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If you have a passion for sharing the latest in technology with your peers while growing career and leadership skills for your future, the Microsoft Student Partner program is the place to be. We sat down with Global Program Manager, Pablo Veramendi, to get some answers to frequently asked questions about the program so you can get inspired to submit your application.
Microsoft Student Partner Q&A
1. What is the Microsoft Student Partner Program?
The Microsoft Student Partner program is a global group of on-campus ambassadors who are eager to help fellow students, lead in their local tech community, and develop technical and career skills for the future. They might find themselves organizing a hackathon to solve the world’s toughest problems, mentoring fellow students, or unlocking the next great idea with their team—it’s all up to them.
Learn more from students in the program.
2. Who’s eligible to apply to the program and what experience do you need?
You must be at least 16 years old and actively enrolled in an accredited higher education academic institution to apply.
We encourage students from all academic backgrounds who want to grow their career and tech skills while making a difference in their communities to apply. Some experience in coding or technology is helpful, but we have tools and resources to help you learn in the program.
Get started with your application now, the next quarterly deadline is November 30!
3. What are the program milestones?
There are four milestones within the Microsoft Student Partner program, each with specific associated benefits. Once you fulfill the requirements to move to a new milestone you will unlock additional benefits.
All new Student Partners enter the program at Alpha-1, and once you’ve completed a Microsoft Learn path, you can move to the Alpha-2 milestone. After hosting and reporting on an event, you can move to the third milestone, which is Beta. The final milestone is Gold, where select Student Partners who have gone above and beyond in building their communities, hosting events, and mentoring other students in the program will be invited to become Student Partner Program Regional Leaders.
Learn more about each milestone and specific benefits associated with them.
4. What resources can Microsoft Student Partners get access to?
We believe in preparing students for future careers through opportunities to learn, lead, and share with resources to support your efforts. Core to the program is the ability for students to build tech skills on their own through tutorials and guided paths in Microsoft Learn. We offer additional benefits encompassing resources for personal use, campus engagement, and career readiness, all of which can be unlocked by achieving key milestone activities.
These benefits include but aren’t limited to:
- Access to Office 365, plus TechSmith Snagit and Camtasia screen capture and recording software
- Visual Studio Enterprise Subscription and $150 monthly Azure Credits
- Event Support
- Engagement with Cloud Advocates and Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals
- Student Partner Milestone badges to highlight program accomplishments on your LinkedIn profile
5. How much time commitment is involved?
The program is as much as you invest into it, and time commitment is flexible around your other responsibilities. The more time you invest into learning, leading, hosting workshops, and more, the more likely you are to achieve additional milestones and access new benefits.
6. How can the program help me in school or my career?
The Student Partner program prepares students for future careers through opportunities to build vibrant communities and share the latest in tech with their peers. Through exclusive access to Microsoft resources and learning materials such as Microsoft Learn, Visual Studio Code, Azure credits, and more, Student Partners are equipped with the resources to build their technology skillset through hands-on learning.
In addition, you have the opportunity to develop your leadership and entrepreneurship skills through hosting events on your campus, networking with other students and Microsoft professionals, and building interdisciplinary skills such as public speaking, social media and personal branding, and more.
7. Where can I get ideas for hosting an event or workshop?
All Microsoft Student Partners have access to our global student network and Microsoft experts on Microsoft Teams, where the community posts updates on workshops and events they’ve hosted, tech skills they’re learning, opportunities to connect, and more. In addition, you could take into consideration what technology skills your community or peers would find most helpful to learn. There’s also ready-to-go content from Major League Hacking and Cloud Advocates that Student Partners can download and utilize as a workshop in a box with all the materials needed to get started.
For more ideas, get some inspiration from a Student Partner in the community.
8. Can Microsoft Student Partners participate in Imagine Cup?
Yes! If you have a unique technology solution that you’d like to enter for the 2020 Imagine Cup, all Microsoft Student Partners are welcome to apply. Think about projects you’ve worked on at previous hackathons or workshops and bring them to the competition. Learn more about the competition and register today. You can also apply your tech knowledge and leadership skills to mentoring an existing Imagine Cup team in bringing their idea to life.
9. How do I connect with other students in the program in my community?
Currently, the 2019-2020 program year includes Student Partners from over 700 Universities in 70 countries. All Microsoft Student Partners have access to our global student network on Teams, where you can connect online with other students in your region and organize events together.
10. What is the application process and deadline?
You can fill out the program application online and new students are accepted into the program quarterly. Included in the application are sections for a written sample, technology skills, and a short video introduction so we can get to know you and why you’re passionate about becoming a Microsoft Student Partner.
If you’re passionate about using tech to make a difference in the world around us, eager to help your fellow students, and want to build your skills while leading in your community, we want to hear from you! Get started with your application now.