Anyone trying to find out how to get Apple student discounts can see all the necessary info here. That includes instructions, exact amounts and deals from third party vendors. Students can save money buying directly through the Apple Store and sometimes through special offers at Best Buy. Discounts for students are available on MacBooks, MacBook Air and Pro, iMac, Mac Pro, Mac Mini and iPad. There are also savings on AppleCare, Apple’s extended warranty program, and a 50% price cut on Apple Music.
How to Get Apple Student Discounts
The exact “how to get Apple student discounts” instructions vary depending on the product. Generally speaking, the student savings that come direct from Apple range from 3% to 10% on anything from iPad to Mac Pro. Best Buy also partners with Apple to offer significantly larger savings at times. The types of Apple deals available to students fall into the different categories listed below. Click on any link to jump down to the corresponding section in this article.
- Apple student discounts through the Apple Education Store
- Apple student discounts from a third party vendor
- Apple student discounts on MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro (4% to 8% for $50 to $100 off)
- Apple student discounts on other Mac products like iMac, Mac Pro, iPad and Mac mini (5% to 10% for $50 to $299 off)
- Apple student discounts on AppleCare (20% to 30% for $20 to $110 off)
- Apple student discounts for Apple Music (50% for $5 per month off)
- Non-Apple student discounts
- Special Apple student financing
Related: How To Afford Apple Computers with Apple Financing
How to Get Apple Student Discounts Direct from the Apple Education Store
The Apple Education Store always has a decent base of Apple student discounts on offer. The savings aren’t huge across the boards, but they’re often the only deals available exclusively to students. Before going with a discount from the Apple Education Store, shoppers should check to see if Best Buy has any student discounts in the offing. Best Buy partners with Apple to push out some deep savings for college students from time to time, but those deals are always changing so it’s important to check back often.
To take advantage of Apple student discounts from the Apple Education Store, visit the store here or jump down in this article to see exact savings amounts for each Apple product here.
How to Get Apple Student Discounts from Third Party Vendors
While Apple student discounts from the Apple Education Store are nice, they’re not always the deep savings many shoppers are looking for. 10% off a Mac Pro does give a nice $299 savings on a $2,999 machine, but 4% off a $1,299 MacBook is only $50. Student savings on iPads are even smaller, with the smallest dollar savings set at $10 off an iPad mini 2. Students and parents looking for true deep discounts should be aware of Apple’s deal with Best Buy. Best Buy sometimes offers as much as $100 to $150 off sales prices on Apple products for college students. Students need to register for the discounts and then wait for the store to send coupons as they become available.
These deals can double Apple’s stock student discounts. Even sweeter, they stack on top of Best Buy’s existing sale prices. For example, Best Buy recently offered a $50 savings on the MacBook Air 13.3-inch, dropping the price from $999 to $949. An Apple student discount of $100 further sunk that price all the way down to $849. Students also earned $15 in Best Buy rewards for making the purchase. That’s far and away better than Apple’s own discount of $50 for students on that machine.
As of 10/31/16, Best Buy student discounts for Apple products are the same as the savings at Apple’s own store. There are currently no additional savings for students on Apple products by buying through Best Buy. Check back here for frequent updates.
Who’s Eligible for Apple Student Discounts?
According to Apple’s sales policies, those eligible for Apple student discounts include students, parents, faculty and staff. That includes:
- Students attending or accepted to any college, university or other higher education institution in the US. Also includes parents shopping for a child.
- Faculty and staff of higher education institutions.
- K-12 institution employees, including teachers and homeschool teachers.
- School board members and PTA or PTO executives.
Quantities are limited to one desktop per year, one mac mini, one notebook, two iPads, two displays and two software titles.
