Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

When is Apple's 2026 Back to School Offer?

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster


It is now July and we are still waiting for Apple to begin its annual Back to School offer in countries like the U.S. and Canada — if it is still coming.

apple-back-to-school-sans-airpods-2.jpg

In the U.S., Apple launched its Back to School offer in June from 2020 through 2025, but it has waited until July in the more distant past:
  • 2025: June 17
  • 2024: June 20
  • 2023: June 5
  • 2022: June 24
  • 2021: June 17
  • 2020: June 15
  • 2019: July 9
  • 2018: July 12
  • 2017: July 12
Last year, college students and educational staff could receive a free accessory like AirPods 4 or an Apple Pencil Pro with the purchase of a qualifying Mac or iPad model. It is unclear what Apple plans to offer this year, but given the company recently raised prices on all Macs and iPads, this year's promotion would be rather bittersweet.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple planned to launch its 2026 Back to School offer by last week, but that did not end up happening. Apple may have decided to hold off until July this year in order to give customers more time to digest the price increases that it implemented last month, but we are merely speculating.

Given the offer launched between July 9 and July 12 in 2017 through 2019, hopefully the 2026 offer arrives over the next few days.

UNiDAYS verification is now required on Apple's education store in the U.S. and Canada.

Article Link: When is Apple's 2026 Back to School Offer?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/08/when-is-apple-2026-back-to-school-offer/
  • Haha
Reactions: Z-4195
Why does anyone think this is happening? The offer was all about throwing in some free AirPods to encourage new college students to get an $899 MacBook rather than a PC, and be hooked for life.

They have a better way of doing that now: a $499 $599 MacBook.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MarkIII and J.J. Sefton
Brookzy said:
Why does anyone think this is happening? The offer was all about throwing in some free AirPods to encourage new college students to get an $899 MacBook rather than a PC, and be hooked for life.

They have a better way of doing that now: a $499 $599 MacBook.
Click to expand...

Last year you got them for free, this year you're actually paying for them! I would not recommend anyone buy direct from Apple until the prices go down, even with the back to school promos.
 
  • Like
  • Disagree
Reactions: iMac The Knife, jib2, maestrokev and 4 others
The promo already came on June 17 when Cook pre-announced the price increases and ended on June 25 when those were implemented.

MacBook Air has a 2-3 week lead time while Neo is down to one week. Apple should be content without having to do anything additional to push sales.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dbc34, anthony13 and FlyingPJ
MacRumors said:
UNiDAYS verification is now required on Apple's education store in the U.S. and Canada
Click to expand...

Let me report that here in Europe the UNiDAYS verification is also mandatory as of past month or so.

Until now, here you could buy through the website or through the phone, and tell the Specialist you are from the education sector, and they applied to you the discount. Afterwards they required you to email them your Student ID or any other proof. Now it’s UNiDAYS verification only.
 
I don’t believe they are going to offer anything this year. They already have great discounts for students via UNiDAYS.
 
Will be good if there is an offer this year. With rising prices, Apple could very well decide not to have the usual sale/offer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mganu
MacRumors said:
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple planned to launch its 2026 Back to School offer by last week, but that did not end up happening. Apple may have decided to hold off until July this year in order to give customers more time to digest the price increases that it implemented last month, but we are merely speculating
Click to expand...
I’m hearing from industrial chatter and also from few friends who works at Apple Store say the promotion has been CANCELLED for this year due to RAM price increases.
 
  • Like
Reactions: maestrokev
alchemistmuffin said:
I’m hearing from industrial chatter and also from few friends who works at Apple Store say the promotion has been CANCELLED for this year due to RAM price increases.
Click to expand...
Proof? Link to industrial chatter? And retail Apple Store employees are the LAST to know about any changes to promotions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: stephen82
Apparently there is no Back To School promotion this year if it didn’t already happen
Apple is one of the few companies that can get away with no sales and no promotions because there is such demand for its products
 
And here I was hoping they would have already released an M5 Mac Mini as I was planning on getting one and/or a Neo during the Back to School sale for my kids. Even if they do eventually do the sale, it's unlikley that the pricing will be any better than it was prior to the increase. No M5 Mac Mini and no deals on macs for me either 🙁
 
This year's promotion means you can [briefly] get the old prices before the increases.

Yay school!
 
bushman4 said:
Apparently there is no Back To School promotion this year if it didn’t already happen
Apple is one of the few companies that can get away with no sales and no promotions because there is such demand for its products
Click to expand...

Maybe the promotion will start in September to make the new CEO to appear to be a good guy.
People will complain because in some countries, they had the promotion in January.
 
I mean only god and apple knows when will the back to school campaign launches. It's seems dumb not to wait for the BTS after the price has been increased.. I waited for BTS, got a price increment instead D: , seems stupid to not wait for BTS just for the freebies i think, In Malaysia stocks are available as for now except for shipping, stocks are avail in store, hopefully they will launch it soon. Cheers everyone 😉
 
The promotion will be a boot in your eye and a kick in the ass. That’s as good as it’s gonna get, and it won’t ever get that good again
 
  • Like
Reactions: hajime
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back