TL;DR: Apple has extended its Back To School sale through Sept. 24, nearly a month longer than originally planned. Students, parents, and educators who buy eligible MacBooks or iPads get a free Apple gift card worth $100 to $150, on top of standard education pricing.
Apple just gave students (and their parents footing the bill) a little more breathing room. The company's 2026 Back To School sale, which offers a free gift card with select MacBooks and iPad purchases, was set to wrap up in late August but has now been extended through Sept. 24 in the U.S. — no coupon code required, just a qualifying purchase before the deadline.
The gift card amount depends on which device you buy:
- MacBook Pro — $150 gift card
- MacBook Air — $100 gift card
- iPad Pro — $100 gift card
- iPad Air — $100 gift card
The gift card isn't cash in hand — it's credit you can put toward future Apple purchases, whether that's AirPods, a case, an App Store subscription, or even iCloud+ storage.
A few popular products are left out of this one, so don't expect the gift card if you're buying a MacBook Neo, iPad mini, the entry-level iPad, any desktop Mac, or an iPhone.
This deal isn't open to everyone — you'll need to verify you're a Qualified Purchaser through Unidays before checkout. That includes:
- College and university students (current or newly accepted)
- College faculty and staff
- Parents buying on behalf of an eligible college student
- K-12 employees, including homeschool teachers
You can shop the deal online through Apple's Education Store or in person at Apple Store locations. The offer stacks on top of Apple's standard education pricing, so you're saving twice.
Bottom line: With more time on the clock, there's little reason to wait — shop Apple's Back To School sale now.
Soumya is a deals writer who covers consumer tech, shopping deals, and the products people use every day. With experience writing about everything from AI tools and software to smartphones and home gadgets, she enjoys breaking down product research into clear, useful recommendations. When she's not tracking deals, she's usually comparing products, digging through reviews, and figuring out what actually makes a purchase worth it.