Microsoft Offering Free Office Software to Four Million Canadian Students

Microsoft Canada this week that announced that over four million Canadian students and their families are eligible to access Office at no cost from their schools through their Office for Students program.

With Office for Students, Microsoft says it can help Canadian students save up to $200 million.

A recent IDC study, Skill Requirements for Tomorrow’s Best Jobs, concluded that proficiency in the use of Office is seen as a fundamental skill by top-grossing, high-growth employers.

“We know that students who are proficient in Microsoft Office have a leg-up when entering the job-market,” said Marc Seaman, VP of Education at Microsoft Canada. “Our goal, with this offer, is to provide students with the tried and tested tools they need to help be successful today and in the future.”

Any student enrolled in a district school board or individual school which has purchased Microsoft Office for use by its faculty and staff can now log on and can download the full Office at no cost for use at home and in the classroom.

“Microsoft recognizes that in today’s environment, barriers – whether they are technical or financial – that separate students from such tools must be overcome,” says Seaman. “By making Office for Students free of charge, we are removing that barrier and freeing students to choose the technology platform they want, based solely on preference.”