Microsoft Campus Agreement Eligibility Questions
Who may use the products covered by the contract?
The following individuals are eligible to use products covered under the MSCA:
- Matriculating students who are currently enrolled at a UT System peer institution are eligible to use covered products while they are enrolled.
- Students who were eligible between September 1, 1998 and August 31, 2002 are permanently licensed for products that were available to them during that period.
- Students who were enrolled after September 1, 2002 and have graduated are permanently licensed to use products that were available at the time they graduated.
- All students, faculty, and staff are eligible to use covered products installed on university-owned computers.
- Faculty and staff employed at schools in the UT System may use covered products at home IF they are provided a computer at work.
- In addition, employees of UT System non-profit wholly-owned and operated entities are eligible (treated as employees in UT system with respect to this agreement) if listed here:
- UT Southwestern Health Systems
- UTHSCH University Care Plus
- UTHSCSA University Physician's Group
- UTMB Family Health Care Systems
- UTMDA Physicians Network
- UTMDA Services Corporation
- UTHCT East Texas Quality Care Network
- TTUHSC Health Care Systems
Who may NOT use products covered under the MSCA?
The following types of individuals are NOT eligible to use software licensed under the Microsoft Campus Agreement:
- Individuals not associated with the University of Texas System are not covered under this agreement.
- Students who are not currently enrolled in matriculating programs at schools in the UT System and who have not graduated (i.e. dropped out or taking a semester off) are NOT eligible to continue using the software. Any products obtained under the MSCA must be uninstalled immediately.
- Former UT System employees (including retirees) are NOT eligible under this agreement. Faculty/staff work-at-home provisions are contingent on your use of the product while at work. Therefore, if you are no longer working in an eligible position, you must immediately uninstall products obtained under the MSCA.
- Contractors and temporary part-time workers are NOT covered under the agreement. This includes companies, and their employees, who have been hired on a contractual basis for services on or off campus. (i.e., individuals not directly employed by UT System).
Are Continuing and Extended Education or Independent & Distance Learning Course students eligible?
Only students who have been officially admitted to a UT System institution as matriculating students are licensed under the Microsoft Campus Agreement.
If you are enrolled in a Continuing and Extended Education, Professional Development or Independent & Long Distance Learning course and have not gained admission to UT Austin, you are not eligible to purchase products licensed under the Microsoft Campus Agreement. Enrollment in these types of courses does not automatically constitute admission to UT Austin.
Official admission to a UT System Institution as a matriculating student is a requirement of the Microsoft Campus Agreement for which we are unable to make exceptions.
Can I use the MSCA software after I graduate or otherwise leave the UT System?
Under the terms of the MSCA, students, faculty, and staff are granted the right to use covered products while they are enrolled or employed at the university.
When students graduate, their right-to-use license is automatically transferred to them as a permanent license. Installation media (CDs) must be acquired while still enrolled as a student, however. Students will not be permitted to purchase new or replacement copies of media after graduation. The permanent license allows you to use the software at the version available at the time of graduation, and includes no upgrade rights.
Because faculty and staff home use is tied to use at work, faculty and staff will not have rights to use the software after they terminate employment unless they were granted other rights as a student.
I am a student at a school other than one in the UT System. Is there some way I or my school can participate?
The Microsoft Campus Agreement only covers institutions in The University of Texas System. Your school may have a similar or equivalent agreement in place with Microsoft or another vendor. Please check with your school's information technology department for more information.
Microsoft does also provide many of their popular consumer products at academic prices, and offers various volume licensing programs geared toward smaller educational institutions. Please see the Microsoft Education Site for more information.
May I resell or give the media I obtained under the MSCA to someone else?
No. You have no rights under the MSCA to sell, give away, or otherwise transfer your media or licenses to any other person. All individuals must sign the official license agreement paperwork before purchasing software. Use of the software in a manner other than that specified in the licensing agreement is a violation of federal copyright law and subject to legal prosecution as well as university disciplinary proceedings.
How long do I remain eligible for products licensed under this contract?
Students
Under a previous MSCA (ended August 31, 2002), all software purchased by students was permanently licensed. This means that the student is licensed to run the product(s) they purchased under that agreement in perpetuity. This permanent license is not transferable.
Under the current MSCA (effective September 1, 2008), students purchase software with "Right-to-use" licensing. This means that a student is licensed to use the software only while they are currently enrolled at The University of Texas, and while the MSCA is in effect. If a student leaves enrollment from the university without graduating, or the MSCA expires or is for other reasons discontinued, student licensing expires immediately and all such software must be uninstalled.
Students who graduate from the university after September 1, 2002 automatically become permanently licensed upon graduation. Official notice is sent to degree candidates each semester by university Group E-mail to provide information on license rights and product versions available.
Faculty & Staff
Faculty and Staff are provided right-to-use licensing for all products at all times. Upon leaving the university (including Retirement), all software purchased as a Faculty or Staff member is no longer licensed and should be uninstalled immediately.
Who may use MSCA software installed on university-owned machines?
Machines used by contractors
Products available under this program are for academic use and university business only. Third party contractors may use products licensed under the Microsoft Campus Agreement (MSCA) for university business provided the software is installed on computers that are owned and controlled by the university.
MSCA products may NOT be installed on computers that are owned or controlled by the contractor, and contractors do NOT have work-at-home use rights.
For example, if your department hired a contractor for a specific task and provided them with an office and a university-owned computer, the department could install the software and the contractor could use it. The contractor could NOT use the software on any other computers not owned by the university, such as a laptop that they or the contractor own.
Machines used for Continuing Education
Products licensed under the MSCA may be installed on computers owned and controlled by the university that will be utilized for Continuing Education and other certification courses. The course must be conducted by the university, and the instructor must be a university employee. The students attending these courses are only eligible to utilize the software while in the classroom and would not be eligible for additional licensing (home use).
If the university is leasing or otherwise loaning the machines to outside agencies to teach certification courses which are not conducted directly by the university, these machines would not be eligible for licensing under the MSCA.
