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Apple extends Back to School Deal gift card offer through September

Macworld Apple runs a higher education promotion every year that has traditionally been known as its Back to School sale. The company now refers to it as the College Student Offer or Higher Education Offer because it is only available to students in higher education and eligible education staff not school-age children. The promotion gives eligible customers an extra incentive when purchasing qualifying products through Apples Education Store, where Macs and iPads are already sold at discounted prices. In recent years, those incentives have included free AirPods, a free Apple Pencil, and other accessories. This year Apple has returned to the tradition of offering gift cards with purchases worth up to $150 in 2026 . Apple launches the offer at different times around the world to coincide with the university summer break in each region. It typically begins before the new academic year and runs until several weeks after the first term starts. In 2025, the U.S. promotion began on June 17 and ran until September 30, so a similar launch date had been expected in 2026. Instead, Apple started the promotion on Thursday, July 16, a month later than expected, and originally announced it would end on August 27, a month earlier than in 2025. However, in early August, Apple extended it until September 24. There had been some speculation that the offer might not return this year particularly after the company increased Mac and iPad price , citing rising component costs and memory shortages, but Apple is going ahead with the deal. The same promotion is likely to start in the U.K. and Europe before the end of July. Region 2026 Start date 2026 End Date 2026 Deal North America July 15, 2026 September 24, 2026 (extended) Confirmed: Gift cards worth up to $150 U.K. & Europe Mid-July (TBC) Mid-October (TBC) Expected: Gift Cards worth up to 150. Australia January 7, 2026 March 11, 2026 Confirmed: Free/discounted AirPods, Apple Pencil, Keyboards and Mice Read on to find out everything you need to know about Apples Higher Education promotion this year, including when it is expected to begin in your region, what products and incentives may be included, who qualifies, and how to take advantage of the offer. Apples Back to school deal: At a glance What is Apples Back to School deal? The 2026 deal is gift cards worth up to $150 with purchases of qualifying Macs and iPads. When is Apples Back to School deal? It is running from July 16 to September 24,, 2026 in North America. U.K. and Europe dates are yet to be confirmed. Is this the only student saving from Apple? No, Apple offers a discount on Macs and iPads all year round to qualifying students. Read: How to get an Apple student discount at Apples Education Store . Who qualifies? Verified students in higher education institutions and their parents. When does Apples Back to School deal start? The 2026 promotion Apple U.S . & Canada : From July 16 September 24, 2026. (Gift cards) U.K. & Europe: TBC, likely lasting until mid October, 2026. India : From July 16 September 24, 2026. (Apple is giving away AirPods and Apple Pencil in India) Australia , New Zealand , Brazil and South Korea : January 7 to early March 11 2026. In North America, Apples annual College Student Offer promotion is live now. It started on Thursday, July 16, and finishes on September 24, 2026. Because the academic summer break begins and ends later in Europe, the promotion is expected to launch in the U.K. and across Europe in mid-July. In 2025, for example, the offer began on July 10 and ended on October 21. The deal ran from January 7 to early March 11 this year in the Southern Hemisphere. Similar timings are expected in 2027. Who can get Apples Back to School give-away? Current and newly accepted higher education students and their parents Apple If you are enrolled at a higher education institution (post-K12 education, such as a university or college), or are the parent of a student who is enrolled, you qualify for Apples year-round education pricing as well as the Back to School promotion while it is running. You will need to verify your eligibility before you can access the offer. Prior to May 2026, verifying student status in some countries including the U.S. only required an .edu email address and the name of a higher education institution. Apple