How to Get Apple Student Discounts on MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro, iPad and Mac mini
To get Apple student discounts on any Apple notebook, desktop or tablet, visit the Apple Education Store or Best Buy’s college student discount page. The savings available from the Apple Education Store are shown in the table below. They range anywhere from 3% off an iPad Pro ($20) to 4% off a MacBook ($50) to 8% off a 13” MacBook Pro ($100) to 10% off a Mac Pro ($299). Students and other shoppers just pick their model and select their options, then click “buy.” Validation of eligibility as a student is on the honor system. In-store retailers may ask to see a student ID.
Apple Student Discounts | (Apple Store Only) | |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Product | Regular Price | Apple Student Discount Price |
| MacBook | $1,299 | $1,249 |
| MacBook Air | $999 | $949 |
| MacBook Pro | $1,299 | $1,199 |
| iMac | $1,099 | $1,049 |
| Mac Pro | $2,999 | $2,700 |
| Mac mini | $499 | $470 |
| iPad Pro | $599 | $579 |
| iPad Air 2 | $399 | $379 |
| iPad mini 4 | $399 | $379 |
| iPad mini 2 | $269 | $259 |
How to Get Apple Student Discounts on AppleCare
AppleCare is Apple’s extended protection plan. There are deep Apple student discounts of 20% to 30% on Apple Care, resulting in savings from $20 to $110 depending on the specific product purchased. All Macs and other Apple computers and iPads come with a one-year limited warranty plus up to 90 days of free telephone tech support. That coverage can be extended to a three year warranty and three years of phone support with an AppleCare plan.
Students can save big on AppleCare. For instance, the regular AppleCare price for any MacBook, MacBook Air or a 13” MacBook Pro is $249. Students can buy the service for $183. That’s 27% less or $66 off. Other AppleCare student discounts are shown in the table below.
Apple Student Discounts for AppleCare | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Purchased | AppleCare Regular Price | AppleCare Student Discount Price | Savings |
| MacBook, MacBook Air, 13" MacBook Pro | $249 | $183 | $66 (27%) |
| iMac | $169 | $119 | $50 (30%) |
| 15" MacBook Pro | $349 | $239 | $110 (32%) |
| Mac Pro | $249 | $199 | $50 (20%) |
| Mac mini | $99 | $79 | $20 (20%) |
| No discount for AppleCare with any iPad. |
Also see: Apple Worth of $580 Billion Continues to Skyrocket
How to Get Apple Student Discounts for Apple Music
There are special Apple student discounts for Apple Music of 50% or $5 per month. Apple Music is Apple’s music streaming service. This is Apple’s answer to Spotify, Tidal and other music streaming apps and sites. With it, Apple promises users will get easier access to their own personal music libraries plus live radio and tens of thousands of songs in Apple’s own library. The service normally costs $9.99 a month for individuals but students get it for just $4.99 a month. To sign up, students will have to verify their student identity through UNiDAYS.
Special Financing Can Deepen Apple Student Discounts
To power up the Apple student discounts already available through the Apple Education Store and Best Buy, shoppers can take advantage of special financing as well. Apple has partnered with BarclayCard Visa, offering financing to any consumer who qualifies for the card. Students should be warned that applying for the card will generate a hard credit inquiry. That could knock the student’s credit score down a few points temporarily. That said, the card gives shoppers a no-interest promo period. The promo period’s length depends on the amount spent as shown below:
- Spend under $498, no interest for 6 months
- $499 – $998, no interest for 12 months
- $999 and up, no interest for 18 months
The no-interest grace period saves $55.50 a month on a $999 MacBook Air. The card also offers 2% cash back on all purchases for the first year, plus three points for every $1 spent in the Apple or iTunes Store. There’s also two points for every dollar spent in a restaurant and one point for every dollar spent on any other purchase.
How to Get Non-Apple Student Discounts
All that glitters is not gold and all that’s discounted for students is not Apple. While Apple student discounts are a hot topic right now especially with Apple’s new MacBook Pro rollout, there are some great deals out there on non-Apple computers. Best Buy offers $100 off on several Microsoft Surface laptops and other computers, while Lenovo, Amazon and Dell also routinely offer special savings for students.