Å®Óźϼ¯ Google Workspace and Microsoft 365: Announcing Storage Limits
February 20, 2026
As previously shared, Google is changing how storage works for its higher education
accounts, and the University of Alaska is preparing for those changes.
In the past, universities were offered unlimited storage at no cost. When the University
of Alaska’s current storage contract ends, Å®Óźϼ¯ will begin paying for the storage it
uses. To manage these costs responsibly, the following predefined storage amounts
are being established for all Å®Óźϼ¯ Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 user accounts:
User Storage Limits
| User Role | Google Workspace | Microsoft 365 |
|---|---|---|
| Employees (Faculty & Staff) | 15 GB | 15 GB |
| Emeritus | 15 GB | 15 GB |
| Students | 5 GB | 5 GB |
| Alumni | 1 GB (Gmail only) | — |
| Affiliates / Sponsored Accounts* | 1 GB (Gmail only) | — |
*Affiliates and sponsored accounts are third-party users who require temporary or term-based access.
Most Å®Óźϼ¯ users’ storage usage falls within these limits. Users who exceed the standard amounts will have the opportunity to reduce their storage, request a team shared drive, or request additional storage. Each university is developing its own approach to managing additional storage needs, including any potential cost-recovery plans. More information will be shared as those plans are finalized. Expect details about future pricing to be communicated well in advance of any billing to ensure transparency and provide sufficient time to prepare.Check Your Usage Now
In preparation for the introduction of these limits, the University of Alaska encourages everyone to start reviewing and organizing their storage usage. Developing good digital hygiene will make it easier to stay within future limits and keep your account running smoothly.
- Google Workspace Users: Check overall storage usage in .
- Microsoft 365 Users: Visit to view total storage usage.
If you are at or above your defined limit, reducing your total storage footprint now is highly encouraged. Managers/supervisors who are interested to see the storage footprint for their department may request a customized report by submitting a departmental storage usage report request for or . Requestors will be asked to include first, last, and Å®Óźϼ¯ usernames for all members of their departments.
Tips for Reducing Your Storage Footprint
The steps below can make a big difference in managing your storage and keeping your account organized:
How to Free Up Space in Google Workspace
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Your Google Workspace storage includes Gmail and Google Drive. Over time, emails, attachments, and older files can quickly add up. The tips below can help you free up space and keep your account organized.
Clean Up Gmail
- Delete old or large emails: Focus on promotions, updates, and social notifications you no longer need.
- Save important attachments: Move attachments you want to keep into a Shared Drive, then delete the original email.
- Unsubscribe from newsletters: Fewer incoming emails means less storage used over time.
- Empty Trash and Spam: Messages in Trash and Spam still count toward storage until they’re permanently deleted. Empty them manually to see immediate results.
Clean Up Google Drive
- Find large or old files: In Drive, go to Settings → Storage and sort files by size or date.
- Delete what you no longer need: Large videos or photos, duplicate files, and outdated drafts or older versions of documents can consume a lot of space.
Good Storage Habits
- Make it routine: Schedule time each week or month to review and clean up your storage.
- Check your usage periodically: Visit to see what’s using space.
- Review Drive files often: Sorting by size or date makes it easier to decide what to delete.
- Remember Docs count, too: Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides all count toward your total storage.
- Store files in the appropriate location: Save team and department files in Shared Drives or department storage so they’re
accessible to others and not tied to your individual account.
- Keep work and personal files separate: Use your Å®Óźϼ¯ account for university work only and move personal files to a private Google account.
- Delete old or large emails: Focus on promotions, updates, and social notifications you no longer need.
How to Free Up Space in Microsoft 365
Your Microsoft 365 storage includes OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams. Over time, files, old versions, and recordings can quietly use up space. The steps below can help you clean up and stay within your storage limits.
Clean Up Your OneDrive
- Empty your Recycle Bin: Files you delete still count toward your storage until the Recycle Bin is emptied.
Check it regularly.
- Find large files: In OneDrive on the web, open Manage storage to see which files are using the most space—old videos and presentations are common
culprits.
- Remove old file versions: OneDrive saves earlier versions of files, which can add up. You can delete older
versions you no longer need.
- Review shared folders: Remove shortcuts to shared folders you no longer use. Shortcuts don’t take up space unless downloaded.
Clean Up SharePoint and Teams
- Archive old sites: Inactive SharePoint sites can be archived so the content is kept but uses less storage.
- Delete unused Teams or channels: Teams and channels that are no longer needed can be deleted to free up space.
- Manage meeting recordings: Though old Teams meeting recordings automatically expire after 120 days, prior to expiration they can use significant storage. Deleting newer recordings you no longer need does help reduce usage.
Good Storage Habits
- Move rarely used files elsewhere: Files you must keep but don’t use often can be stored on your computer or a dedicated
external backup drive instead of OneDrive.
- Turn off automatic uploads: Check apps (such as mobile photo backups) that automatically upload files to OneDrive
and disable them if they aren’t needed.
For assistance and guidance on additional storage needs and best practices, contact your local IT Help Desk ( • • ) for assistance.
Identify and Relocate Your Shared Documents
Any user with shared access to a file can view the document's owner.
- Google Workspace Users: See a list of Shared with me files at Right-click the file name and select File Information > Details to view the file's owner. Move files you own to your department’s Google departmental Shared Drive.
- Microsoft 365 Users: In the file list view, notice the file’s Name, Owner, File and Activity. Move these documents to your department’s Google Shared Drive or Microsoft 365’s SharePoint Document Library.
For questions about shared files or shared drives, submit a request form with your questions regarding or shared storage.
Why This Matters
Google’s shift away from unlimited educational storage affects colleges and universities nationwide. Additionally, Å®Óźϼ¯â€™s storage with Microsoft is similarly limited. By cleaning up now and maintaining healthy file management habits, the Å®Óźϼ¯ community can stay organized, avoid disruptions, and help the university manage storage efficiently in the future.
Questions?
For additional information visit the Å®Óźϼ¯ Google Storage Project page or contact your local IT Help Desk ( • • ) for support.