As of July 1, 2026, the University of Washington introduced major updates to Adobe licensing and pricing that will expand access to Adobe products while reducing costs for students, faculty, staff and departments.
Led by UW Information Technology (UWIT) in collaboration with campus partners, these changes reflect the fourth pillar of the UW Strategic Plan by stewarding the resources that support our mission and strategic initiatives. Together, we’re making it easier for our community to do its best work while building a more responsive, resilient and innovative UW.
These improvements were made possible through feedback from the UW community and support from the Provost’s Request Fund (PRF) Committee and the Student Technology Fee (STF) Committee. UWIT extends sincere thanks to the faculty, staff, students and departments whose input helped shape these updates.
Responses from UW’s Computing Directors and campus IT staff reflect how meaningful these changes will be across the University:
“Thank you for everything you’ve done to help make this happen. This addresses a long-standing need, and it will make a meaningful difference for departments and employees across UW.” – Brad Coston, Director of IT School of Nursing
“Thank you UWIT! This is a huge win for both the UW employees and students.”
– James Josleyn, Computing and Technology Manager, Chemical Engineering
New Adobe Benefits
Students will gain access to additional Adobe tools beginning this summer and fall.
Adobe Express – No Cost
- As of July 1, students signing in to adobe.com using their UW account will receive access to Adobe Express at no charge.
- Adobe Express provides easy-to-use tools for creating presentations, graphics, videos, social media content and other digital projects.
Adobe Creative Cloud – Discounted
- In early fall, the University Book Store, in partnership with UWIT, will begin offering the full Adobe Creative Cloud suite to students at a significantly discounted annual price of $99.95.
- Additional information about purchasing options and availability will be shared closer to launch.
As of July 1, all employees have access to the following Adobe benefits.
Adobe Acrobat Pro – No Cost
Adobe Acrobat Pro which provides tools for creating, editing, signing, converting and improving the accessibility of PDF documents, is now centrally funded and available to UW employees at no charge.
This change means:
- Departments and individual users will no longer be billed for Adobe Acrobat Pro; Adobe Express will be included in the subscription.
- No action is required for existing Acrobat Pro subscriptions; they will automatically be rolled over to the no cost model.
- Employees should continue to request access through the existing process.
- For UW Medicine users who are currently using an older version of Acrobat, an upgrade plan is being developed. UW Medicine IT will reach out directly to users who need to upgrade.
Adobe Creative Cloud for Individual Users – Discounted
UW is also substantially reducing the cost of Adobe Creative Cloud licenses for UW employees. As of July 1, 2026:
- The annual cost of Adobe Creative Cloud has decreased from $150 to $35 per user per year.
- Adobe Creative Cloud will remain a billed service under a subsidized pricing model. The license includes access to Adobe applications such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, Acrobat Pro, and more.
This new pricing will make it easier for departments to provide professional creative software to employees while supporting UW’s ability to sustain enterprise licensing needs and meet future growth in usage.
Adobe Creative Cloud for Shared Devices – Discounted
Departments using Adobe software in shared computing environments will also benefit from significantly lower costs. As of July 1, 2026:
- Adobe Shared Device License pricing has decreased from $270 to $40 per device per year.
- Existing license management processes and licensing limits will remain unchanged.
This reduction supports instructional computing environments, including computer labs, classrooms and other shared-use spaces across the University.
What Students, Faculty and Staff Need to Do
- Log in to adobe.com with your UW account to access Adobe Express.
- Watch for information this fall about discounted Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions through the University Book Store.
- Take advantage of the new no-cost Acrobat Pro and Adobe Express access and the much lower cost of Adobe Creative Cloud.
- For Adobe Acrobat Pro, existing users should continue logging in and using it as normal; nothing has changed for you. To request new access, you must register through the UW Software (UWare) Catalog.
- Visit the Adobe Acrobat Pro page in the UW Software Catalog for the registration and request link and the Unite request link for UW Medicine employees.
- Review current Adobe licensing needs and update planning and budgeting to reflect the new pricing for Adobe Creative Cloud individual and shared device licenses.
- Share information with students about Adobe Express (available now) and discounted Adobe Creative Cloud coming to the University Book Store in the fall.
These changes are one example of how UWIT is helping modernize the systems, services, and partnerships that support the University’s mission. By improving access while stewarding resources carefully, UW is creating a stronger foundation for the people it serves and for the future we are building together.
Need Support?
For questions about Adobe licensing, access or pricing, contact the UW Software Catalog (UWare) team at help@uw.edu and include “Adobe License” in the subject line.