Free downloads of Microsoft Office are now available online for all students and faculty members through a program called Microsoft Office 365 Education. The program supplies the latest versions of commonly used Microsoft products including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote.

Once the subscription is enacted, students and staff members will each be able to download the program on 10 devices, five of which being compatible computers and the other five being tablets or smartphones.

“Number one, [Office 365] will save you about $300 which is pretty great and also, you will get updates for free,” computer science teacher Bryan Bunn said. “Aside from that, it’s faster, more stable, it’s got more features.”

The free Office downloads have been available to staff members for a while with some employees already taking advantage of the program.

“When my son went off to college his computer crashed and rather than go buy Microsoft Office, as a FISD employee it was so convenient to be able to download the software from home for free,” campus tech specialist Merry Moch said. “I think this is just another example of the district trying to provide students and staff with the best and latest technology.”

The program brings no additional costs to the district while providing these programs free of charge to students who would very likely have to purchase them otherwise.

Additionally, students and staff can also access premium features if they sign in using the email connected to the subscription.

“I have known a lot of students who aren’t able to work on coursework because they don’t have Word or PowerPoint,” senior Aneesh Bindingnavile said. “So, by giving them the opportunity to work on these things at home and at school, this gives them luxury of using these programs that they couldn’t before.”

Students will be required to use their individual student ID to download the software and the provided subscriptions will expire as each student graduates or leaves the district.

“We’re excited to make Office available to our families free of charge,” Executive Director of Technology and Media Services Melissa Fouche said in a FISD news release. “A recent change in the way Frisco ISD licenses Microsoft software is allowing us to pass this opportunity along to our students and staff at no additional cost to the District. We hope it will be a cost savings for families and also help ensure all students have the tools they need at home to be successful academically.”