FAQ

The following frequently asked questions are answered below to help you better utilize your Microsoft 365 account. If there are other questions you think would be helpful to add to this list, please send them to Shaun Creighton.

What is Office 365?

Office 365 is a collection of Microsoft Office applications that are available online. These applications include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, among others. Students and staff can access these applications from any up-to-date web browser, or even from mobile apps on their smartphone.

Do the Office 365 apps work the same as the applications I'm used to on my computer?

The online Office 365 apps don't have all all of the functionality that you're used to in the software or desktop versions of Word, Excel, etc., but they will do the vast majority of the things our students and staff need to be productive. If you do need the advanced functionality (e.g., mail merge) that the software versions have, there's good news ... students and staff also get a free download of the full Microsoft 365 software on up to 5 different laptops or computers (you can also use the Microsoft 365 software on any school computer).

What is the advantage of using the online applications in Office 365 vs. the full software versions?

One advantage is portability. Working in the online applications means that your work is stored in your OneDrive cloud storage, which gives you access to all of your work on any computer, tablet, or smartphone with an Internet connection. Another advantage is space ... at school, your network storage space is limited to 1 gigabyte, but your OneDrive can store up to 1 terabyte's worth of files (that's 1000 times more space per user!). Together, the increased portability and storage mean you don't need to worry any more about bringing flash drives back and forth to school ... you'll be able to store plenty of files in the cloud, and access them wherever you need to.

How much does Microsoft 365 cost?

Microsoft 365 (the full software versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) is free for all current students and staff in the Chandler Unified School District. You also get to download and install the full version of Microsoft 365 applications on up to 5 computers or laptops for free, as well.

How do staff log on to access Office 365?

Staff can log on to Office 365 by using the CUSD Microsoft Portal and the same information they use to log in to a school computer or to Infinite Campus, except they will add @cusd80.com to the end of the username. So if your computer username is smith.john, you would log on as follows:

How do students log on to access Office 365?

Students will also use the CUSD Microsoft Portal and the username/password combination they use to log in to a school computer or to Infinite Campus ... except they will add @s.cusd80.com to the end of the username. So if your username is S123456, you would log on as follows:

How can I install my free copy of Microsft 365 desktop/laptop apps?

When you log on to Office 365 using the steps above, you should see a button that looks like this:

Clicking on this button will walk you through the steps of installing Microsoft 365 software on your Windows 10 or Mac device. If that button doesn't appear, you should also be able to access your download options using this link. Microsoft also has Microsoft 365 installation instructions available on their website, as well a a helpful video. Remember, you can install Microsoft 365 on up to 5 devices for free.

Does Office 365 work on smartphones?

Yes! There are Android and iOS versions of many Office 365 apps like OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook. These apps are free, and do not count against your 5 allowed copies of Microsoft 365 installations on computers. You can download these Office 365 mobile apps here.

To check your Outlook e-mail on your smartphone, we recommend using the official Outlook app for the best experience. However, if you'd like to use a different app to check your Outlook e-mail, manage your Outlook calendar, etc., you can find instructions on how to set up Outlook e-mail using the app of your choice for both Android users and iOS users.

I'm having trouble with Microsoft 365 at home ... how can I get help?

Microsoft has a great support site dedicated to Office users. You can access this site at support.office.com. You can browse this site by topic or search for specific help needs. If you can't find the information you need on the website, you can use the "Ask the community" link at the bottom of their support page to post your question on a public forum and get help from other users.