Overview
Students who are no longer enrolled in classes and have completed their studies at Sierra College will transition from a Student Microsoft 365 license to a Microsoft 365 Alumni license for a period of 18 months after completing their last course at Sierra College.
The Alumni license allows former students to continue using certain Microsoft 365 services after they leave Sierra College, while freeing up student licenses for currently enrolled students.
IMPORTANT NOTE: After 18 months, if a student does not enroll in classes, their Alumni license will expire and all access listed in this help article will end.
What Does the Microsoft 365 Alumni License Provide?
Your Microsoft 365 Alumni license provides access to:
- Sierra College email through Outlook on the web
- Outlook calendar and contacts
- Web versions of Microsoft 365 applications, including:
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- OneNote
- Access through a web browser without installing desktop Office applications
What Changes After You Stop Classes At Sierra College?
When your student license ends:
- You will no longer have access to the full student Microsoft 365 license.
- Previously installed Microsoft Office desktop applications may enter a reduced-functionality state if they were activated using your Sierra College student account.
- Access to files stored in your student OneDrive account may eventually be removed if you do not save them elsewhere.
We recommend students move personal files from their Sierra College-provided OneDrive account before their student license is removed.
Important: Download Your Files Within 30 Days
To avoid losing access to important documents, Sierra College recommends downloading or transferring any files you want to keep within 30 days of completing your last class.
Examples of files you may want to save:
- Class assignments
- Research papers
- Presentations
- Resumes and portfolios
- Personal documents
- Photos or videos you stored in OneDrive
Option 1: Download Files to Your Computer
- Sign in to your Sierra College OneDrive account.
- Select the files or folders you want to keep.
- Click Download.
- Save the downloaded files to your computer.
Option 2: Transfer Files to a Personal OneDrive Account
- Create or sign in to a personal Microsoft account using your personal email.
- Open both your Sierra College OneDrive and personal OneDrive.
- Download files from your Sierra College account.
- Upload the files to your personal OneDrive account.
Option 3: Save Files to External Storage
- Download your files from OneDrive.
- Copy them to:
- A USB flash drive
- An external hard drive
- Another cloud storage service of your choice
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I keep my Sierra College email address?
If an Alumni license is assigned to your account, you may continue to access Sierra College email through Outlook on the web for up to 18 months.
Can I still use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint?
Yes, you can continue using the web versions available through a browser for up to 18 months. Desktop versions installed under your student license may no longer be activated after your student license is removed.
What happens if I do not download my files?
You may permanently lose access to files stored in your student OneDrive account. Downloading or transferring important files within 30 days of your last completed class is strongly recommended.
Can Student Tech Support recover files later?
No, students should save any documents they want to keep before their student license expires.
Need Help?
If you need assistance accessing OneDrive, downloading files, or understanding your Microsoft 365 Alumni access, contact Student Tech Support for assistance before your student account access changes.