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Here's When Apple's Student Offer With Free Gift Cards Begins This Year

The start date for Apple's annual Back to School promotion has been leaked.

Apple 2024 Back to School Offer
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple is planning to launch the promotion in the U.S. on Tuesday, June 17 this year. He has accurately revealed the starting date of the promotion for the past three consecutive years.

The promotion will likely launch in the U.S. and Canada at first, followed by select countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia a few weeks later. The offer will likely be available until mid-September, with the exact end date varying by country.

Apple will once again be offering students and qualifying educational staff a complimentary gift card with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad, according to Gurman. Last year, the gift card values in the U.S. ranged between $100 and $150.

The free gift card is provided in addition to Apple's standard year-round educational discounts, with eligible students and educational staff already able to receive up to 10% off of a new Mac, iPad, Studio Display, Pro Display XDR, and AppleCare+ plans.

The gift card can be used towards purchases of Apple products and accessories, App Store apps, subscriptions to services like Apple Music, iCloud+ storage, and more.

The offer is typically available through Apple's online education store, and at Apple Store locations, for students attending or accepted to a higher-education institution, faculty and staff of higher-education institutions, parents purchasing on behalf of an eligible student, employees of a K-12 institution, and select other groups.

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Top Rated Comments

14 months ago
Mac mini m4 for essentially $399? Crazy.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Royksöpp Avatar
14 months ago
I got one last year when I got my iPad Pro. I used it towards my 16 Pro.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EugW Avatar
14 months ago

Whoops I’m going to college next year and already bought an M4 MacBook Air 😅

But I got it March 12
I'm waiting for the promotion to start to get the MacBook Air. However, I had the luxury of being able to wait.

I actually picked up a Best Buy Geek Squad Certified Open Box 24/512 GB M3 MBA last month, but ended up returning it because I couldn't get a full warranty on it from Apple. It was priced similarly to a 16/512 GB M4 MBA with Apple edu + promotion pricing but I didn't need the 24 GB anyway so no big loss.


I wouldn't be surprised if the gift card is on the low side with the Tarriffs.

Still not as good a deal as it used to be. In 2019 I got a free pair of Beats Studio 3 headphones for my wife when I bought My Macbook Air. Like $300 value.
Years earlier I got the Beats Solo 3 (not the Studio 3), but I would have rather gotten the gift card. I found them kinda uncomfortable, and the sound quality is just so-so. The best deal IMO was the free iPod mini.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cameront9 Avatar
14 months ago
I wouldn't be surprised if the gift card is on the low side with the Tarriffs.

Still not as good a deal as it used to be. In 2019 I got a free pair of Beats Studio 3 headphones for my wife when I bought My Macbook Air. Like $300 value.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WilliApple Avatar
14 months ago
Whoops I’m going to college next year and already bought an M4 MacBook Air 😅

But I got it March 12
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
14 months ago
Good to know about this. Expecting to see gift card just like the last year and also the offer to open simultaneously in other countries too.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)