Instead of a buying a license, Weinberg freshman Carol Shou uses a shared subscription of Microsoft Office to complete homework assignments.
Northwestern is now providing all students with a free version of Microsoft Office, available for download for both PC and Mac.
Students can download the latest version of Microsoft Office, Office 365 ProPlus, on up to five computers by logging onto msoffice.northwestern.edu using their Net ID and password. The subscription license will offer PC users base applications for Office 2013 ProPlus and Mac users Office 2011.
“I was really surprised that Northwestern didn’t provide Office because a lot of my friends who went to state schools got Office for free, and I was expecting Office upon going to Northwestern,” said Weinberg freshman Carol Shou. “Two weeks before class, I realized that I had to get it on my own.”
Without the free download, students would have to pay $9.99 per month for Office 365 Home or a total of about $480 for a four-year subscription. Users can now leverage their free Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus license until they graduate or no longer attend the University.
“I will definitely use it,” Shou said. “Almost every student will take advantage of it since it’s the school’s responsibility to give students the resources they need to succeed in school.”