How Microsoft 365 for Education Benefits Teachers and Students
Microsoft 365 has a lot to offer teachers, students, and educational institutions. Each Microsoft 365 Education plan includes several individual services; combining the familiar Microsoft Office desktop applications with cloud-based versions of Microsoft’s next-generation communications and collaboration services—including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Microsoft 365 Apps, and Teams—to help users be productive from virtually anywhere through the internet.
With the continued evolution of remote learning and digital transformation in the classroom, both Microsoft 365 for teachers and Microsoft 365 student plans have become essential tools for modern education. Whether you’re a teacher, an administrator, or a student, Microsoft 365 Education enables more personalized learning experiences and supports academic success at every level.
Microsoft 365 for Education
Remote learning has become more important than ever. Teachers and staff need to be able to access their tools from school, home or wherever they may be. Microsoft 365 Education empowers educators to unlock creativity, promote teamwork, and provides a simple and safe experience in a single, affordable solution built specifically for education.
One of the major benefits of Microsoft 365 for teachers is the ability to centralize communications, assignments, and grading in one secure platform, allowing for seamless transitions between in-person, hybrid, or fully remote learning. Microsoft 365 student offerings allow young learners to build digital literacy skills, collaborate with classmates, and access essential resources from anywhere.
Deploying the foundational infrastructure for built-in security and integration makes for simplified management, allowing ease in ensuring client software is updated with the latest productivity and security enhancements. The foundational infrastructure should be organized in a series of phases building upon each other and towards an environment that enables Microsoft 365 Education workloads and scenarios. What should always be the first step is cloud deployment, which includes Networking and Identity. Following prescriptive onboarding steps will enable a smoother deployment of workloads and scenarios such as Teams for Education, Exchange, and SharePoint and OneDrive. Additionally, Microsoft recommends upgrading to the current version of Windows and Office 365 while managing and securing your organization’s devices with Intune for Education.
With a Microsoft 365 Education subscription you will have availability to the Microsoft Office Apps for your PC and Mac as well as the full set of online services for email, file storage and collaboration, meetings.
For students, having access to Microsoft 365 student plans means building familiarity with tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams — skills that will serve them well throughout their academic and professional careers. Microsoft 365 apps for education are continually updated to include the latest accessibility, productivity, and AI-driven features to help every student achieve their full potential.
Some of the many top benefits of Microsoft 365 for education include:
- Increased accessibility. Teachers and staff can work from wherever they are. They can also work on any platform. Whether they’re on a desktop in their classroom or on a laptop at home, they’re able to seamlessly connect to their entire system. This gives educators a greater level of accessibility and freedom.
- Save time and improve efficiency. Teachers are already busy with important tasks like creating lesson plans and connecting with students. The Microsoft 365 platform has been tailored to improve efficiency.
Educators can leverage AI-powered tools like Copilot to automate repetitive administrative tasks, generate lesson materials, and provide immediate feedback to students. This frees up valuable time to focus on instruction and student support. - Collaborate with peers. The Teams platform provides a simple and effective way for colleagues within your institution to share files, provide feedback, join meetings, and make calls.
- Improved student insights. Visualizing student data is easier with tools like Microsoft Power BI. Teachers will be able to observe how their pupils are progressing in real time, as well as identify areas where they may need to improve or where learning gaps may exist.
Advanced analytics tools included in Microsoft 365 Education plans also provide institutions with the ability to monitor academic performance, streamline reporting, and take a more data-driven approach to student success. - Superior cybersecurity. Microsoft 365 has features such as single sign-on and active monitoring to keep instructors safe and secure while keeping their data private. Teachers should not be expected to be cybersecurity experts in addition to their other responsibilities.
Modern security features protect sensitive student and school data, while allowing for safe collaboration both inside and outside the classroom.
The Microsoft 365 for teachers platform integrates seamlessly with existing school systems and provides robust administrative controls to keep educational environments secure.
In addition to these benefits for the teachers, there are also benefits of Microsoft Office for students.
What if a student never had to repeat their work because they forget to click save? Cloud syncing is only one of many great benefits of Microsoft Word for students. For students, Microsoft 365 provides:
- Learning on a professional platform: Students can take advantage of a robust, professional platform that includes not only Microsoft 365 security tools but also the Office 365 applications. Students can access the technology needed to learn as they go.
- Connect and collaborate with peers: Just as teachers can connect with colleagues, students can use the Microsoft platform to connect with their peers to form study groups and run group projects.
- Access to instructors: Students will be able to interact with instructors, send them messages and otherwise connect with them on a level that would be difficult without a collaborative communication system. Students won’t feel like they’re missing something when they’re out of the classroom.
- Learn from wherever they are: Students can study in the classroom or at home on a completely accessible system that operates in the same way regardless of the platform that’s used to connect to it.
Microsoft 365 for students offers access to familiar Office 365 for students tools, ensuring a smooth transition from the classroom to higher education or the workplace. Cloud-based file storage and real-time collaboration tools support group projects, assignments, and presentations. Furthermore, built-in accessibility features support students of all abilities, making learning more equitable and inclusive.
Microsoft 365 Education Plans: Three Tiers for Every Need
When evaluating Microsoft 365 Education, it’s important to understand the three core tiers available — A1, A3, and A5. Each plan provides a different set of features and services to match the needs of every institution, from small schools to large districts.
Microsoft 365 – A1
This entry-level plan is ideal for schools seeking affordable access to essential productivity tools. Microsoft 365 A1 is free for eligible students and educators, providing web-based Office apps, Teams, OneNote, and secure cloud storage via OneDrive.
Features include:
- Unlimited users
- Collaboration tools like Teams and OneNote
- Basic security and compliance features
- Easy device management for IT administrators
Microsoft 365 – A3
The A3 plan is perfect for institutions needing advanced capabilities. In addition to all the features of A1, Microsoft 365 A3 provides desktop versions of Office apps for offline access, enhanced security, device management with Intune for Education, and more.
Upgrading to A3 unlocks:
- Full Office desktop apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
- Publisher and Access (PC only)
- Advanced compliance and security tools
- Enhanced IT administration
Microsoft 365 – A5
For educational institutions that require top-tier analytics and security, Microsoft 365 A5 is the most comprehensive plan. It includes everything in A3 plus advanced data analysis (Power BI Pro), robust threat protection with Microsoft Defender, and powerful communication tools.
Benefits of A5 include:
- Unified communications and advanced voice capabilities
Powerful analytics with Power BI Pro - Enterprise-grade security, identity, and compliance
- Call analytics and reporting for large-scale operations
Microsoft 365 Education Plans: Why They Matter
Selecting the right Microsoft 365 Education plan enables both educators and students to maximize the benefits of modern learning technology. Whether you’re implementing Microsoft 365 for teachers, supporting Microsoft 365 student users, or exploring the full Microsoft 365 apps for education suite, these plans offer scalable, secure solutions for every academic environment.
We can guide institutions through the deployment phases for solutions aligned with their needs and goals. Students, faculty, and staff will benefit from properly implementing the right solutions in the Modern Workplace.
Are you ready to take advantage of Microsoft 365 for Education? Do you need advice and deployment guidance? The Red River FastTrack team is one of a select number of partners with EDU distinction within the FastTrack Ready Partner program. With many years of experience working closely with educators in moving to Microsoft Education cloud, our team can assist. Connect with the Red River FastTrack team today.
FAQ: Microsoft 365 Education
