Is the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors programme still running in 2026?

Yes, under a new name. It now appears as Microsoft Student Ambassadors, and the old studentambassadors.microsoft.com address redirects to a portal on mvp.microsoft.com. The eligibility rules, milestones and benefits are published in the FAQ on that portal and have changed over time, so read them there before registering instead of relying on older blog posts or videos.

Do Indian students get a discount on Microsoft certification exams?

Not through Microsoft's academic pricing. Microsoft's student discounts page says academic exam pricing is available in most countries and regions except India and China, so Indian students pay the standard India price shown at checkout. Other routes are exam vouchers bought by your institution, official time-limited offers announced on Microsoft Learn, and training courses that bundle an exam voucher.

Can I get Azure for Students without a credit card in India?

Yes. Azure for Students needs no credit card. You must be 18 or older, study full-time at an accredited degree-granting institution and verify with your institution's email address. You get USD 100 of credit for one year and can renew each year while you remain a student. If the credit runs out, the subscription is disabled rather than charged to you.

What should I do if my college email is not accepted for Azure for Students?

The error usually means Microsoft's verification service does not recognise your college domain yet. Ask your college IT team whether the domain is registered with Microsoft's academic verification. You can also apply for the GitHub Student Developer Pack, which uses its own student verification and lists an Azure offer for verified students aged 18 and over.

When does Imagine Cup 2027 open for registration?

As of 25 October 2026, the official Imagine Cup site lists the 2027 competition as coming soon and has not published dates, eligibility rules or prizes. Check imaginecup.microsoft.com directly and ignore third-party listings with fixed deadlines until Microsoft confirms them. Meanwhile, build and test a working prototype so you are ready when registration opens.

Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors and More: 2026 Guide for India

Yes, Microsoft still runs its student ambassador programme, but it now goes by Microsoft Student Ambassadors and lives on a new portal. For most Indian students the bigger wins are elsewhere: Azure for Students gives USD 100 of credit with no credit card, Microsoft Learn is free, and many colleges can unlock Office 365 A1. One catch: Microsoft's student exam discount does not apply in India.

At a glance (checked on 25 October 2026)

Programme	What you get	Status for Indian students
Microsoft Student Ambassadors	Peer community, events, milestone benefits	Open, on the mvp.microsoft.com portal
Azure for Students	USD 100 credit for 12 months, renewable	Open to full-time students aged 18 and over
Microsoft Learn	Free modules, learning paths, practice assessments	Open, but sandboxes are retired
Office 365 A1	Web Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote	Through an eligible institution email
GitHub Student Developer Pack	GitHub Copilot Student plan, Azure offer	Open to verified students
Imagine Cup	Global startup competition	2027 edition listed as coming soon
Academic exam pricing	Discounted certification exams	Not offered in India

Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors: what changed

Most guides on the web still describe Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors (MLSA), the name Microsoft used after it replaced the older Microsoft Student Partners programme. Today the programme appears as Microsoft Student Ambassadors. The old address, studentambassadors.microsoft.com, now redirects to the Microsoft Student Ambassadors portal, which sits on the same site as the Microsoft MVP programme. Some Microsoft documentation pages still use the MLSA name and link to that portal, which is why the two names cause so much confusion.

The portal describes the programme as a global community of students who build AI-driven startups while developing leadership and technical skills and making a difference in their communities. In practice, ambassadors learn Microsoft technologies and then teach them: workshops for juniors, study groups before exams, campus events and shared learning resources.

Before you register

Read the FAQ on the portal first. Eligibility rules (minimum age, full-time enrolment, whether you need an Azure for Students subscription), milestones and benefits are published there, and they have changed more than once. The portal is a JavaScript app, so open it in a normal browser rather than trusting screenshots forwarded in WhatsApp groups.
Be honest about the work. The title rewards steady community activity. It suits students who enjoy teaching and organising. If you mainly want something for your resume, a certification or a strong project will serve you better.
It is not a job or an internship. Ambassador status is a community role. On your resume, describe what you actually did, for example "ran Azure workshops for second-year students", and never present it as employment at Microsoft.

Azure for Students: the offer to claim first

Azure for Students is the most practical Microsoft benefit for an Indian BTech, BE, BCA, MCA or BSc student. Microsoft's current terms are:

USD 100 of Azure credit, valid for one year, with no credit card required.
You must affirm that you are 18 or older and a full-time student at an accredited, degree-granting institution, and verify through your institution's email address.
You can renew each year while you remain an active student.
One subscription per person. It is not available for MOOCs or for training run by for-profit organisations.

