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Office 365 A1 Plus for education will retire on 1 August 2024

At Microsoft, we understand that change requires a transition plan. We are here to help.

Why is Office 365 A1 Plus being retired?

Microsoft Introduced Office 365 A1 Plus to schools in 2015 to ease the provisioning burden for IT of moving users to the cloud. While the intent was to help schools with their transition, it also introduced a level of complexity for our customers that led to many inadvertently becoming non-compliant. Today, Microsoft 365 A3 and A5 licenses are easier to provision, both addressing our customer requirements and removing the need for a transitional program. All existing Office 365 A1 Plus licenses will expire 1 August 2024.

    Discover the benefits of Microsoft 365 A5

    Microsoft 365 A5 is for institutions who want a single productivity, communications, and collaboration platform with the most advanced security for learning, teaching, and work. It provides AI-powered services to accelerate learning and productivity in a comprehensive suite that integrates advanced security, analytics tools, and unified communications.

    Learn the benefits of Microsoft 365 A3

    Microsoft 365 A3 offers a comprehensive platform for learning and work with integrated security and management - It helps advance your institution with premium tools for learning and skill building, AI-infused productivity, increased security, and device controls for management and student safety.

    • Security and management

    Recommendations to get started

    Check for Office A1 Plus licenses

    1. Navigate to the M365 Admin Portal https://admin.microsoft.com

    2. On the left-hand navigation menu, go to Billing > Your Products

    3. Look for Office 365 A1 Plus for Faculty and Office 365 A1 Plus for Student assigned licenses

    Understand your scenario:

    1. A. If A1 Plus users are assigned a dual license of Microsoft 365 A3 or A5, there is no action. Your users will default to those licenses.

    2. B. If A1 Plus users are covered with available A3 or A5 provisioned licenses, you will need to migrate those users via Group Based Licensing or PowerShell

    3. C. If A1 Plus users are eligible for A3 or A5 licenses, but they are not provisioned in the tenant, you will need to acquire eligible or entitled student use benefit licenses.

    4. D. If A1 Plus users are assigned a dual A1 license, the user will default to A1 and will no longer have desktop apps but can instead use online web apps.

    5. E. If A1 Plus is not covered by another paid license, you will need to acquire licenses or transition your users to A1.

    Update your users

    1. Update existing licenses using Group Based Licensing or PowerShell

    2. To acquire additional licenses, get the Microsoft 365 Education Infographic to see which edition is right for you and contact your licensing services provider or Contact a sales partner

    3. To move to free Office 365, sign up and leverage the Office 365 A1 guide to communicate the experience to your end users

    We are here to help you get started

    Our teams can assist you in acquiring new licenses to help with your migration, or to answer your questions.

    Frequently asked questions

    Use the arrow keys to navigate through the pivots and tab to focus on focusable content inside a pivot section.

    Additional resources

    PDF Download

    Microsoft 365 Overview

    Learn how Microsoft 365 helps education institutions and which suite is right for your school district, college, or university.

    Guide

    Office 365 A1 User Guide

    For institutions moving from Office 365 A1 Plus to Office A1, help guide your students and faculty through the transition with clear guidance customised for your school.

    Customer evidence

    Microsoft 365 A5 creates a more secure learning environment

    Learn about Newington College’s choice to upgrade to a Microsoft 365 A5 license, guaranteeing the right technological environment for learning while minimising risk.

    Microsoft 365 Education

    A comprehensive platform for teaching, learning, and work, empowering students, educators, and IT to do more.

    Learn more about Microsoft 365