Microsoft Academic Select is a software purchasing agreement that provides Cornell faculty and staff access to most Microsoft software not covered under our Microsoft Campus Agreement Site License at a fraction of the off-the-shelf price.  Purchases through Academic Select are made through a specified third-party reseller. Currently, our reseller is Dell.

Available Products

Most Microsoft products are available through Academic Select. This includes Project, Visio, Visual Studio, Dynamics, TechNet subscriptions, MSDN subscriptions, and many other products. Please see the vendor's site for a comprehensive list and their prices.

Note: Before you purchase anything through Academic Select, please first check to see if the product is available for free through our Microsoft Campus Agreement Site License.

Eligibility

All Cornell University staff and faculty are eligible to purchase software for work use under the Microsoft Select agreement.  This includes staff and faculty at all Cornell locations including (but not limited to) the Ithaca campus, New York City campuses, Washington DC office, and the campus in Qatar.  Employees of Cornell-affiliated institutions located on the Ithaca campus, such as the Boyce Thompson Institute, are also eligible. 

Students, retirees, and alumni are not eligible for Microsoft Select pricing.  Students should purchase Microsoft software via The Cornell Store.

How to Order

Microsoft Academic Select sales are handled through a preferred vendor. Cornell's current vendor is Dell; your order needs to come through the e-SHOP system, a service of Cornell's Procurement and Payment Services.

1. Log into e-SHOP at https://www.dfa.cornell.edu/procurement/e-shop
2. In the list of vendors, under Computers (which is near the bottom of the list), click Dell, then select Punch-Out from the dropdown menu.
3. On the Dell Premiere page that loads, click Quotes in the top left corner.
4. Next to Purchase Selected, enter the name of product you wish to buy (for example, Visual Studio).
5. Active quotes will appear below for all versions available (for example, Standard and Professional).
6. Click View Details under the product you wish to purchase. This will open a new page.
7. Enter the quantity of licenses you need, and then click Create Order Requisition.
8. Follow the on-screen instructions to enter your University account number and notification information.

Getting Your Software

After your order has been completed by Dell, they will send you an order confirmation email, which will include a "Certificate of Purchase" as a PDF attachment. Please forward a copy of that message, including the PDF, to CU Software. We will then send you local download links and any needed Product Keys within two business days. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Home Use (not allowed)

Microsoft software sold under our Academic Select contract is for installation onto institution-owned machines only.

There is NO home use clause under our Academic Select contract. Products purchased under our Academic Select contract CANNOT be installed onto computers that are the personal property of Cornell staff and faculty.