Apple now requires strict student verification to get education discounts

Students and teachers have long enjoyed the benefits of Apple’s education pricing, which offers the latest devices at a lower price. And in the U.S., many non-students and teachers enjoyed it as well due to Apple’s extremely lax terms in its online education store.

That won’t be the case anymore. Apple has finally brought the U.S. education store up to speed with the rest of the world in requiring Unidays verification. To register, college students need to enter their school email address and click a verification link. You’ll then be able to buy products from Apple and other companies through the Unidays site and app as long as your account is verified. Teachers can use the link as well, but high school students will still need to call Apple support or visit an Apple Store to inquire about eligibility.

Apple limits education purchases per category each year. However, students can buy multiple Macs since MacBooks, iMacs, and Mac minis and all defined as separate categories. Under the previous system, Apple didn’t really have a way to enforce these limits, but with Unidays there will be a hard cap on purchases.

There are no specific discounts on iPhones, AirPods, or Apple TV, though Apple offers occasional sales and promos that include these products. You can get started with the Unidays verification on Apple’s education site.