has since tightened its verification requirements. As a result, shoppers now need to verify their student status through UNiDAYS (as was already the case in the U.K.). Students are typically required to provide their name, date of birth, and school email address, then search for their institution and wait for their student status to be confirmed. Apples education pricing is not available to parents buying for school-age children, but it is available to parents who are homeschooling their children. What is Apples Back to School deal this year? Get free money with your purchase. Foundry Gift cards worth up to $150 with MacBook Pro, $100 with MacBook Air, iPad Air and iPad Pro. In India, Apple is giving away AirPods/Apple Pencil/keyboard/mouse were offered with qualifying purchases, as it did for the Australian promotion earlier in 2026. The same gift voucher giveaway is expected to launch later in July 2026 in the U.K. and Europe. The free AirPods usually given away with this offer have a value of $129, so the $150 or $100 voucher has an almost equivalent value to that. The gift card does give students the freedom to decide how they would like to spend the money. Even before the gift card, typical savings in the education store include: $200/200 off an MacBook Pro $100/100 off an MacBook Air $100/100 off an iPad Pro $50/50 off an iPad Air $80/80 off an Apple Watch Ultra 3 $40/40 off an Apple Watch Series 11 10/$10 off the Apple Pencil Pro 10/$10 off the standard Apple Pencil So the gift card represents a total saving of $350 for the MacBook Pro, $200 off the price of a MacBook Air, and $200 off an iPad Pro, and $150 off an iPad Air. This isnt the first time Apple has offered gift cards. From 2022 to 2024 in the U.S., U.K., and some other regions, Apple instead offered gift cards worth up to $150/130, depending on the products purchased during the promotional period. During the Australian promotion, that ran from January 7 to March 11, 2026, Apple offered free or discounted accessories including AirPods, AirPods Pro, Apple Pencil models, and Apple Keyboard, Mouse, or Trackpad products with the purchase of qualifying Macs and iPads. Apple is offering that promotion in India. Some European countries may still get AirPods. The following products were offered for free or discounted, earlier in 2026: AirPods 4 AirPods Pro 3 Magic Mouse Magic Trackpad Magic Keyboard Apple Pencil Pro Magic Keyboard (for iPad Air/iPad Pro) Apple also offered AirPods giveaways during its 2025 promotion, and, previously, Apple also included a discount for the AirPods Max. Can students qualify for other savings at Apple? Yes. Apples Back to School promotion is not the only education-related discount the company offers. Macs and iPads sold through Apples Education Store are discounted year-round, so qualifying students and educational institutions can save on the price of a Mac or iPad at any time of the year. The summertime Back to School promotion is offered in addition to these ongoing education discounts. We explain everything you need to know about qualifying for Apples education pricing including how much you can save and how to shop through the Apple Education Store in our Guide to shopping in the Apple Education Store. If you are unsure which device to buy, we also have guides to the Best Mac for Students and the Best iPad for Students . Students can also take advantage of the discounted Apple Music Student Plan, which includes access to Apple TV+ at no extra cost. Read: How to get the student deal for Apple Music and free Apple TV+. How to get Apples Back to School deal In order to get Apples Back to School Deal you need to purchase a qualifying Mac or iPad from your local Apple Education Store during the promotional period. You will need to verify your student status via UNiDAYS , as explained above. Visit the Apple Education Store for your region using the links below: U.S. U.K. Canada Australia New Zealand Brazil South Korea India France Germany Logging in from your university network may help simplify the verification process. When you purchase a qualifying Mac or iPad, you will then be able to claim the promotional freebie or discounted accessory. You can choose which of the giveaway product you want to receive when you make your order. In some cases the freebee comes with an additional cost, we include details of how much more you may need to pay in the tables below. Which