Microsoft 365 Copilot Licensing
Overview
Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses provide users access to 365 applications (such as Outlook, Word, Excel) and services (such as SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and Planner). These tools enable productivity and real-time collaboration.
Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses are provided to faculty, staff, and students in different tiers:
- A5 for Students
- A1 for Faculty and Staff
- A5 for Faculty and Staff
Licenses are assigned based on a user's affiliation with the University, as recorded in Banner/HR.
How Licenses Are Assigned
Students
- All students are assigned the A5 for Student license.
Faculty and Staff
- Employee Types A, B, P: Assigned A5 for Faculty license.
- Employee Types C, D: Most receive A5, but those with Skill Code 6 or 7 receive A1 for Faculty.
- Other Employee Types: Hourly, resource accounts, EH allied, or retired are assigned an A1 license.
More details on employee types can be found on the University HR website and knowledge base.
How to Check Your License Type
- Open a browser and go to: https://portal.office.com/account/
- Log in with your University credentials.
- Click "Subscriptions" on the left sidebar or "View subscriptions" in the main window.
- Your assigned Microsoft 365 license will be listed there.
License Feature Comparison
| A1 for Faculty | A5 for Faculty | A5 for Students | |
|
Office Apps |
Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote |
Desktop versions of A1 Apps + Publisher (PC) and Access (PC) |
Same as A5 for Faculty |
|
Services |
Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Planner, Sway, Forms, Stream, Flow, Power Apps, Copilot with Data Protection |
All A1 services + Power Apps, Power BI Pro, Bookings, Intune Plan 1, Copilot with Data Protection |
Same as A5 for Faculty |
| Cloud Storage | 100 GB | 5 TB | 5 TB |
| Office App Installations | No personal installs | Install 365 Apps on 5 devices (PC, Mac, Tablet, and Phone) | Same as A5 for Faculty |
|
Additional Features |
Teams meetings up to 250 people |
Teams meetings up to 10,000, Teams Phone System, Audio Conferencing, MyAnalytics, Bookings |
Teams meetings up to 250, Bookings |
Note: All users have access to the web-based Office 365 apps.
Device-Based Licensing
Device-based licensing allows Office apps to be activated based on the device rather than the user account. This is useful for A1 license holders who need access to desktop versions of Office apps (including Publisher and Access).
More information is available in the related Office 365 KB article.
Add-on Licenses
Four add-on licenses are available through the UIUC Webstore:
- Teams Premium: Enhanced Teams meeting features. For A1/A5 faculty license holders. Learn more
- Teams Calling License: For A1 staff needing a university phone number.
- A5 Faculty Upgrade: Includes desktop apps and Teams phone number. Requires annual renewal.
- Copilot Edu Upgrade: Copilot provides real-time intelligent assistance, enabling users to enhance their creativity, productivity, and skills.
- Best practices for generative AI can be found here: UIUC Gen AI Best Practices
Changing Licenses
- Accounts may be reassigned from A5 to A1. Departments can purchase A5 upgrades from the Webstore.
- Purchases can be for individual or multiple accounts and require NETIDs and C-FOAPAL information.
- Grad students needing a phone number must be changed to Staff Type first.
What Happens to Desktop Apps After License Changes
If a license changes from A5 to A1:
- Office desktop apps will become inactive.
- You can open existing files, but cannot create or edit them.
- A banner will show the app is unlicensed.
- Users can continue using the web apps at https://office.com.
Notes
- Microsoft Project is not included in any University-provided Microsoft 365 license.
- For a complete breakdown of Microsoft 365 Education features, visit: