Google Workspace for Education's licensing requirements ensure the product is deployed in a manner that aligns with our terms of service. Key requirements are outlined in detail in this article, providing clarity on current and future policies governing the use of Google Workspace for Education. By adhering to these licensing requirements, educational institutions can maximize the benefits of Google Workspace for Education while ensuring compliance with established guidelines.
Pricing and licensing guidelines
- Education Standard and Education Plus licenses—Institutions purchasing Education Plus or Education Standard receive 1 staff license at no cost for every 4 paid student licenses. Both license types access the same functionality.
- Student enrollment verification letter—Student enrollment verification letters are required for all Education Standard and Education Plus orders. Your reseller will ask you to complete a letter at time of first purchase and might require one at renewal if your edition or subscription changes. You can access a template letter here.
- Minimum purchase thresholds—There is a 50 paid license minimum order quantity for Education Plus and Education Standard. There is no minimum order quantity for the Teaching and Learning Upgrade.
- Compare Flexible and Annual/Fixed-Term payment plans—You can choose between 2 payment plans for your Google Workspace for Education subscription.
- Annual/Fixed-Term Plan
You commit to purchasing the edition for a full year or multiple years. Your price depends on the number of user licenses you purchase. If your institution grows, you can purchase more licenses for the remainder of your subscription period and your price would be adjusted on a prorated basis. You can reduce licenses only when renewing your plan at the end of the contract period. If you cancel your subscription before the subscription renewal date, you’ll be charged for the remaining balance (commitment cancellation fee) of your contract. No refunds are issued if you cancel during your commitment term.
Available for Education Plus, Education Standard, and Teaching and Learning Upgrade - Flexible Plan
You’re billed monthly for each user account. You can add and remove user accounts at any time. You pay only for the accounts that you have during a month. You can cancel your subscription at any time without penalty.Available for Teaching and Learning Upgrade
- Annual/Fixed-Term Plan
- Multi-year contracts and discounts—Google offers automatic discounts for customers who contractually commit to a multi-year purchase (two years or more) of Education Plus. Multi-year contracts are not offered for the Teaching and Learning Upgrade or Education Standard.
- Assigning licenses—Google Workspace for Education paid editions are licensed on a per user basis. Student and staff licenses need to be assigned to individual users in the Google domain to enable functionality. You can visit the Provisioning Guide for more information and best practices for license assignment.
- Adding licenses during Annual plans—User licenses that you purchase after the initial commitment are prorated. Speak with your reseller to order any additional licenses.
- Auto Renewal—At the end of each subscription term, your Google Workspace for Education paid subscription will automatically renew for an additional 12 months. If you want to cancel your subscription or if you choose not to renew, you must notify Google or your reseller at least 15 days before the end of the then-current term, and any changes will take effect at the end of the then-current term.
- Canceling your subscription—If you cancel your subscription before the contract ends, you’re still responsible for the full value of your original commitment. Termination or non renewal under any section of our Terms of Service will not oblige Google to refund any fees.
Google Workspace for Education 2024 discounting, pricing, and licensing updates
In 2024, we are changing our discounting, pricing, and licensing terms. Some changes affect specific countries and others affect customers globally. Changes will apply to:
- New subscriptions starting February 20, 2024.
- Renewal subscriptions starting July 1, 2024.
We will provide existing customers with at least 30 days notice before any updates to pricing.
Changes affecting specific countries
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Adding support for 4 additional currenciesCustomers and partners will be able to transact in four additional currencies:
- Israeli Shekel (ILS)
- Norwegian Krone (NOK)
- Czech koruna (CZK)
- Swiss Franc (CHF)
Each currency will be accessible only for customers located in associated countries. Google for Education resellers can enable new currencies directly in the Partner Sales Console.
When we launched Google Workspace for Education in 2021, we set the global list prices for our paid editions as follows:
- Education Standard: $3 per student per year
- Teaching and Learning Upgrade: $4 per staff per month
- Education Plus: $5 per student per year
Google currently offers discounted Google Workspace for Education subscriptions in some countries. This discounted price is based on the country selected during the purchase of Google Workspace for Education services, which should reflect where your institution is geographically located and where a majority of your users access Google Workspace for Education services.
For customers transacting in USD, your local list price is determined by applying your country discount to the global list price. For customers transacting in supported currencies other than USD, your local list price is determined by converting from USD to your local currency and then further reducing the price based on the discount in your country.
In 2024, we're adjusting the discount in some countries and local list prices will change, better reflecting the value of the Google Workspace for Education paid editions.
To learn more about pricing in your country, contact your Google Workspace for Education reseller. If you do not have a Google Workspace for Education reseller, contact a Google for Education representative.
Google offers discounts for customers who contractually commit to a multi-year purchase (two years or more) of Google Workspace for Education Plus. Multi-year discounts are changing for countries that also receive a country-specific discount. There are no changes to multi-year discounts in countries that do not receive a country-specific discount.
To learn more, contact your Google Workspace for Education reseller. If you do not have a Google Workspace for Education reseller, contact a Google for Education representative.
We no longer offer country discounts for Education Standard.
Global changes
Price differentiation for the Teaching and Learning Upgrade on the Flexible PlanWe are increasing the price of Flexible Plan subscriptions by 20%. Flexible Plans offer customers the option to pay as they go, with no commitment, and provide customers the option to add or delete user accounts at any time, offering more flexibility for education institutions with a variable-size community. This adjustment aligns Google Workspace for Education’s pricing model with the industry-standard approach, which typically offers more flexible month-to-month plans at a premium.
Pricing for customers on the annual commitment plan is remaining the same. Customers who purchased the Teaching and Learning Upgrade on Flexible Plan subscriptions directly through the Admin console will need to move to a reseller and purchase annual plan contracts in order to maintain their current pricing. Annual Plan subscriptions are not available to buy self-serve via the Admin console.
FAQs
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Can I terminate my current commitment early in order to renew before the pricing changes take effect?You can renew during your subscription’s renewal window, which is 30 days before the Support End Date. Refunds will not be provided in the case of an early termination.
If you are currently in a multi-year commitment, you will not experience pricing changes during your current subscription term. Upon renewal, you can renew at the then-current list price and country discount.
No, you must have an active subscription for Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals to purchase a paid edition such as Google Workspace for Education Plus.
Customers interested in upgrading from Education Standard or the Teaching and Learning Upgrade to Education Plus are considered renewal subscriptions and therefore will be affected by the new pricing starting July 1, 2024.
