[Cassie Jones (1gr8muggle)]

You can absolutely upgrade from 5 to 8. You will pay the normal retail price. It's only cheaper (sometimes) for people upgrading from the previous version of the software. You should look into some of the academic software sites. Usually you just need to have a child in school to qualify for the discount (or be an employee of an academic institution). I use academicsuperstore.com, but there are others out there. Amazon, Best Buy, Sam's Club, etc., will also have it available.