About A5 and A1 licenses in Microsoft 365 at IU

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Overview

Microsoft 365 Education licensing allows those affiliated with Indiana University to access Microsoft 365 at IU software according to the following license levels:

• A5 (employee): The A5 employee license provides full use of the IU Microsoft 365 service, including the ability to download and install applications on personal devices.
• A5 (student): Students are eligible for A5 licenses that provide full use of most features of Microsoft 365, including the ability to download and install applications on personal devices. However, a few features, such as the ability to dial by number with Teams Calls and access to some specialty applications like Power BI Pro, are excluded from the A5 student license. Exceptions are available when appropriate; see below.
• A1: The A1 license provides use of the Microsoft 365 service, including web-based access to the online versions of Microsoft 365, but does not include the ability to install these applications on personal devices. This means that A1 license holders cannot dial by number with Teams Calls (see below). In addition, the A1 license has smaller default storage allotments.

For more on the differences between A5 and A1 licenses, see Microsoft 365 Education license comparison.

Eligibility for the A5 and A1 plans depends on your status with IU; see IU account types and eligibility.

Differences between online apps and desktop applications

Not all of the applications featured in desktop versions of Microsoft 365 are available online. Additionally, the web apps lack some functionality compared to the desktop versions. Differences in some of the most commonly used features include:

• The online version of Word does not support mail merge, VBA and Forms scripts, SmartArt, or captions.
• The online version of Excel does not offer VBA and Forms scripts, "What if" analysis tools, external references, workbook protection, or slicer and Timeline filters, and offers only basic formulas.
• The online version of OneNote does not offer clipping experiences, drag-and-drop section groups, editing of embedded files, inking tools, or template support.
• When working with web apps, your files are stored in Microsoft OneDrive at IU, not locally on your personal computer.

• You can use the Microsoft Teams web app in a fully supported browser (Chrome or Edge) for most Teams functions, including PC-to-PC calls, but the dial pad will not appear in the web app for IU employees with office phone numbers. If you wish to dial by phone number, you'll need to install the app.

For a full list of functionality differences, see Office for the web service description.

Get help

If you have an IU-related need for Microsoft applications that are not included in your license, or if you believe that you have been placed in a given licensing group in error, contact your campus Support Center to ask for the appropriate license.

If you are not eligible for an A5 license through IU, and you would like to purchase a license that allows desktop app access for yourself, see Buy Microsoft 365 Personal and Buy Microsoft 365 Family. Note that these are personal Microsoft 365 licenses; IU does not purchase licenses through these channels.