Copilot
Audience: BYU‑Idaho students and employees accessing Microsoft Copilot with university‑managed credentials
Prerequisites: You must have an active BYU‑Idaho Microsoft account (`username@byui.edu`). No special license request is required to use Microsoft Copilot because it is included with BYUI’s Microsoft 365 tenant and protected under university data policies.
Prerequisites: You must have an active BYU‑Idaho Microsoft account (`username@byui.edu`). No special license request is required to use Microsoft Copilot because it is included with BYUI’s Microsoft 365 tenant and protected under university data policies.
Setting up Copilot
Step 1
Go to Microsoft Copilot
Visit: https://copilot.microsoft.com in your browser.
You can use Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox (Microsoft Edge may provide the best experience, but it’s not required).
You can use Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox (Microsoft Edge may provide the best experience, but it’s not required).
Step 2
Sign In With Your BYU-Idaho Account
Click Sign in in the top-right corner.
Choose Continue with Microsoft when prompted and enter your full BYU-Idaho email (example: username@byui.edu).
Note: Make sure you don’t accidentally choose a personal Microsoft account
Choose Continue with Microsoft when prompted and enter your full BYU-Idaho email (example: username@byui.edu).
Note: Make sure you don’t accidentally choose a personal Microsoft account
Step 3
Complete the BYU-Idaho Login Process
Enter your BYU-Idaho password on the sign-in page.
If prompted, complete Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) using your approved method (phone, app, etc.).
Once complete, you’ll be redirected back to Copilot.
If prompted, complete Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) using your approved method (phone, app, etc.).
Once complete, you’ll be redirected back to Copilot.
Step 4
Confirm You’re Using the Work (Secure) Version
At the top of the page, make sure Copilot is set to “Work” (not “Personal”).
Verify your @byui.edu account is visible in the interface.
Note: This ensures your data is handled within the university’s protected environment.
Verify your @byui.edu account is visible in the interface.
Note: This ensures your data is handled within the university’s protected environment.
Microsoft Copilot 365 Premium License
The premium version of Microsoft Copilot 365 is available to employees and provides deeper AI workflow integration to process organizational files and communications.
BYU-Idaho employees may acquire a Microsoft 365 Copilot license at $216 per user annually; monthly subscription options are not available.
Request Microsoft Copilot 365
BYU-Idaho employees may acquire a Microsoft 365 Copilot license at $216 per user annually; monthly subscription options are not available.
Request Microsoft Copilot 365
Understanding Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot is Microsoft's AI assistant. It can answer questions, help you write, edit, summarize content, and assist with everyday tasks. It is deeply integrated into the Microsoft 365 tools you already use meaning it can work with your actual files, meetings, and emails rather than just responding to what you paste in.
Same engine, different capabilities and licensing depending on where you're using it. Remember to always look for the green shield confirming you're in the institutional environment. Here's a practical breakdown of what you're likely to encounter:
- Copilot in Teams: Attends your meetings, generates summaries, and answers questions about what was discussed.
- Copilot in Word: Edits, rewrites, and drafts content directly inside your document.
- Copilot in Outlook: Drafts emails, summarizes threads, and suggests replies.
- Copilot in Excel: Analyzes data, generates formulas, and creates charts from plain language requests.
- Copilot on the Web (copilot.microsoft.com): A standalone chat experience similar to ChatGPT. Good for general questions and tasks not tied to a specific M365 app.
- Copilot on Windows: The Copilot button in the Windows 11 taskbar. General assistant, not connected to your M365 files.
- Copilot Studio: Microsoft's tool for building custom Copilot Agents. Not the same as using Copilot.
- GitHub Copilot: A separate product for software developers. Helps write and review code inside coding environments.
Microsoft has embedded Copilot across nearly their entire product line — which is powerful but admittedly confusing. Think of it less like a single app and more like an AI layer that Microsoft is building into everything. The same underlying AI shows up in different places with different levels of access to your content depending on where you encounter it.
Copilot licensing is tiered (Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Copilot Free vs Copilot Pro) and the answer will vary depending on the license in place. Should link out to MS site.
Included with our Microsoft license at BYUI: All BYU–Idaho students, faculty, and staff automatically have access to Copilot Chat at no additional cost. It’s a browser- or app-based AI chat that helps with general tasks (research, writing drafts, brainstorming, Q&A) using web search data and the information you provide. Think of it like a BYU–Idaho approved, secure version of ChatGPT/Bing Chat. It is great for answering questions, generating summaries, or helping with ideas. Importantly, it does not automatically pull information from your BYU–Idaho email, OneDrive, or Teams. You interact by typing questions or prompts in a chat window (e.g. at copilot.microsoft.com) while signed in with your BYUI account. To learn more: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/copilot-in-education
Requires Add‑On License: Not included by default.
To learn more: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/copilot-in-education
To learn more: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/copilot-in-education
Using Copilot is like having a conversation with a capable AI assistant. A Copilot Agent is a version of that assistant you've pre-configured with specific instructions, a defined purpose, and your own knowledge files, so it already knows your team's context without you having to explain it every time.
Copilot Studio is Microsoft's platform for building custom Copilot Agents. It's part of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem but is a separate product from Copilot itself. Check with IT before getting started, it may not be fully configured for your account yet and some use cases will need IT involvement to build responsibly.
BYU-Idaho has no formal agreements with Github Copilot
Troubleshooting
If you have previously signed in, you may see a "Pick an account" screen after clicking Continue with Microsoft. Simply select your `@byui.edu` account from the list.
If your account already has an active session, you may be taken directly to the experience-selection screen in Step 5, bypassing the credential and MFA prompts entirely.
If your account already has an active session, you may be taken directly to the experience-selection screen in Step 5, bypassing the credential and MFA prompts entirely.
Click your profile picture → Sign out, then log in again using <username@byui.edu>.
Your BYUI Microsoft account may have an issue — contact the BYU‑Idaho Help Desk.
You may still be in consumer mode. Sign out and sign back in with your BYUI account.
If Copilot won't load in your browser, try the following:
- Using a private/incognito window
- Clearing browser cookies for Microsoft and Copilot
- Trying a different browser (Edge recommended)