Apple is rolling out two changes to the Education Store in the US and other countries. First, Apple now requires authentication for all purchases made through the Education Store in the US…so the Education Store is no longer an “honor system”.
Meanwhile, Apple has added Apple Watch to the Education Store for the first time…
Apple’s Education Store now requires authentication
Starting today, Apple will require U.S. shoppers to complete authentication when making purchases through the Education Store. This change also applies to Australia, Hong Kong, Türkiye, Canada, and Chile. In many other markets around the world, such as the UK, Apple already requires certification.
As a reminder, the target audience for Apple’s Education Store includes current and newly enrolled college students and their parents, as well as faculty, staff, and homeschool teachers at all grade levels.
Apple is working with UNiDAYS to handle the verification process. Students and educators are asked to create a UNiDAYS ID and log into their school’s academic portal to check their academic status. Alternatively, users can upload a photo of their student or faculty ID.
Homeschool teachers, on the other hand, are required to show identification such as a driver’s license, state ID card or passport. You will also need to provide one homeschool document, such as a letter of intent (LOI) or acknowledgment.
Most customers are verified instantly, but we will contact you within 24 hours for customers who require manual verification.
Apple Education Store shoppers go through the same verification process both in-store and online.
Apple’s Education Store purchase limits remain unchanged.
- Desktop: You can purchase one per year.
- Mac mini: You can buy one per year.
- Notebook: You can purchase one book per year.
- iPad: 2 available per year
- Accessories: You can purchase two educationally priced accessories per year.
Apple Watch availability
Second, Apple Watch is now available at a discount through the Apple Education Store. This includes Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra 3.
This is the first time the Apple Watch will be available through Apple’s Education Store. Available in the following markets:
- Australia
- China (via AliPay)
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- France
- Germany
- India
- Italy
- Saudi Arabia
- Spain
- turkey
- England
- us
- Canada
- Chile
Prices and other information can be found on Apple’s website for each country. Apple Watch prices in the US are as follows:
- Apple Watch Series 11: Starting at $359 (reduced from $399)
- Apple Watch Ultra 3: Starting at $719 (down from $799)
- Apple Watch SE 3: Starting at $229 (reduced from $249)
9to5Mac’s opinion
This is the second time Apple has attempted to require Education Store certification in the United States. In January 2022, Apple also partnered with UNiDAYS to begin testing, but withdrew it just two days later.
I’m personally surprised that Apple allowed unfettered access to the Education Store in the US for so long. This essentially meant that anyone could visit Apple’s website and receive discounts on most products.
Apple has not provided any explanation as to why it is rolling out verification to the Education Store now.
Apple debuted the MacBook Neo in March at an incredible starting price of $599. It was priced at $499, which is even more impressive for educational shoppers. Reading between the lines, there seems to be at least some correlation between that and the new validation requirements.
Apple’s initial attempts to require certification in the US were also marred by problems with UNiDAYS, specifically for homeschool teachers. Apple seems to have resolved these issues with this second attempt.
What do you think about Apple’s decision to require certification for education stores in the US and other countries? Let us know in the comments.
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