As digital transformation continues to redefine education, institutions are turning to platforms that enable seamless collaboration, centralized management, and secure remote learning. One of the most widely adopted solutions globally is Microsoft 365 Education—a robust suite of cloud-based applications tailored to meet the demands of modern learning environments.

But while Microsoft provides the essential tools for teaching, communication, and productivity, many schools, universities, and educational institutions choose to extend these capabilities using complementary platforms like Infowise Ultimate Forms. Designed to enhance and automate SharePoint functionality, Ultimate Forms provides solutions that address real-world challenges in education—ranging from onboarding and HR automation to help desk management and student tracking.

Let’s explore everything you need to know about Microsoft 365 Education—what it offers, how it's structured, and how Infowise fits in to unlock its full potential.

What Is Microsoft 365 Education?

Microsoft 365 Education is a subscription-based offering that provides schools and universities with access to Microsoft’s suite of productivity and collaboration tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, and SharePoint. It’s specifically designed for academic institutions, offering both free and paid plans to support classroom learning, administrative processes, and remote instruction.

Microsoft 365 Education Plans: A1, A3, and A5

🟦 A1 Plan – Free for Students and Teachers

The A1 plan is a completely free package that includes web-based versions of Microsoft Office tools and essential services like Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, OneNote, and Exchange. It supports online collaboration, document sharing, and cloud storage via OneDrive.

While this plan doesn’t include desktop versions of Office applications (except for OneNote), it’s ideal for institutions looking for a cost-effective remote learning solution. Features include:

• Unlimited number of users (students and staff)

• Class and Staff Notebooks

• Professional Learning Community (PLC) groups

• School Data Sync integration

• Built-in compliance tools (e.g., eDiscovery, DLP)

🟨 A3 Plan – Desktop Access and Additional Services

For more advanced needs, the A3 plan adds desktop versions of Office applications—enabling offline access—and unlocks additional tools such as Publisher, Access, and Bookings. Enhanced security features and centralized IT management tools like Intune for Education make it ideal for institutions with more complex administrative workflows.

🟥 A5 Plan – Enterprise-Level Tools and Security

The A5 plan includes everything in A3 and adds enterprise-grade security and analytics capabilities:

• Microsoft Defender for Office 365 for threat protection

• Power BI Pro for data visualization

• Advanced compliance, identity management, and call analytics

This plan is suited for large institutions needing robust security, data analysis, and communication tools to manage and scale their educational infrastructure.

Key Tools in Microsoft 365 for Education

Whether you’re using A1, A3, or A5, Microsoft 365 Education includes a powerful lineup of applications:

• Microsoft Teams – The centerpiece of modern virtual classrooms, Teams facilitates video meetings, chat, file sharing, and classroom management.

• OneDrive – Secure cloud storage with 1 TB+ space per user for documents, assignments, and media.

• Outlook – Enterprise-grade email with calendaring, contacts, and 50 GB mailbox (A1).

• SharePoint – A collaborative intranet platform ideal for hosting educational content, managing files, and integrating apps.

• Word, Excel, PowerPoint – Core productivity apps used for content creation and collaboration.

• OneNote – Digital notebooks for interactive lessons and collaborative note-taking.

• Power Apps & Power Automate (Flow) – Build custom apps and automate tasks without coding—perfect for administrative tasks.

How Infowise Complements Microsoft 365 Education

While Microsoft 365 provides the framework for digital learning and collaboration, Infowise Ultimate Forms adds automation, customization, and business logic capabilities that turn basic SharePoint lists into powerful business applications—without code.

Infowise has been a trusted SharePoint solution provider for over 15 years and supports educational institutions across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

🔹 Use Cases in Education

Here’s how Infowise can supercharge your Microsoft 365 Education environment:

1. Student and Staff Onboarding

Use Infowise to build fully automated onboarding workflows:

• Collect documentation and approvals via smart forms

• Track progress with dashboards and alerts

• Store student or employee data securely in SharePoint

Explore our Student Enrollment Hub for a free ready-to-use solution.

2. HR and Faculty Management

Digitize HR processes for faculty and staff:

• Automate leave requests, approvals, and performance reviews

• Maintain records and compliance documents with versioning and security

• Set permissions and workflows based on roles

Check out the HR SharePoint Portal to learn more.

3. IT Help Desk and Support

Manage student and staff support tickets using SharePoint and Infowise:

• Create Help Desk forms with automated routing

• Use Alerts, Actions, and Permissions to manage issue resolution

• Generate reports to track SLA compliance

See the Help Desk Solution.

4. Course Evaluation and Surveys

Use smart forms and workflows to:

• Conduct course feedback surveys

• Generate real-time reports

• Trigger follow-up actions automatically

Why Schools Choose Infowise

🔸 No-Code Solution – Educators and admin staff can build and manage apps without developer assistance
🔸 100% SharePoint Native – Seamless integration with Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online
🔸 Prebuilt Solutions – Access dozens of education templates that can be customized to your institution
🔸 Scalable and Secure – Built-in permissions, audit logs, and compliance tools
🔸 Rapid Deployment – Get started in minutes with our 30-day free trial

Getting Started

To get started with Microsoft 365 Education:

1. Visit the official Microsoft 365 Education site to sign up using your school-issued email.

2. Choose a plan that fits your needs (A1 is free).

3. Explore Infowise Education Solutions to enhance your platform with advanced features and automation.

Conclusion

Microsoft 365 Education provides the essential tools for learning, collaboration, and communication—but with Infowise Ultimate Forms, it becomes a complete digital transformation platform for education. From onboarding and HR to help desks and classroom automation, Infowise empowers educational institutions to build tailored, efficient, and secure solutions inside their existing Microsoft 365 environment.

Ready to transform your educational operations? Explore Infowise Solutions for Education.