MSDN Academic Alliance

Microsoft Imagine, formerly known as DreamSpark and MSDN-AA, is a Microsoft program to provide students with software design and development tools at no charge. The program is available for university/college and K-12 students in more than 120 countries. To register, students must visit the Microsoft Imagine website and verify their identity through their verified .EDU institution. If an institution is not listed on the available list, the user may manually verify their student status by uploading a proof such as an ID card.

The Microsoft Imagine program was announced by Bill Gates as DreamSpark on February 20, 2008 during a speech at Stanford University. It is estimated that up to 35 million students will be able to access these software titles free of charge through this program. The service was renamed to Microsoft Imagine on September 7, 2016, to better align with the annual Imagine Cup competition hosted by Microsoft.

Proof of student status is required to download software and obtain product keys. On the Imagine website, students can verify their identity using ISIC cards, access codes ordered by school administrators, or .edu email addresses. Students remain verified for 12 months afterwards. If students can't find their school, they can manually submit a response with a proof of student status.

Several development software titles are available for download through the program. They include:

Only through Imagine Premium:

The basic three Microsoft Office applications of Word, Excel and PowerPoint are not available through Imagine: Office Home & Student 2013 or Office 365 University offers those at a discounted price for students. Unlike the programs listed above, there is no way to access similar older and compatible versions (2010, 2007) of Office for Word, Excel or PowerPoint under Imagine.

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