Microsoft announced Monday it's dropping restrictions on its Student Advantage that offers free Office 365 access to college students.

Now, the company is making it easier for students to avail the Office for free and extends the benefit to educators.

Officials of Microsoft said their move is partly due to their desire to help students work with computers and digital technologies.

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Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, once said the U.S. doesn't produced enough tech-savvy students to meet the needs of its high-tech industry.

In 2013, Microsoft announced the Student Advantage benefit that let eligible students get Office 365 for free from their schools. But now, it allows students to sign up for the free service without the help of their schools.

Students signing-up for the free subscription to Office 365 ProPlus will get access to the full versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Access, Publisher and OneNote.

They can also get permission to install on up to five Windows or Mac computers and free mobile access through cross-platform apps. They are also getting a 1 TB One-Drive cloud storage and access to Office Online.

Students can verify if they're eligible for the free service by entering a valid school-provided email address to the Microsoft website.

They must be at least 13 years old and attending a school that has bought Office for all its faculty and staff.

Tags Office 365