BG Zehnergasse InfoHubMicrosoft 365 — Free for Students
Through the MS-ACH agreement (Microsoft Austrian College and High School Agreement) between the Ministry of Education and Microsoft, all students at BG Zehnergasse receive a full Microsoft 365 A3 Education licence — completely free of charge.
Everything is free
The MS-ACH agreement is funded by the Ministry and runs until at least 31 May 2027. Students and teachers pay nothing. Each teacher licence includes 25 student licences.
What is included in the A3 licence?
The A3 licence is considerably more extensive than the free A1 licence. Here are the key benefits:
Desktop Apps (installable on up to 5 devices)
| App | Description |
|---|---|
| Word | Word processing — essays, reports, papers |
| Excel | Spreadsheets — data analysis, charts, formulas |
| PowerPoint | Create and deliver presentations |
| OneNote | Digital notebook — notes, drawings, audio |
| Outlook | Email client with calendar and tasks |
| Access (Windows only) | Database management |
| Publisher (Windows only) | Desktop publishing for flyers, posters, etc. |
On up to 15 devices
With the A3 licence you can install Office on up to 5 PCs or Macs, 5 tablets and 5 smartphones simultaneously.
OneDrive — Cloud Storage
OneDrive is your personal cloud storage. With the A3 licence, each student gets 5 TB of storage — more than enough for all school documents, photos and projects.
- Automatic backup — files on your iPad and PC are automatically backed up to the cloud
- Available everywhere — access from any device via browser, desktop app or smartphone app
- Version history — older versions of files can be restored
- Sharing — share files and folders with classmates or teachers
- Recycle bin — deleted files can be restored for up to 93 days
OneNote — Digital Notebook
OneNote is one of the most useful tools for everyday school life:
- Handwriting & Drawing — write directly on your iPad with the Apple Pencil or stylus
- Sections & Pages — organise notes by subject and topic
- Audio recordings — record explanations and attach them to notes
- Insert photos — photograph the whiteboard and insert it directly into your notes
- Automatic sync — notes are available on all your devices
- Class notebook — teachers can create a class notebook in Teams where each student has their own section
Use the desktop app!
With the A3 licence you have access to the full desktop version of OneNote (not just the web version). It offers more features like offline access and advanced drawing tools.
Microsoft Teams
- Chat and group chat with classmates and teachers
- Video conferences and online lessons
- Share and collaborate on files in channels
- Manage and submit assignments
- Integration with OneNote class notebook
Microsoft Copilot (AI Assistant)
Copilot Chat is Microsoft's free AI assistant and is available to all students with a school account aged 13 and above.
What can Copilot do?
- Answer questions and explain topics
- Summarise and rephrase texts
- Help with research and brainstorming
- Write and explain code
- Generate images
- Upload and analyse files
Data Protection
Commercial Data Protection
Microsoft Copilot Chat for Education users operates with Commercial Data Protection:
- Inputs and outputs are not used to train AI models
- Microsoft employees have no access to the data
- Data is processed within the EU (EU Data Boundary)
A3 vs. A1 — What is the Difference?
| Feature | A1 (free) | A3 (MS-ACH) |
|---|---|---|
| Office apps | Web + Mobile only | Desktop + Web + Mobile (15 devices) |
| Mailbox | 50 GB | 100 GB + 1.5 TB archive |
| OneDrive | 100 GB per user | 5 TB per user |
| OneNote | Web/Mobile only | Full desktop version |
| Copilot Chat | Available | Available |
| Copilot in Office apps | Not available | Available as add-on |
| Device management (Intune) | Not included | Intune Plan 1 included |
| Windows licence | Not included | Windows 11 Education included |
| Security | Basic | Defender, BitLocker, Credential Guard |
Sign In & Install
1
Sign in via browser
Open portal.office.com and sign in with
lastname.firstname@bgzwn.at.2
Use browser apps immediately
After logging in, Word, Excel and PowerPoint can be used directly in the browser.
3
Install desktop apps (recommended)
Click "Install Office" → "Microsoft 365 Apps" and follow the instructions. Works on Windows and Mac.
4
Install mobile apps
Download the Office apps from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) and sign in with your school account.
Licence notice
The licence is renewed automatically each year through the MS-ACH agreement and expires when you leave the school. Make sure to back up important files to a personal storage in good time.
Legal Sources
- § BilDokG 2020, BGBl. I Nr. 20/2021 — § 4 (responsibility for education data)
- § DSG, BGBl. I Nr. 165/1999 i.d.g.F. (Austrian implementation of the EU GDPR)
- § GDPR Art. 6(1)(e) (processing in the public interest — legal basis for Microsoft 365 in schools)
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