Microsoft’s education service changes could drive schools towards rivals

Microsoft is ending free student email and collaboration services and changing storage allowances, prompting schools to consider higher costs and alternatives. The changes generally take effect at each institution’s first renewal or extension on or after 1 January 2028, giving rivals an opening to attract education customers.

Indicative annual student prices range from $2 for Microsoft 365 Education A2 to $6 for A5, with Teams adding $1; actual prices depend on Microsoft’s partners. The new free A0 tier excludes Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Teams, and has eligibility conditions. Nextcloud points to migrations including 39,500 people and 585 terabytes of data at several Swiss universities, while suppliers also cite digital sovereignty as a reason to switch.