How Anyone Can Score Apple's Educational Discount

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Apple products are notoriously expensive: The latest MacBook Air starts at $1,099, as does the iPhone 17 Pro, and while I love my AirPods Max, I strongly recommend buyers wait until they're on sale to avoid spending $549 on headphones. Apple makes good stuff, but that stuff comes at a cost.

Not all of Apple's products are this expensive, mind you. The new iPhone 17e starts at $599. That's not necessarily cheap, but it isn't $1,099, either. Apple's MacBook Neo has drawn a lot of buzz by fetching the same price tag as the 17e, but also because of its education price: $499. For that price, students and educators can buy a brand-new MacBook that does just about anything you'd want an Apple laptop to do. For the rest of us, $599 is still a great price for such a machine, but, of course, we'd rather get the education price if we could.

Anyone can shop Apple's Education Store

According to Apple, the Education Store only applies to "current and newly accepted college students and their parents, as well as faculty, staff, and homeschool teachers of all grade levels." But this is the (open) secret of Apple's Education Store: While the discounts are supposed to be for students, educators, and parents, anyone can shop the Education Store and take advantage of the same savings. There is no proof required when accessing the Education Store online in the U.S.—it's just a different section of the Apple Store website. Once you're in, you're in, and you can get the same discounts as anyone Apple would intend the discount for.

That includes, of course, the MacBook Neo, which starts at just $499 on the Education Store (for the 256GB model). But it also applies to Apple's other Macs:

• M5 MacBook Air: starts at $999 rather than $1,099

• M5 MacBook Pro: starts at $1,599 rather than $1,699

• 14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro: starts at $2,049 rather than $2,199

• 16-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro: starts at $2,499 rather than $2699

• iMac: starts at $1,249 rather than $1,299

• Mac mini: starts at $499 rather than $599

• Mac Studio: starts at $1,799 rather than $1,999

• Mac Pro: starts at $6,599 rather than $6,999

But it's not just Macs that are discounted here. You'll also find iPads with some small price cuts. That includes:

• iPad: starts at $329 instead of $349

• iPad mini: starts at $449 instead of $499

• iPad Air: starts at $549 instead of $599

• iPad Pro: starts at $899 instead of $999

There are other savings to be found here, too: Apple's new Studio Display and Studio Display XDR, iPad accessories, as well as Apple Care+ plans, have discounts on the Education Store. But Apples other products do not, even though they're available to buy on the Education Store. iPhones are the same price for students as they are for all buyers, as are Apple Watches, Apple TVs, and Apple Vision Pros.

How to shop Apple's Education Store

Apple's Education Store is open to anyone on the web. You can access it from this link, or by heading to Apple's official site, scrolling down to the bottom of the page, and choosing "Shop for College" under "For Education."

Be aware, however, that while Apple might not verify your purchase, it still intends these products to be purchased by Education Store. As such, not only will the company require you to check a box confirming you meet the qualifications to shop here, it reserves the right to charge you the difference. Hypothetically, you could be on the hook for the $100 you save on the MacBook Neo through the Education Store, and while I've never heard of that happening, that's the risk you take.

The Education Store isn't the only way to score Apple discounts

If you aren't a student and you don't feel comfortable saying you are one to shop the Education Store, you still have options to get Apple products at a discount. For anyone open to buying pre-owned or open-box items, Apple's Refurbished Store is a great place to look. The company has options across more of its product lineup (including iPhones) you can choose from, and while they aren't new devices, they are covered by a limited one-year warranty by Apple.

You can also find deep discounts on Apple products from third-party retailers. Amazon, for instance, frequently has deals on MacBooks of all kinds, especially from previous generations. Since Apple's modern Macs perform well for years after release, this can be a great way to get a machine without spending a fortune.