The credit cannot be spent on Azure Marketplace offers, and when it runs out the subscription is disabled unless you upgrade to pay-as-you-go. Our guide to Azure for Students free credits covers what to build and how to avoid burning the credit in a week.

When your college email is rejected

A frequent problem in India is an error saying your email domain is not registered. It means Microsoft's verification service does not yet recognise your college's domain. Two practical routes: ask your college IT team or placement cell whether the domain is registered with Microsoft's academic verification, and apply for the GitHub Student Developer Pack, which runs its own student verification and lists an Azure offer for verified students aged 18 and over.

Microsoft Learn: free training, but bring your own subscription

Microsoft Learn training is free and you can read it without a profile. Sign in anyway, because the profile tracks progress, holds your certifications and lets you share a verified transcript with employers.

Two details matter for students:

Sandboxes are gone. The Microsoft Learn FAQ states that the free sandbox environments are no longer available, so hands-on exercises need your own Azure subscription. Azure for Students fills exactly that gap.
Add a personal Microsoft account to your Learn profile. The same FAQ warns that if a work or school account is your only login, you lose the profile when that account is closed. College email accounts are usually switched off after graduation, so add a personal account now, or your certifications become hard to reach in your first job.

The Microsoft Learn Student Hub gathers student resources in one place, including modules on Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot and links to Azure for Students and GitHub Education. Many certification exams also have a free practice assessment, linked from the exam's own page.

Exam discounts: the India exception

This is the point most Indian students miss. Microsoft's Certifications for students page says academic pricing on certification exams is offered in most countries and regions except India and China. Selecting "Student" in your Learn profile does not change the exam price for a candidate in India.

What you can do instead:

Ask your college about Microsoft Learn for Educators. Faculty at enrolled institutions can request free practice assessments and free or discounted exam vouchers for their own certification, and institutions can buy exam vouchers for students through academic volume licensing or Pearson VUE's voucher store, as the programme FAQ explains.
Watch official channels for time-limited offers. Microsoft occasionally runs sweepstakes and voucher campaigns announced on Microsoft Learn. Trust only offers published there, never "discount vouchers" sold in Telegram groups.
Start with a fundamentals exam. Fundamentals certifications such as Azure Fundamentals do not expire, so one paid attempt stays on your transcript for good.

For the current exam prices in rupees, see our guide to Microsoft certification exam costs in India.

Imagine Cup: for students who want to build a startup

Imagine Cup is Microsoft's global competition for student founders who build startups on Microsoft's cloud and AI platforms. It began in 2003. The 2026 finalists presented at Microsoft Build in San Francisco on 2 June 2026, where the world champion was announced.

As of 25 October 2026, the Imagine Cup site lists Imagine Cup 2027 as coming soon, without published dates, eligibility rules or prizes. Ignore third-party pages that claim fixed 2027 deadlines until the official site lists them.

If you want to compete, use the waiting time well. Build a working prototype on your Azure for Students credit, test it with real users in your college or city, and write a one-page note on who would pay for it and why. A team that arrives with a working demo and evidence of real users is in a much stronger position than a team with only a slide deck.

Office 365 A1 and the GitHub pack

Office 365 A1. Microsoft donates Office 365 A1 to eligible institutions for students and educators. It includes the web versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Students with an eligible education email can start from Microsoft's Office 365 Education page; verification is often instant but can take longer. Many Indian colleges already provide it, so check with your IT team before signing up on your own.

GitHub Student Developer Pack. GitHub's pack includes GitHub Copilot Student for verified students, with unlimited code completions and limited chat and agent usage, plus the Azure offer for students aged 18 and over. For a student learning to code, it is the natural partner to Azure for Students.

A sensible order for an Indian student

Create a Microsoft Learn profile with a personal Microsoft account, then add your college email as a second login.
Activate Azure for Students, or use the GitHub route if your college domain is rejected.
Pick one fundamentals path: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) for cloud, or Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901) for AI. Finish the learning path and the free practice assessment before you pay for the exam.
Build one small project on Azure and put the code on GitHub with a clear README.
Register for Microsoft Student Ambassadors if you enjoy teaching others.
Check the Imagine Cup site each month for 2027 details.

For a wider view of which certification helps with a first job, read Microsoft certifications for freshers in India.

How CertTulen Academy can help

CertTulen Academy runs live, MCT-led online classes with hands-on labs for students who want structure and a deadline. If you are starting with cloud, our Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) course pairs well with your Azure for Students subscription. If AI is your goal, Introduction to AI in Azure (AI-901) prepares you for the Azure AI Fundamentals exam. Each course page shows what is included and the price in INR, with UPI, card and netbanking checkout. Contact us or WhatsApp +91 93618 83583 for a batch that suits your college timetable.