Microsoft delays Copilot for Microsoft 365 for higher education customers until May 1

Earlier this month, Microsoft revealed that their premium Copilot for Microsoft 365 AI service would soon be offered as a paid add-on for higher education institutions and their students, beginning on April 1. However, Microsoft has now announced a change in their plans.

Microsoft announced in a blog post that Copilot for Microsoft 365 will now be released on May 1, 2024 for higher education customers, which is one month later than originally planned. The reason for this delay was not mentioned in the blog post.

Furthermore, the initial availability of the AI service will be restricted to subscribers with Microsoft 365 or Office 365 A3 or A5 licenses. A1 licenses for Office 365 will not be included in this initial launch; however, Microsoft has announced that A1 subscribers will be incorporated in the upcoming months.

The blog noted that Copilot for Microsoft 365 can be purchased by education customers through resellers in the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program or their Microsoft account team. Customers in China will also have the option to directly obtain Copilot for Microsoft 365 for faculty members through a web store, beginning on April 5, 2024.

Microsoft has announced that a private preview program for Copilot, including commercial data protection, will be offered to schools with students under the age of 18 starting in the spring of 2024.

Additionally, the blog post revealed that Copilot for Finance, the AI assistant designed to streamline financial tasks, is now available for preview to Microsoft Education customers. This announcement comes after the initial unveiling of the tool in February. Education customers interested in trying out Copilot for Finance can register for the preview version at the following link: https://aka.ms/CopilotforFinancePreview.

Education customers will have the opportunity to acquire and utilize Copilot for Sales and Copilot for Service starting on May 1, 2024. These two AI assistants were made widely accessible in the beginning of February.