Back to School Promotion

By MacRumors Staff
Apple has a long history of offering special "Back to School" promotions for its education customers. For those who qualify, Apple has typically offered benefits like free AirPods or Beats headphones, free gift cards for the iTunes/App Store or Apple Store, or free iPods, with the freebies varying by year.

In years when a free accessory item is offered, customers generally have the option to upgrade to a higher-tier model for a discounted price, such as opting for AirPods Pro instead of free AirPods and only paying the difference in price.

The promotion launches in different countries at different times of the year depending on school calendars, with those in North America and Europe typically launching in the June–July timeframe and those in the Asia–Pacific region launching in the January–February timeframe. Each promotion usually lasts about two months.

Back to School Promotion Articles

Apple 2024 Back to School Offer

Apple's Back to School Promotion Ending Soon: Here's What You Can Get

Friday September 27, 2024 6:52 am PDT by
In June, Apple launched its annual Back to School promotion for college students in the U.S. and select other countries. Students can get a free Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad from Apple, along with 20% off AppleCare+ plans. In the U.S. and Canada, the promotion ends on September 30, so time is running out to take advantage of the offer if you are a student....
back to school 2024

Apple's Back to School Sale Live in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East

Wednesday July 3, 2024 4:19 am PDT by
Apple today continued with the launch of its annual "Back to School" promotion, debuting back to school deals in most countries in Europe, some countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Mexico. Higher education students and educators in the UK can get up to a £120 Apple gift card with the purchase of select Macs and iPads, which is a similar deal to the one that went live in the United States ...
back to school 2024

Apple's 2024 Back to School Sale Launches, Up to $150 Gift Card With Mac or iPad

Thursday June 20, 2024 4:29 am PDT by
Apple has launched its annual Back to School promotion for college students in the United States. This year's promotion offers a free Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad. Apple is also offering students 20% off AppleCare+ plans. Apple is offering a $150 gift card with any new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or iMac, and a $100 gift card with the purchase of any new M4 iPad ...
2022 back to school apple feature

Apple's 2024 Back to School Sale Likely Launching Soon

Tuesday June 4, 2024 2:20 pm PDT by
Apple could soon launch its annual Back to School promotion for university students in the United States and Canada, based on ads that have been popping up on social networks. On Instagram, Apple is promoting Macs to college and university students. The ad in question depicts a Back to School image with the following text: "Buy Mac for university or college with education savings. Plus get a ...
2022 back to school apple feature

Apple's Back to School Offer Live in Australia and Some Other Countries

Thursday January 18, 2024 6:13 am PST by
Apple's annual Back to School/Back to Uni promotion is ongoing in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and South Korea. From January 4 through March 13, qualifying higher-education students in these countries can receive a free item with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad on Apple's online store, in the Apple Store app, at at Apple Store locations. The free item is as follows:Australia: Up...
2022 back to school apple feature

Apple's Back to School Promotion Ends Soon: Here's What You Can Get

Tuesday September 26, 2023 5:38 am PDT by
In June, Apple launched its annual Back to School promotion in the U.S. for college students. This year's promotion offers students a free Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad from Apple, along with 20% off AppleCare+ plans. In the U.S. and Canada, the promotion ends on October 2, so time is running out to take advantage of the offer if you are a student. In the U.K....
2022 back to school apple feature

Apple's Back to School Deals Launching Soon in Europe, Asia and the Middle East

Wednesday July 12, 2023 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple today plans to launch its annual "Back to School" promotion in the UK and select countries in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Websites in countries where back to school deals will be going live soon are currently down. Higher education students and educators in eligible countries can get an Apple gift card, AirPods, or Apple Pencil with the purchase of select Macs and iPads....
2022 back to school apple feature

Apple Launches 2023 Back to School Promotion in Canada and Mexico

Monday June 26, 2023 7:04 am PDT by
Apple's annual Back to School promotion is now available in Canada and Mexico after launching in the U.S. earlier this month. Now through October 2, college and university students in these countries can receive a free Apple gift card or accessory with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad, in addition to Apple's standard educational discount on these products. Students can also receive 20% off ...
2022 back to school apple feature

Apple Launches 2023 Back to School Offer for Students: Up to $150 Gift Card With Mac or iPad

Tuesday June 6, 2023 5:40 am PDT by
Apple this week launched its annual Back to School promotion for U.S. college students. This year's promotion offers a free Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad. Apple is also offering students 20% off AppleCare+ plans. Apple is offering a $150 gift card with any new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or iMac, and a $100 gift card with the purchase of any new iPad Pro, iPad...
2022 back to school apple feature

Apple's Annual Back to School Promotion Expected to Begin This Week Following New Macs

