Microsoft 365 A7 is Microsoft’s new top-tier Microsoft 365 Education suite. It includes everything in Microsoft 365 A5, plus Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Agent 365, Microsoft Entra Suite, and Microsoft Intune Suite, and is offered as separate faculty and student licenses. For institutions considering Microsoft 365 Copilot or looking to expand their approach to AI, identity, endpoint management, and security, A7 provides a new option for bringing these technologies together under a single Microsoft 365 suite.
What does Microsoft 365 A7 include beyond A5?
Microsoft 365 A7 provides everything included in Microsoft 365 A5 plus:
- Microsoft Intune Suite
- Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Microsoft Entra Suite
- Microsoft Agent 365
In short, A7 combines Microsoft’s AI tools (Copilot and Agent 365) with its most advanced identity and device management (Entra Suite and Intune Suite) in one license, instead of adding each to A5 separately.
Faculty and Student Licenses
Faculty and staff A7 licenses include Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agent 365 for managing AI agents, along with Entra Suite and Intune Suite. Student A7 licenses include Entra Suite and Intune Suite, and add security beyond A5: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 for Students and Microsoft 365 A5 Information Protection and Governance for Students.
You can review Microsoft’s detailed A7 licensing information here: Microsoft Subscription Suites Licensing Guidance
Does A7 Include a Student Use Benefit?
Yes. A7 qualifies for Microsoft’s Student Use Benefit, which lets institutions license students based on their paid faculty and staff licenses.
Should a Private College choose A7 or add Copilot to A5?
It depends on how broadly your campus plans to use AI and advanced management tools. A7 tends to make sense when an institution wants Copilot for a large share of faculty and staff and also needs Entra Suite or Intune Suite capabilities. Adding Copilot to A5 can be the better fit when only a few departments, such as the president’s office, business office, or IT, need Copilot to start. ScholarBuys can compare both options against your current agreement and renewal timeline.
How Can Higher Education use Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot, integrated into Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams, brings generative AI directly into the hands of educators, administrators, and students. Common uses include faculty course preparation, drafting and summarizing in administrative offices such as admissions, advancement, and the business office, and helping small IT teams document and troubleshoot faster. Microsoft is also developing education-specific AI experiences such as Teach and Study and Learn.
You can read more about Microsoft 365 Copilot for education here.
How Can Schools License these Offerings?
Many Higher Education institutions license Microsoft 365 through the Microsoft Enrollment for Education Solutions (EES), an agreement designed for academic institutions. Smaller institutions can’t qualify for EES on their own, but ScholarBuys has relationships with associations of independent colleges, and member institutions can access EES under their association’s consortium agreement. ScholarBuys works with your IT and finance leaders to choose the right suites, plan true-ups, and time changes to your renewal.