding.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify Your A1 License and Contact Your School Administrator

The storage reduction is a result of Microsoft's updated storage policy for Office 365 A1 users, which limits personal OneDrive storage to 100 GB.

Beginning February 1, 2024, Microsoft implemented changes to Microsoft 365 Education storage. Under these new rules, users with the free Office 365 A1 subscription are capped at a strict 100 GB limit per user for OneDrive.

Because this is an institutional policy update by Microsoft, the storage cap cannot be bypassed locally. You must contact your IT department to resolve the issue.

Log in to your Microsoft account

Open a web browser and sign in to the Microsoft 365 portal using your school or university email credentials.

Check your assigned license

Click on your profile picture in the top right corner, select 'View account', and navigate to the 'Subscriptions' tab to confirm if you are on an Office 365 A1 license.

Contact your IT administrator

Reach out to your school's IT helpdesk or Microsoft 365 administrator. Request an upgrade to an eligible A3 or A5 license, which offer higher storage limits, or ask if they can assign additional pooled storage to your account.

Verify Your A1 License and Contact Your School Administrator

Exceeding the Storage Limit: If your account currently holds more than 100 GB of data, your OneDrive will become read-only. You will be able to download files, but you cannot upload, sync, or edit files until the storage usage is reduced below 100 GB.

Solution 2

Free Up Space in Your OneDrive

If your institution cannot upgrade your license to A3 or A5, you must manually delete files to stay under the 100 GB quota.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for a Lightweight and Flexible Experience

If strict storage limits on Microsoft OneDrive are interrupting your workflow, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, free alternative to Microsoft Office that allows you to seamlessly integrate with multiple third-party cloud drives like Google Drive and Dropbox, giving you more flexibility over where you save your files.

1. Download and Install: Get the free WPS Office installer from the official website and run the setup on your device.
2. Connect Alternative Cloud Drives: Open WPS Office, navigate to the 'Open' tab, and click 'Add Cloud Storage' to link your Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box accounts for extra saving space.
3. Save and Edit Freely: Open your existing Microsoft formats in WPS Office and save them directly to your newly connected cloud drives without worrying about the 100 GB limitation.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx)Connects easily to alternative cloud storage services to help you bypass single-drive limitsLightweight application that takes up significantly less space on your local hard driveIncludes a built-in PDF editor and powerful toolkit in one tabbed interface

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to my files if I am already over the 100 GB limit?

Your existing files will not be deleted by Microsoft. Instead, your OneDrive will enter a read-only state. You will still be able to view and download your files, but you will not be able to upload new files, edit existing documents online, or sync local changes until your usage drops below the 100 GB threshold.

Can I personally buy more OneDrive storage for my school account?

No, individual users cannot directly purchase additional storage for Microsoft 365 Education accounts. Storage quotas and licensing are managed centrally by your institution's IT administrator.

Are Office 365 A3 and A5 licenses affected by this 100 GB limit?

No, the February 2024 storage cap of 100 GB specifically targets the free Office 365 A1 tier. Users assigned A3 or A5 licenses generally retain higher individual storage limits, though exact limits are still subject to the school's total pooled storage policies.

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