Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors is a global initiative by Microsoft that selects a few qualified student representatives from around the world. As the name suggests, these students act as the brand’s ambassadors, by teaching about Microsoft technologies to their peers and community. Becoming an MLSA is neither an easy nor a tough job. But, if you crack it, you’ll get huge exposure and a community of like-minded individuals like you who strive to provide technical expertise to the global community.
NOTE: The program Microsoft Student Partners (MSP) was later rebranded as Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors (MLSA) on July 20th, 2020.
Being a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador has its own perks, that many students don’t know yet. Before diving into the various incentives Microsoft has to offer, let’s talk about the program in detail.
The Student Ambassadors program consists of four milestones, namely New, Alpha, Beta and Gold. At the time of program onboarding, the newest leaders in the cohort are given the New milestone. Progressing to the next milestone, Alpha requires the leaders to complete any one learning path of their choice in Microsoft Learn, a huge learning repository with hundreds of tutorials on the latest Microsoft technologies, all for free.
Below is some of the perks that you receive after becoming Ambassador:
1. You get a dedicated @studentambassadors email ID
During the process of onboarding, Microsoft assigns you with a Microsoft 365 account with a dedicated email ID like xyz@studentambassadors.com in my case. You can use this mail ID for official communication purposes only.
2. Get access to all of Microsoft’s suite of Office products
- For Student Ambassadors, Microsoft gives them access to 20+ products under the subscription Office 365 Education E3 for students.
3. Get 1TB of free OneDrive storage!
- Ambassadors also can unlock 1TB of free storage on OneDrive, which can be used for general purposes, although it is recommended not to store personal files on the server.
4. You get $150 worth of Azure credits for free, every month!
- Here’s the best part! Ambassadors ranking from Alpha are given $150 credits (Rs. 11,800) every month to experiment on Azure, the Cloud Service provider by Microsoft. Azure ranks second in the Cloud business, with Amazon Web Services (AWS) dominating the Cloud race. All these credits are covered under Visual Studio Enterprise Subscription. You also get access to product keys and other Enterprise editions like Visual Studio covered under the subscription.
5. Learning subscription from LinkedIn, for free!
- LinkedIn Learning is an online learning platform where users can learn from a huge catalog of courses ranging from diverse categories, with certifications. Free LinkedIn Learning subscription until you graduate! Ambassadors can build and hone their skills by taking such courses at no extra cost!
6. Exclusive coupons and offers from Microsoft and partners!
- Apart from subscriptions, you get frequent coupons and deals on Microsoft Certifications, which are a valuable addition to your resume. MTC exams are the starting point for students who are looking to start a career in artificial intelligence, data science, and cloud computing. MTC includes AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, MS-900 Microsoft 365 Fundamentals, MB-901 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Fundamentals, and AI-900 Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals, DP-900 Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals, and PL-900 Microsoft Power Perform Fundamentals.
Apart from these wonderful offerings, you get to know a huge, vibrant and thriving global community of like-minded individuals, from whom you can learn a lot and upskill yourselves. So, consider becoming a MLSA today!
Here’s the link to apply: https://studentambassadors.microsoft.com/en-US/studentambassadors/apply