Microsoft 365 storage quotas and information

Microsoft has implemented substantial reductions in the amount of cloud storage that they offer higher education institutions worldwide. As a result, University of Waterloo must reduce the overall amount of storage used across campus to align with Microsoft’s policies. This change impacts all students, employees, alumni, retirees, and generic accounts. The change to storage quotas is summarized in the table below.

Important:

Exceeding these new storage limits may affect the ability to edit, store, and/or send files to/from these apps as well as sending and receiving email. This should be kept in mind when collaborating on coursework, projects, or research. See tips for reducing quotas linked below.
It may also take up to three days for any quota limit reached to be removed. This is a limitation imposed by Microsoft.

New storage quotas and implementation dates

Audience	Outlook (email)	OneDrive	SharePoint	Teams	When change will take effect
Employees (including TA graduate students)	50GB	100GB	1TB	1TB	Beginning August 19, 2025
Students (undergraduate and non-employed Graduate)	50GB	25GB	N/A	N/A	Beginning June 23, 2025
Alumni	50GB	N/A	N/A	N/A	Beginning June 23, 2025
Retirees	50GB	N/A	N/A	N/A	Beginning June 23, 2025
Generic accounts (with A1 licence)	50GB	100GB	N/A	N/A	Beginning June 23, 2025
Generic accounts (with A5 licence)	50GB	100GB	N/A	N/A	Beginning August 19, 2025
Generic shared mailboxes	50GB	N/A	N/A	N/A	Beginning June 23, 2025

Requests for additional storage submitted via OneDrive or SharePoint will not be reviewed or considered.

Casual employees are not eligible for an employee license.

For full license details, please see Access to Microsoft 365 email and applications by audience.

See how much storage you’re currently using

Employees	Students	Alumni/Retirees	Generic accounts
Check OneDrive usage Check Outlook usage Check SharePoint data usage Check Teams usage	Check OneDrive usage Check Outlook usage	Check Outlook usage	Check Outlook usage

Tips and steps to reduce your data usage

Employees	Students	Alumni/Retirees	Generic accounts
Reduce OneDrive quota usage Reduce SharePoint quota usage Reduce Outlook quota usage Reduce Teams quota	Reduce OneDrive quota usage Reduce Outlook quota usage	Reduce Outlook quota usage	Reduce Outlook quota usage

FAQs regarding this change

Microsoft has recently implemented a substantial reduction in cloud storage allocated to Higher Education institutions worldwide. As a result, Waterloo will be implementing quotas to reduce the amount of storage used across campus to align with Microsoft’s policies and avoid additional costs

No extra storage will be made available to students, alumni, or retirees. Exception processes for employees are currently being investigated.

Please refer to the See how much storage you’re currently using table above.

You will not be able to edit a file or send an email. A notification will also appear when logged in to your M365 portal (portal.office.com) if you are approaching/over quota(s) with advice on how to free up space.

Please refer to the Tips and steps to reduce your quota(s) above.

You are likely over quota for that Microsoft 365 application. Please see Tips and steps to reduce your quota(s) above.

You also need to remove files from the Recycle Bin to complete the clean up process.

It may take up to three days for any quota limit reached to be removed. This is a limitation imposed by Microsoft.

See:

It is recommended students use a personal Google Drive or personal Microsoft OneDrive account (note, this account cannot be synced with your University of Waterloo OneDrive account).

When creating a personal storage account, make sure you use a password that is different than other accounts

Alternate data storage options for faculty and employees are being investigated.

Alternate data storage options for researchers can be reviewed on the IT Services for Researchers website.

Yes, generic accounts are impacted by this change.

No, casual employees do not receive an employee A5 licence.

Please open a support ticket to have someone review your storage allocation.

Recorded meetings are currently stored in the OneDrive account of the individual who booked the meeting. If the recording is to be saved for a period of time, this individual will want to move that recording to their Teams SharePoint site or a Teams site to reduce the amount of space it would otherwise take in their OneDrive account. All data that is being stored in Onedrive/SharePoint/Teams should be reviewed often and cleaned up so only relevant and necessary work documents/files are being stored.

Your access to Microsoft 365 email and applications will change based on your affiliation with the University. Please see the Access to Microsoft 365 email and applications page.

Microsoft 365 Security Storage Guidelines

Microsoft OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint are approved for storing student data for routine administrative purposes, including data classified using Waterloo's Information Privacy and Confidentiality Classification as defined in Policy 46 – Information Management as public, confidential, or restricted. However, the storage of highly restricted information in OneDrive is prohibited without extra security controls.

Please refer to the Guidance on Information Confidentiality Classification (Policy 46) or Research Data Risk Classification to understand how to appropriately categorize your data.

Using the University’s OneDrive storage for personal use is strongly discouraged. The University of Waterloo retains ownership of all data stored within employee’s M365 storage solutions, and your personal privacy and continued ownership of that data cannot be guaranteed.

Important Notice on Data Retention

It is essential to ensure that data is not stored beyond its retention period. Retaining unnecessary data increases the scope of a breach, particularly when it involves personal information (PI). This can lead to larger fines and a greater number of individuals affected in the event of a breach.

To help minimize these risks, please review the Introduction to the University of Waterloo Records Classification and Retention Schedules (WatClass) to ensure compliance. Following these guidelines will help reduce the amount of data stored in M365 solutions, making it easier to manage within the new storage caps.

Transferring Data to Other Cloud Storage Solutions

Before transferring data, review whether the chosen storage solution requires an Information Risk Assessment (IRA). If an IRA is needed, then please fill out and submit the intake form to engage the process for the new storage solution.

Additionally, please consult with the Information Steward for the relevant data. Information Stewards should be involved in the decision-making process around information management to ensure regulatory, statutory, and organizational requirements are met.

If data are transferred to an external cloud storage solution, ensure that you follow the Guidelines for secure data exchange: Choosing information transmission methods based on the security classification. Any cloud solution chosen must meet the following minimum requirements:

Encryption: Data must be encrypted both in transit and at rest.
Access Control: Ensure robust access controls, including multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Password Management

It is recommended to use a strong password that complies with the University’s Password Standards. Consider using a reputable paid subscription password manager to securely store and manage your passwords.

Cyber Awareness Training

Employees (including employed TA graduate students) with access to UW's M365 are required to complete annual Cyber Awareness Training to maintain a secure environment.

If you need assistance or for more information, please consult the Information Security Services (ISS) team for guidance.

Need help?

Contact the IST Service Desk online or 519-888-4567 ext. 44357.

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