Microsoft's Office 365 University will release in the first quarter of 2013 at a cost of $79.99 for a four-year subscription, or $1.67/month, according to a recent Microsoft blog post.
The Redmond-based company's higher education-tailored software offer bundles OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, and Access. The suite will be available only for part-and full-time college students, along with staff and faculty.
Office 365 University features the ability to save 27GB worth of documents to Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud, digital note-taking that uploads to the cloud, free upgrades and enhancements, and Office on Demand, which allows users to stream the Office suite to any internet-connected Windows PC. The company also promises 60 Skype World minutes per month.
Microsoft clarifies that "eligible students can buy Office 2010 or Office University for Mac 2011 and receive a free subscription to Office 365 University when it becomes available."
Upon release, the suite can be installed on a maximum of two computers.
Consumers must verify their eligibility as higher-education students, staff, or faculty in order to activate Office 365 University.
In regards to the rest of Microsoft's Office suites, Office 365 Home Premium will cost $99.99/year, and Office 365 Small Business Premium will cost $149.99/year. If Office users opt for the traditional licensed offering, Office Home & Student 2013 will be priced at $139.99, Office Home & Business 2013 at $219.99, and Office Professional 2013 at $399.99. Office Small Business Premium offers its suite for $12.50/month and can be used by up to 25 employees.