Our bitlocker key is not in our account

To clarify, this is not a school or work laptop, it's a personal laptop that's being used at a college. So I have no idea why our personal email had associated this laptop with a school or business.

If you use a org-issued msft 365 account, you might see a popup when initially signing into the app that asked if you allow the organization to access your settings. If you clicked "yes" without much thought, this action enrolled your device in your organization's Intune management. This doesn't mean they can spy on or access your data, but it does allow them to enforce group policies to enhance your device's security. For instance, they might deploy BitLocker, require a more complex PIN, or ensure that your security updates are always current. The rationale is that using the organization's Microsoft 365 apps likely involves working on documents that are property of the organization. In cases such as businesses that need to comply strictly with HIPAA policies for example, their IT departments can ensure that these devices are secured, protecting them in case they fall into the wrong hands.

Ok, so if by chance that happened, I guess the only action is a fresh win 11 install?

There's a chance your school IT has the copy of the key via their Intune admin center - only admin user can access. That cannot be ruled out yet. So it is worth a try.

Otherwise, yes, clean install is the only option because Microsoft doesn't provide you the bitlocker key. And cracking bitlocker key would mean bitlocker key is not working and defeats the purpose. Sorry.

Can I download a win 11 install on usb and get full win 11 access?