We’re now firmly in back-to-school territory, and if you’re looking to buy an Apple product to take with you to school, college or university it’s worth considering the special offers that Apple makes available to students – which could save you up to 15% off new Mac computers, iPads and other devices.
Apple is quite relaxed about eligibility for these deals, so as long as you’re a student at school, college or university you should be able to make quite a saving.
Apple offers discounts for staff who work at educational institutions too, so teachers can also get a cut-price deal on a new Apple device.
For example, a MacBook that costs $1,299 is available for $1,249 (with a free pair of Beats Solo2 wireless headphones) for students. In the UK you could pay £772.80 for a MacBook that usually costs £899.
Meanwhile in Australia, a MacBook that costs AU$1,999 ends up costing AU$1,929. The staff discounts aren’t quite as high as those for students (saving around 6% rather than 15%), but they’re still worth considering for faculty staff.
Am I eligible for Apple’s education pricing?
As long as you’re studying in a post-secondary education (or high school) establishment, such as college or university, and have a student ID or documentation to prove it, then you should be eligible for the education discounts. Parents of students can also apply for the discounts on their children’s behalf.
If you’re a teacher, lecturer or other staff member at an educational institution you can apply for the discount by providing an ID card, payslip or other form of identification that proves you work there.
To make the process as smooth as possible if you’re a university student, sign up online at Unidays, which is a free website that offers a number of student-only deals. All you need is your university email address that you’re given when you enrol.
How to claim an Apple education discount
If you’re eligible, go to the Apple For Education website, which highlights the current deals on offer for students and staff. Select the device you want (such as MacBooks, iMacs and iPads), then verify your current student or staff status with Unidays. You can do this by clicking ‘Get started’.
You can also visit a nearby Apple Store with your ID, or phone Apple on 0800 048 0408 in the UK, 800–692–7753 in the US or 133-622 in Australia.
Assuming you’re accepted you can then go ahead and order your devices. You can also purchase items for other people, but to make sure this system doesn’t get abused Apple limits you to one desktop per academic year, one Mac mini, one notebook, two iPads, two displays and two pieces of software with the discounts.
