Zoom Licensing Changes Coming in January 2027

Beginning in January 2027, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) will make several changes to how Zoom licenses are provided at CU Boulder.

These changes are intended to ensure long-term sustainability in response to Zoom's decision to increase costs on their higher education offering. Faculty and staff will see no change to their Zoom access. Instead, these changes will right-size centrally funded Zoom services based on actual usage, while continuing to support teaching, learning, research and administrative work.

What's Changing

Students will receive Student Standard Zoom licenses by default

Starting in January, students will be assigned Zoom Student Standard licenses by default, but will still be able to join and participate in Zoom meetings as they do today.

Student Standard licenses do not include:

• Hosting meetings longer than 40 minutes
• Alternative host designation (students can still be made co-hosts during meetings)
• Cloud recording (local recording remains available)

Students who need Pro functionality for coursework, research, employment or other university activities will be able to request a Zoom Pro license each semester. Review the Zoom Student Standard vs. Pro account comparison to learn more about available features.

Zoom Webinar and Large Meeting licenses will no longer be centrally funded

Departments that need Zoom Webinar or Large Meeting licenses will continue to be able to purchase these add-on licenses through OIT. Visit the Zoom - License Purchase Request page for more information.

Inactive Zoom Pro licenses will be retained for one year instead of three

Currently, inactive Zoom Pro licenses may remain assigned for up to three years. Beginning in January, accounts will revert to Zoom Basic after one year of inactivity.

Faculty, staff and other eligible users whose licenses are removed due to inactivity will automatically regain Zoom Pro access the next time they sign in to Zoom.

Microsoft Teams Resources

Microsoft Teams is also available to all CU Boulder students, faculty and staff. Teams may be an alternative for individuals whose meeting needs are not met by Zoom Student Standard. To learn more, visit the Microsoft Teams service page or request group or department training.

For support with Microsoft Teams, contact the IT Service Center at oithelp@colorado.edu.

Longer-Term Web Conferencing Assessment

Alongside the January changes, OIT is conducting a broader assessment of CU Boulder's web conferencing needs. Feedback from faculty, staff, students, campus groups and peer institutions will help inform how web conferencing services are delivered and supported in the future.

Feedback & Support

Community members are encouraged to share feedback, concerns and examples of how they use Zoom and other web conferencing tools through the Zoom Project Feedback Form. Feedback submitted through the form will help inform the ongoing assessment and future planning efforts.

For complete details about the January licensing changes and the ongoing assessment, visit the Zoom License Optimization & Needs Assessment Project webpage. For general Zoom information and support, visit the Zoom service page.