products qualify for Apples Back to School deal this year? Apples Back To School deal in 2025. Apple Apple has yet to confirm which products will qualify for the the 2026 promotion in North America, the U.K. and Europe. However, during the Australian promotion earlier in 2026, the following products qualified: MacBook Air MacBook Pro iPad Pro iPad Air Did Apple include the MacBook Neo in the 2026 Back to School promotion? Since the Australian promotion ended, Apple has launched the MacBook Neo, a new laptop aimed specifically at students. Apple has not included the MacBook Neo in the deal. This is no surprise. While the new MacBook is clearly targeted at students, we did not expect Apple to include it in the promotion because of its already relatively low starting price. Did Apple include the Mac mini in the 2026 Back to School promotion? Apple has previously allowed the purchase of a Mac mini to qualify for the promotion, but not in 2025 or in 2026. In recent times, the Mac mini has surged in popularity, especially among AI developers looking for a relatively inexpensive Apple Silicon machine capable of handling local AI workloads. This popularity, combined with ongoing global component shortages, has left Mac mini supply severely constrained throughout much of 2026. Did Apple include the iPad A16 in the 2026 Back to School promotion? Apple has previously allowed entry-level iPads to qualify for its Back to School promotion, but that was not the case in 2025 and it is not the case in 2026. With a new entry-level iPad expected later in 2026 and the current iPad A16 lacking support for Apple Intelligence so our recommendation would be to choose an iPad Air instead. Did Apple include the iPad mini in the 2026 Back to School promotion? Apple has included the iPad mini in some Back to School promotions in the past. This year it is not included. A new iPad mini is expected to launch in 2026, so we would recommend waiting for that. Did Apple include the iPhone in the 2026 Back to School promotion? Apple has never included the iPhone, Apple Watch, or any products other than selected Macs and iPads as qualifying purchases for its Back to School promotion. How much can you save in Apples student deal? Apple Students can already save up to $200/220 on Macs and up to $100/100 on iPads year-round through Apples Education Store. Read more here: How to get an Apple student discount at Apples Education Store. The additional savings available through Apples Back to School promotion depend on both the product purchased and the promotional accessory being offered. In previous promotions, students could save up to $199 by choosing a free Magic Keyboard, up to 179 with the AirPods Pro 4 ANC (with the MacBook Pro), up to $129 by selecting AirPods 4, or up to $129 by choosing an Apple Pencil Pro. Students who select more expensive accessories offered as part of the promotion, needed to pay the difference above the promotional discount amount. For example, in 2025, choosing AirPods Pro 3 required an additional payment of $70. The gift cards giveaway means that the savings are slightly lower. With $150 and $100 gift cards on offer. Below, you can see the kinds of savings Apple has offered in previous years. Once Apple confirms the 2026 promotion details for North America, the U.K., and Europe, we will update these tables accordingly U.S. Back to School giveaway details: 2026 In summer 2026, U.S. students making the following purchases can get the following vouchers. The terms and conditions of the deal are here: U.S . Apples education discounts are available all year round. Visit the U.S. Education Store and Canada Education Store for more information. Additional spend Get MacBook Pro $150 Gift voucher MacBook Air $100 Gift voucher iPad Air or iPad Pro $100 Gift voucher U.K. Back to School giveaway details: 2025 Between July 10 and October 21 in 2025, U.K. students making the following purchases could either get free Mice, TrackPad, Keyboard, Apple Pencil, or AirPods 4, or get a discount on the price of the AirPods Pro 2 and Magic Keyboard cases for iPad. The terms and conditions of the deal are here: U.K . Apples education discounts are available all year round. Apples education discounts are available all year round. Students and educators need to log in via UNiDAYS website to see the offers. Educational Store discounts are usually up to 280 for U.K. students. See Apples