Do student discounts apply to refurbished Apple products?

Question

Accepted Answer

No, Apple's student and education pricing does not apply to refurbished Apple products. Apple's education discount is available only on new devices bought through its Education Store, and it cannot be combined with refurbished stock from Apple or any third-party seller. The upside: refurbished prices often land below new education pricing anyway, so students can still pay less by buying refurbished.

Does Apple's education discount work on refurbished?

No. Education pricing is tied to new devices in the Apple Education Store. The Apple Refurbished Store and every third-party refurbisher are excluded, and the two cannot be stacked. If you qualify for education pricing, you choose one route or the other, not both.

Who qualifies for education pricing: current and newly accepted college students, their parents, faculty, staff, and homeschool teachers.
What it covers: new Mac and iPad models, sometimes with a back-to-school promotion.
What it excludes: refurbished devices, accessories, and third-party sellers.

Why refurbished can still be the cheaper option

Refurbished Apple products are generally sold at a meaningful discount to their original new price, often larger than the education discount on the same model. Refurbished stock from the Apple Refurbished Store also carries the same one-year warranty and return policy as new, and third-party refurbishers frequently go lower still, especially on previous-generation models.

Compare live prices for refurbished MacBooks or refurbished iPads on RefurbMe to see how they stack up against education pricing today. If you are buying for school, our roundup of the best MacBooks for college can help you pick the right model.

Other ways for students to save

For student offers beyond Apple, see do refurbishers offer student discounts? You can also set a price alert on RefurbMe to be notified when a model drops to your budget.