Possibility to use Microsoft products such as word, excel, etc for free using your university mail, as a student

Your university email can provide free Microsoft 365 Education access, but installing and activating Word or Excel on a Mac requires Kyiv School of Economics to assign you a license that includes desktop applications.

Check your access

1. Go to Microsoft 365 Education and enter your university-issued email address.
2. Complete the student verification and sign in with that same university account.
3. Open Word or Excel in the browser. Eligible students can use Microsoft 365 web applications without installing them on the Mac.^1^
4. On the Microsoft 365 home page, look for Install Microsoft 365 or Install apps:
   • Button available: download the installer there, install it, open Word, and sign in with the same university account.
   • Button absent or Word reports “No license found”: your account probably has web access only, or the university has not assigned a desktop-app license.

Do not post your student email address publicly. Only enter it on Microsoft’s sign-in page or provide it privately to your university’s IT department.

Why the browser may work but the Mac apps do not

The free Office 365 Education A1 plan provides web-based Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, but not their installed desktop versions. A3 and A5 include Office for Mac and installation on PCs or Macs.^2^

If browser apps work but desktop activation does not, contact Kyiv School of Economics IT support and ask:

Which Microsoft 365 Education license is assigned to my student account? Does it include Microsoft 365 desktop apps for Mac, such as an A3 or A5 license?

Only the university’s Microsoft 365 administrator can assign or change its institutional licenses. If your account has A1 only, Mac activation troubleshooting will not enable desktop Word or Excel; continue using the browser versions or obtain a license that includes desktop applications.

If IT confirms that a desktop license is assigned

First sign out of Word, Excel, and every other Office app, then sign in using the exact university account holding the license.

If activation still fails, remove stale Mac licensing data:

1. Quit all Office applications.
2. Download Microsoft’s Office license removal tool.
3. Open the downloaded .pkg file and follow the prompts.
4. Open Word and sign in again with your university account.
5. Restart the Mac after activation.

The tool removes all Office licenses stored on the Mac, so have the credentials for any licensed account available before running it.^3^

If the error remains, send the university IT department the exact message or error code shown in Word. A “No license found” message for a school account can mean that the institution’s administrator has not configured or assigned the required license.^4^

References

1. Remote learning with Microsoft 365 for students | Microsoft Support
2. Office 365 Education service description
3. How to remove Office license files on a Mac
4. [Activation](https://support.microsoft.com/microsoft-365-activation-licensing/what-to-try-if-you-can-t-install-or-activate-office-for-mac)