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Academic Technology Launchpad: Office 365 - Free!

Quick Guide to computer and academic technology resources for students.

Free and Discounted Apps for MATC students and employeesstudent computer help logo

Microsoft Office 365 - for current Madison College students, faculty and staff at no cost through our college agreement with Microsoft.

  • Microsoft Office programs for FREE! 
  • Office 365: PC/Windows, MAC, or Mobile
  • Full versions of software including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and more. Packaged together for faster download and installation.
  • Install on up to 5 of your personal computers and devices.
  • Stays up to date with the latest releases from Microsoft. 
  • When you graduate or are not taking classes, your Office 365 subscription will end and you will no longer be able to use the software for free. Your saved files will still be available. 

Campus computers and virtual desktops have Microsoft Office already installed.

How to Install the Free Microsoft Office - Get Started Guides

Step 1: Check Compatibility and Uninstall existing Microsoft Office programs

Uninstalling previous versions is recommended by Microsoft. Be sure you have your reinstall media or information for the previous version in case you ever want to reinstall it. This college Office 365 is only valid while you are a student at MATC.

How To Install Office 365 - PC (Windows) - Free!

office 365 program list icons windows

Latest version apps - currently 2016 - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Access, Publisher, Outlook, and more. 

Login to your Madison College student email account. Depending on your email version, either:office 365 logo with circle

  • Click Office 365 - the link at the upper left of your screen; Click Install Office Apps (upper right).
  • OR click the Gear icon on the right - select Office 365 under App Settings; then click Install Status.  Office 365 link in office apps icon
  • OR New Outlook option: click the Office apps icon (9 squares)  in the upper left corner, then choose Office 365. 

Choose Install Office and follow the on-screen instructions, generally choosing the default settings. install office icon

If a run/save box appears, ​select Run.  Step through the options, choosing Yes, Accept, or Next as prompted.

You may see a message - "Office is installing in the background" along with a the percent complete. 

Do not turn off your computer or disconnect it from the Internet until installation has completed. 

Sign In using your Madison College email address and password. 

Be sure to select "Organizational Account" or "Institutional Account" if prompted. Do Not select Microsoft Account. 

When the confirmation message appears, your Office install is complete. 

Step 1: Check Compatibility and Uninstall existing Microsoft Office programs

Microsoft recommends that you uninstall any previous existing version of Microsoft Office software on your computer before installing a new version. Be sure you have your reinstall media or information for the previous version in case you ever want to reinstall it. This college Office 365 is only valid while you are a student at MATC.

How To ​Install Office 365 - MAC - Free! Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook 

Microsoft does not have versions of Access or Publisher for MAC. You can use your virtual desktop if you need those applications. 

Step by Step Guide - You may see some different options depending on your MAC OS.  

Login to your Madison College student email account. Depending on your email version, either:office 365 logo with circle

  • Click Office 365 - the link at the upper left of your screen; Click Install Office Apps (upper right).
  • OR click the Gear icon on the right - select Office 365 under App Settings; then click Install Status.  Office 365 link in office apps icon
  • OR New Outlook option: click the Office apps icon (9 squares)  in the upper left corner, then choose Office 365. 

Choose Install Office and follow the on-screen instructions, generally choosing the default settings. install office icon​

If prompted, select Software and then Office.

Select Install and an installer (.dmg) file will now be downloaded to your Mac.

When the download completes, launch the installer by selecting the office installer icon (or you can open the .dmg file).

You'll be guided through a series of steps - generally choose Continue, Yes, Agree, Next or Install if prompted.

When installation is complete, you should see a screen that says the Installation was Successful. Select Close. ​

Choose Sign in to an existing Office 365 subscription. Select Organizational account if you get a screen with that option - Important! 

To activate and sign in, select one of the Office apps from Finder - Applications.

Enter your Madison College email address and password.

You're now ready to use Mac versions of Office programs. 

If you are no longer using Office 365 on a particular computer, you can deactivate an installation. You can also check your installations. 

After adding apps

  • ​Sign in using your Madison College email address (username@madisoncollege.edu)
  • If prompted, select Organizational Account
  • Use your Madison College account password.

Microsoft apps for Chromebooks

Using a compatible Chromebook, You can install Office mobile apps for Android on your Chromebook if you have the Google Play Store or use Office Online if you have the Google Web Store. These are apps - not the "full" Microsoft software.

Sign into the app with your Madison College email address (username@madisoncollege.edu).

Options and Assignments

For some courses, you may be able to use Google Chromebook apps (such as Google Docs), online apps, or Microsoft apps to view files from your instructor or work on assignments such as papers, presentations or spreadsheets. Be sure to follow your assignment instructions.

Save as an acceptable format following your assignment instructions. You may need to download or save the file to a storage location before adding as an attachment in email or uploading to Blackboard. 

Business Software Courses (Word, Excel, etc)

Chromebook apps are not the "full" Microsoft WIndows software - so you cannot use the Chromebook apps for a business software course at MATC. For example, our Microsoft Word courses require the full software package on a Windows platform.

Workaround: use the virtual desktops on a Chromebook (or MAC) to access Microsoft software Windows versions - choose quick browser / VMware Horizon HTML Access.

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Use your Madison College email address to sign in to Office 365 

If you previously used a version of Microsoft Office, even a trial version, or use another Microsoft account, you may need to sign out of that account before signing in with your new Madison College account. The license for your subscription is tied to your college email.

Offline Access - You can use the software offline. However, you must connect to the Internet once every 30 days to verify you are still eligible for the program. 

Access after graduation or when no longer enrolled - When you graduate or are not taking classes, your Office 365 subscription will end and you will no longer be able to use the software for free. You will not be able to edit files, but should still be able to view your locally saved files. You could choose to purchase a consumer version.

Existing Purchases or Subscriptions - If you purchased or subscribed to a version of Microsoft Office, you can continue to use that instead. Students are not required to install or use the Microsoft Student Advantage program. Refunds or reimbursements are not available. Microsoft Office 365 Student Advantage and its license is only valid while you are a student at MATC.

free microsoft office for students

Other retailers may have educational discounts available. You may be asked to show your student ID (OneCard) or supply a valid college email address.