Microsoft 365 (M365) storage data quotas will be reduced beginning June 23

Note: the email quotas for students, alumni, retirees, and some shared accounts were increased to 50GB after this original message was shared.

About this change

Microsoft has recently implemented a substantial reduction in cloud storage allocated to 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 will impact all University employees, students, alumni, retirees, and generic accounts. Revised storage limits will vary between these groups. Email notifications will be sent to each audience outlining the details of the change.

Timeline for implementation

The new storage quotas will be implemented for students, alumni, retirees, and generic accounts beginning the week of June 23, 2025. Implementation dates for employees and accounts using an A3 licence are planned for August 2025.

Impact of this change

The new storage limits will be implemented for Microsoft OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, and email (Outlook). Individuals will need to ensure the amount of data stored within M365 remain below the new quotas. 

Important: Exceeding these limits may affect the ability to edit, store, and/or send files to/from these apps as well as sending and receiving email. See tips for reducing quotas linked below. An error message will appear when logged in to your M365 portal (portal.office.com) if you are approaching/over quota with advice on how to free up space.

New storage data quotas and implementation dates

Support resources

• See how much space you’re currently using and steps to free up space 
• See a list of FAQs regarding the change to storage limits 
• Submit questions via the IST Help Portal