Short answer: some of it, but the full version usually isn't. Microsoft's licensing for education changes often enough that the only reliable answer is: it depends on your tier, and you should check your current agreement before promising Copilot to staff. Broadly, basic AI features appear in many Microsoft 365 Education setups, while the fuller Copilot experience — the one embedded deeply across Word, Outlook and Teams — has typically required a paid add-on licence per user.
How to find your actual answer
Ask whoever manages your Microsoft agreement (your IT support provider or MAT IT team) two questions in writing: which Copilot features are included in our current licence, and what would the add-on cost per user be. Get the answer against your specific tenancy, not from a general article — including this one, since licensing moves faster than any page can track.
Whether it's worth paying for
For schools already deep in Microsoft 365, the integration benefit is real — no new tool, no new login, drafting where staff already work. Whether the paid tier earns its cost depends on how many staff will genuinely use it, which loops back to training. Our Copilot review covers the strengths and limits in a primary context.