Sunday June 4, 2023 1:54 pm PDT by
Apple's annual Back to School promotion for students will begin this week in the U.S., according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a tweet today, he said the promotion will likely start on Tuesday, after new Macs are announced at WWDC on Monday. Last year's promotion offered a free Apple gift card worth up to $150 with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad, while free AirPods were offered in...
Back to University 2023

Apple Launches Back to University Promotion in Australia With Free AirPods

Tuesday January 17, 2023 8:30 am PST by
Apple today launched its annual Back to University promotion in Australia and New Zealand, offering students, teachers, and other eligible educational employees free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad for a limited time. Between January 18 and March 13, students can get free second-generation AirPods with the purchase of any new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, 24-inch iMac,...
2022 back to school apple feature

Apple's U.S. Back to School Promotion Ends Soon: Here's What You Can Get

Tuesday September 20, 2022 2:13 pm PDT by
Apple's Back to School promotion in the United States and Canada ends in just six days. With this year's promotion, Apple is offering a $150 gift card alongside the purchase of an eligible Mac or a $100 gift card with the purchase of an iPad Air or iPad Pro. As a reminder for those who might still be looking to take advantage of the promotion as it wraps up, we've rounded up a quick summary ...
2022 back to school apple feature

Apple's Education Store Down in Europe, Back to School Offer Expected Soon

Wednesday July 13, 2022 1:06 pm PDT by
Apple's online education store has gone down in many European countries, including the U.K., Ireland, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Hungary, Czech Republic, and others. The store is also down in a few other countries around the world, such as Mexico, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and China....
2022 back to school apple

Apple Launches 2022 Back to School Offer: Up to $150 Gift Card With Mac or iPad

Friday June 24, 2022 5:08 am PDT by
Apple today launched its annual "Back to School" promotion for college/university students in the United States and Canada. This year's promotion offers a free Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad, rather than free AirPods like last year. Apple is also offering students 20% off AppleCare+ plans during the promotion. Apple is offering a $150 gift card with the purchase ...
apple back to school

Apple Said to Launch 2022 Back to School Promotion on Friday, Might Offer Gift Cards Instead of Free AirPods

Tuesday June 21, 2022 8:27 am PDT by
Apple plans to launch its annual Back to School promotion in the United States on Friday, coinciding with the launch of the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a tweet, Gurman said Apple may offer a gift card with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad, rather than free AirPods like last year. UPDATE: Apple has launched its 2022 Back to School...
apple back to university

Apple Offering Free AirPods With Purchase for Annual 'Back to University' Promo in Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Brazil

Wednesday January 5, 2022 11:22 am PST by
Apple today launched its annual Back to University program in Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Brazil, offering students and teachers free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad. The promotion runs from January 6 through March 7. Eligible devices include the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, ‌iMac‌ Pro, iPad Pro, and iPad Air. Purchases come with free standard...
apple back to school

Apple's Back to School Deals Now Live in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East

Thursday July 15, 2021 3:25 pm PDT by
Apple today launched the third part of its annual Back to School promotion, with back to school deals now available in most countries in Europe, some countries in Asia, and the Middle East. Higher education students and educators can get a set of free AirPods with the purchase of select Macs and iPads, which is the same deal that went live in the United States and Canada in June and...
2021 back t0 school

Apple Launches 2021 Back to School Promotion: Free AirPods With Eligible Mac or iPad Purchase

Thursday June 17, 2021 4:56 am PDT by
Apple today launched its seasonal back-to-school sale for the upcoming school year in the United States and Canada, offering students free AirPods alongside purchases of select Macs and iPad models. Similar to last year's promotion, this year's offer includes free AirPods alongside the purchase of a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, the new 24-inch iMac, the Mac Pro, Mac mini, and the new M1-powered ...
australia back to university 2021

Apple Launches Annual 'Back to University' Promo in Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Brazil

Wednesday January 6, 2021 12:13 pm PST by
Apple today launched its annual Back to University Program in Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Brazil, offering students and teachers free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad. Eligible devices include the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, ‌iMac‌ Pro, iPad Pro, and iPad Air, including the new M1 models. Purchases come with free standard AirPods, but customers can...
apple back to school 2020

Apple Extends U.S. Back to School Sale for Two Weeks, Excludes New iPad Air

Tuesday September 15, 2020 6:24 pm PDT by
Following the debut of the new Apple Watch Series 6, the refreshed iPad Air, and the low-cost eighth-generation iPad, Apple has extended its Back to School sale in the United States, with the promotion now ending on October 12 instead of September 29. In addition to extending the dates of the sale, Apple has also updated its Terms and Conditions [PDF] to exclude the new ‌iPad Air‌ from the...