Microsoft’s Home Use Program (HUP) allowed employees of its Software Assurace customers to snag perpetual licenses for Office 2019 at a super-low price ($15), but that privilege has come to an end. Going forward, only annual subscriptions for Office 365 will be offered.
While the discount for Office 365 is pretty decent (30%), this is a considerably worse deal due to the regular payments required to keep the license. It’s an obvious attempt by Microsoft to get more people on the “rent, not buy” model.
Subscriptions purchased through HUP will extend existing Personal and Home plans the employee may already have, and once bought at the discount, all future renewals will be at the lower price, even if the buyer no longer works for the organization. The only requirement is that “you maintain recurring billing on your subscription,” according to the FAQ.