terms and conditions . Buy Get Saving Additional spend MacBook Air or MacBook Pro AirPods 4 with ANC 179 AirPods Pro 2 179 100 Magic Mouse 79 or 99 Magic TrackPad 29 or 149 Magic Keyboard $179 or $199 iMac AirPods 4 179 AirPods Pro 2 179 100 iPad Air or iPad Pro Apple Pencil Pro 119 AirPods 4 129 AirPods 4 with ANC 129 50 AirPods Pro 2 129 100 Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad Air 119 130 Magic Keyboard for 13-inch iPad Air 119 180 Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad Pro 119 160 Magic Keyboard for 13-inch iPad Pro 119 210 If you want AirPods Pro you have to pay a little more, but you are still getting 179 off. Australian Back to School giveaway details: 2026 In summer 2026, Australian students making the following purchases can either get free Mice, TrackPad, Keyboard, Apple Pencil, or AirPods 4, or get a discount on the education price of the AirPods Pro 3 and Magic Keyboard cases for iPad. The terms and conditions of the Australian deal are here . Apples education discounts are available all year round. Visit the Australian Education Store . There were similar savings in New Zealand . Buy Get Saving Additional spend MacBook Air or MacBook Pro AirPods 4 with ANC A$299 AirPods Pro 3 A$299 A$130 Magic Mouse A$119 or A$149 Magic TrackPad A$179 or A$209 Magic Keyboard A$249 or A$279 iMac AirPods 4 (with ANC) A$299 AirPods Pro 3 A$299 A$130 iPad Air or iPad Pro Apple Pencil Pro $199 AirPods 4 A$219 AirPods 4 with ANC A$219 A$80 AirPods Pro 3 A$219 A$210 Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad Air A$199 A$220 Magic Keyboard for 13-inch iPad Air A$199 A$270 Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad Pro A$199 A$270 Magic Keyboard for 13-inch iPad Pro A$199 A$350 If you want AirPods Pro you have to pay a little more, but you are still getting A$130 off. Europe Back to School giveaway details: 2025 European students making the same purchases as those above could either get free Mice, TrackPad, Keyboard, Apple Pencil, or AirPods 4, or get a discount on the price of the AirPods Pro 2 and Magic Keyboard cases for iPad. French details here . German details here . Spanish details here . Italian details here . Netherlands details here . India Back to School giveaway details: 2026 The 2026 deal in India the Back to University is AirPods or Apple Pencil discounts. Details here . T&C here . Brazil and South Korea Back to School giveaway details: 2025 In Brazil and South Korea Apple gave away AirPods with Mac purchases and Apple Pencil with iPad purchases from January to March 13, 2024. The deal was the same in 2025. What was the 2025 Back to School deal in the U.S? Between June 17 and September 30 in 2025, Apple gave away accessories, or allowed shoppers to pay the difference where products cost more than the giveaway value. In 2026 shoppers get a $150 voucher with the MacBook Pro and a $100 voucher with the MacBook Air, iPad Air and iPad Pro. Heres the 2025 offer: Buy Get Get Additional spend MacBook Air or MacBook Pro AirPods 4 with ANC $179 AirPods Pro 2 $179 $70 Magic Mouse $79 or $99 Magic TrackPad $129 or $149 Magic Keyboard $179 or $199 iMac AirPods 4 $179 AirPods Pro $179 $70 iPad Air or iPad Pro Apple Pencil Pro $119 AirPods 4 $129 AirPods 4 with ANC $129 $50 AirPods Pro 2 $129 $120 Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad Air $119 $130 Magic Keyboard for 13-inch iPad Air $119 $180 Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad Pro $119 $160 Magic Keyboard for 13-inch iPad Pro $119 $210 Other ways to save money on a Mac or iPad If you dont qualify for an education discount have a look at these best deals on a new Mac and iPad weve seen this month: $53 off AirPods Max Gen 2 at Amazon $180.66 off 14-inch, MacBook Pro M5 Max, 2TB at Amazon $125 off 14-inch, MacBook Pro M5 Pro, 1TB at Amazon $150 off MacBook Air, 13-inch, M5, 1TB at Amazon $150 off MacBook Air, 15-inch, M5, 1TB at Amazon $150 off iPad Pro, 13-inch, M5, 2TB at Amazon $118 off iPad Pro, 11-inch, M5, 2TB at Amazon $70 off Apple Watch Series 11, 42mm, GPS at Amazon $100 off Apple Watch Ultra 3at Amazon $30 off AirPods Pro 3 at Amazon $30 off AirPods 4 at Amazon We also have these round ups, for even more deals: Best MacBook Pro deals Best MacBook Air deals Best Mac mini deals Best iMac deals Best iPad deals Also read about the Best Mac and the Best iPad to help you decide which model to buy.

12 Aug 2026 5:25 am