How do I get access to free student credits with Microsoft Azure?

Microsoft Azure is a virtual server platform service. Students are allowed to access certain features of Microsoft Azure at no cost. For more information about Microsoft Azure benefits through Microsoft Imagine, please visit Azure for Microsoft Imagine .

In addition to Azure credits, Microsoft tools for Azure development are available from the Imagine web store for qualifying students. For more information, please see this article: Microsoft Imagine 

Requirements:

To obtain access to Microsoft Azure, you must have an @student.ubc.ca email account because it will be used to validate your student status.  @student.ubc.ca email accounts are available via the  Student Email service.

Instructions:

NOTE: When in doubt, follow the prompts and use your judgement. Microsoft may change their website at any time. We hope these instructions are general enough to be helpful and also broad enough for small changes in the process that are made by Microsoft that we cannot account for.

Creating a Microsoft Account 

1. Sign up for UBC Student Email
   1. For steps on how to do this, go here.
2. Sign in to portal.office.com.
   1. Sign in using your cwl@student.ubc.ca email and CWL password
3. Get started

Sign up for Microsoft Imagine with your Microsoft Account

1. Go to https://imagine.microsoft.com
2. Log in with your new Microsoft account
3. Click on Account
4. Provide your information as prompted
5. Verify your student status with your @student.ubc.ca email address

Activate Azure

1. On the main page of the Microsoft Imagine website from the previous page, look for Activate Azure for Students and click on it. Otherwise go to Azure for Students.
2. Click on Start Free and sign in with your UBC Microsoft Account 
3. Follow prompts to activate your Azure account (may require a phone number to text or call for validation purposes).
4. To access Azure head to https://portal.azure.com/