Exclusive back-to-school offer — 30% off all software
Enter at checkout. Valid on all products. One-time perpetual licences — yours to keep after you graduate.
What Software Do You Actually Need?
Every student laptop needs two things: an operating system and an Office suite. Everything else — project management tools, design software, specialist apps — is course-specific and optional. For most students, the shopping list is short.
Your laptop’s operating system. If it came with Windows pre-installed, you’re covered. If you’re building a PC, buying refurbished, or reinstalling, you need a licence key.
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. A one-time purchase that stays on your PC permanently — no subscription, no expiry when your course ends.
That’s it. Two products, two one-time purchases, and you’re set for the entirety of your degree and beyond. No monthly fees, no renewal notices, no access cut off when you graduate. If you want a broader look at matching software to your situation, our new PC software guide covers every profile.
Which Windows 11 Edition?
Windows 11 comes in two main editions: Home and Pro. For the vast majority of students, Home is the right choice. It does everything you need — runs Office, browses the web, handles media, and supports all standard university software.
Windows 11 Pro adds features like BitLocker drive encryption, Hyper-V virtualisation, and Remote Desktop hosting. These matter if you’re studying computer science, cybersecurity, or IT infrastructure. If those terms mean nothing to you, Home is the answer. For a full breakdown, see our Which Windows 11 Do I Need? guide or use the Windows Licence Advisor to get a recommendation in under a minute.
Everything you need for coursework, browsing, and media. One-time purchase.
Adds BitLocker, Hyper-V, Remote Desktop, and Group Policy for technical coursework.
Which Office Edition?
Microsoft Office 2024 comes in several editions. For students, the decision is straightforward.
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher. The full suite at the best per-app price.
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook. The only perpetual Office suite for macOS.
Office Professional Plus 2024 is the strongest option for PC students — it includes every Office application at a lower price-per-app than the Home & Business edition. If you only need Word, Excel, and PowerPoint without Outlook, Home & Business 2024 is a lighter alternative at . For a deeper comparison of editions and what each includes, see our Office for UK Students guide, or use the Office Licence Advisor.
Every edition listed here is a perpetual licence — you pay once and keep the software permanently. Unlike Microsoft 365, it does not expire when your course ends, when your university email is deactivated, or when you stop paying. That distinction matters. Our Office 2024 vs Microsoft 365 comparison explains the trade-offs in full.
The Bundle Discount
If you’re buying both Windows and Office — which most students setting up a new or refurbished PC are — you can save 20% automatically by adding any Windows licence and any Office suite to your cart. The discount applies at checkout with no code needed.
| Combination | Individual price | Bundle price (20% off) |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 Home + Office Pro Plus 2024 | + | |
| Windows 11 Pro + Office Pro Plus 2024 | + | |
| Windows 11 Home + Office Home & Business 2024 | + |
The two discounts don’t stack — use whichever saves you more. BACKTOSCHOOL30 gives 30% off individual products. The bundle gives 20% off when you buy Windows + Office together. For a single product, the code wins. For two products, compare both totals at checkout and pick the lower one. Either way, you’re getting a significant discount on software you’ll own permanently.
What About Free Software from Your University?
Most UK universities provide Microsoft 365 access while you’re enrolled. This typically includes the web versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, plus 1 TB of OneDrive storage. Some institutions also provide the full desktop apps — it depends on the licence tier your university pays for.
The catch is in the word “while.” That access belongs to your university, not to you. When you leave — whether you graduate, transfer, or drop out — the account is deactivated, the desktop apps drop into read-only mode, and anything you stored in that OneDrive goes with it. Nobody mentions this at freshers’ week.
A perpetual Office licence sidesteps the problem entirely. You buy it once, install it on your PC, and it’s yours — through your degree, after graduation, and into your first job. It doesn’t depend on a university email staying active. For the full picture on what’s free and what isn’t, see our Office for UK Students guide.
Setting Up Your Student Laptop
Whether you’ve just unboxed a new laptop or you’re reinstalling on a refurbished machine, this is the order of operations. Do it before freshers’ week and you won’t be scrambling the night before your first deadline.
- Activate Windows. If your laptop came with Windows pre-installed, it’s already activated. If you bought a licence key, enter it in Settings → System → Activation. Takes under two minutes.
- Run Windows Update. Let it finish completely — including restarts. New laptops ship with months of accumulated updates. Better to deal with them now than during a lecture.
- Install Office. Download from your Microsoft account after redeeming your product key. The installer handles everything. For a walkthrough, see our Office 2024 activation guide.
- Set up OneDrive. Sign in and choose which folders to sync. This gives you automatic cloud backup of your Documents, Desktop, and coursework folders. If your university also provides OneDrive, you can add both accounts.
- Remove bloatware. New laptops come loaded with trial software you don’t need. Go to Settings → Apps → Installed Apps and uninstall anything you didn’t ask for — trial antivirus, games, manufacturer utilities.
- Pin your essentials. Pin Word, Excel, PowerPoint, your browser, and your file manager to the taskbar. You’ll use them daily.
If you’re transferring a Windows licence from an old machine, our licence transfer guide walks through the process. And if you’re setting up a PC from scratch rather than a laptop, the new PC software guide covers the full picture including bundles and advisor tools.
Ready to set up? Use code BACKTOSCHOOL30 for 30% off any product, or bundle Windows + Office for 20% off automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
One-time purchase. You pay once and own the software permanently. It does not require monthly payments and does not expire when your course ends. This is different from Microsoft 365, which is a subscription that stops working when you stop paying. See our Office 2024 vs Microsoft 365 comparison for the full breakdown.
No — it’s one or the other. BACKTOSCHOOL30 gives 30% off individual products. The bundle discount gives 20% off when you buy any Windows licence + any Office suite together. At checkout, compare both options and use whichever saves you more.
No. University-provided Microsoft 365 access is tied to your enrolment. When you leave, the account is deactivated and the desktop apps switch to read-only mode. Some universities keep email active for a few months after graduation, but the Office access ends around the same time. A perpetual licence avoids this entirely — it’s yours regardless of your enrolment status.
Windows 11 includes Windows Security (formerly Windows Defender), which provides real-time antivirus, firewall, and ransomware protection. For most students, it is more than sufficient. You do not need to buy a separate antivirus product — in fact, third-party antivirus often slows down laptops more than it helps. Keep Windows Security enabled, keep Windows Update running, and don’t click suspicious links.
Yes. Retail licences for both Windows and Office can be transferred to a new PC, provided the software is removed from the old one first. Each licence is active on one device at a time. If your laptop dies or you upgrade during your degree, you can move the licence across. See our licence transfer guide for step-by-step instructions.
Mac users don’t need a Windows licence, but you still need Office. The only perpetual Office suite for macOS is Office Home & Business 2024 (Mac Edition), which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. The BACKTOSCHOOL30 code applies to this edition too.
Gary Walsh is the Head of Tech Support at Software Supplies, with more than 20 years in the IT industry. Fully Microsoft-certified and experienced across the full business software stack — from Windows and Office to cloud infrastructure and device management — Gary delivers practical, no-nonsense advice that helps users and businesses get the most from their technology.
