What's a student card and how do I get one?

August 6, 2007 10:02 AM

What's a student card and how do I get one? I'm about to order a Macbook and I want to take advantage of Apple's student discounts. It looks like I should be eligible (I'm over 18 and I've been accepted into a UK university) but it says I also have to have a valid student card. Should I have one already or is there something I have to do to get one?
posted by Andy Harwood to education (14 comments total)

In the US to get the student discount you need to type in your student ID number which is on your student ID card. If you are accepted by not yet matriculated, you may not have the necessary bona fides to get the discount yet.
posted by jessamyn at 10:05 AM on August 6, 2007

Contact your university's registrar or admissions officers. They should be able to assist you with obtaining student identification.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:12 AM on August 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

I never needed one. Apple UK Education Discounts come in 2 tiers. One if available to all who select their institution from the list although they *may* request a fax/email of the matric card.

The second tier gives a greater discount to student who order on-campus using uni/college computers. This is based on your IP address. I used this option and never needed to send proof of status.

This was about 2 years ago though - hope it helps.
posted by dcbarker at 10:13 AM on August 6, 2007

I think they mean a National Union of Students or NUS Card. There is a basic one which denotes student status, or one you have to pay a tenner for which qualifies you for all sorts of discounts - not sure which Apple will want. You normally get them via your student union, so you may have to wait until you get to uni.
posted by greycap at 10:15 AM on August 6, 2007

When you start uni, usually in orientation week, you will be issued with a student card (after you've queued for a long time - perhaps it's better now in the digital age) which is your identification as a student of that university. It will be your library card, ID to demonstrate you have a right to be on campus and using the facilities, and ID to gain concessions such as on public transport, at gigs and for your new macbook.

You could contact the university, but they probably won't even be set up to issue a card at the moment. Can you phone Apple and ask if they'll accept the letter of offer instead?
posted by goo at 10:19 AM on August 6, 2007

Thanks everyone. I just noticed that "a parent purchasing on behalf of their child who is a student currently attending or accepted into a UK Higher or Further Education establishment" is also eligible so I guess if I pay with my parents debit card I won't have to worry about student cards.
posted by Andy Harwood at 10:47 AM on August 6, 2007

Well they might still want your parent to prove your student status before getting the discount. you might consider getting yourself an ISIC card, more info on getting one here. That should be enough to do it, you can always call them up and see whether they'll give you one and you might not have to wait to get to uni, plus they're good for getting cheap travel deals with STA and for proving your student status internationally.
posted by biffa at 11:09 AM on August 6, 2007

I just bought a macbook for my daughter who is accepted into college but has yet to start. I went through the university's online bookstore and I don't recall having to show any proof whatsoever. They warned me I might be asked, but in the end I never had to produce anything. Your results may vary.
posted by lpsguy at 11:14 AM on August 6, 2007

"Well they might still want your parent to prove your student status before getting the discount. you might consider getting yourself an ISIC card, more info on getting one here."


It says they may contact them for proof of status but it doesn't say anything about student cards. I'm pretty sure I have proof that I'm a student (if I don't I can't get an ISIC card either).
posted by Andy Harwood at 11:46 AM on August 6, 2007

typically what dell/apple/hp etc will do is have a redirect through your university's website which sets a cookie designating you as a student. To get access to this, you would probably have to log in to the university website with your university computer account. This is how it works at my school anyway. (Big Ten/usa)
posted by mezamashii at 12:00 PM on August 6, 2007

To get an ISIC card you usually need to show your uni ID first.
posted by randomstriker at 12:04 PM on August 6, 2007

I purchased two seperate Macs through the student program. I went to Colorado State University, and there is a portal for the whole region at www.applerockies.com which redirects to the Apple store after you pick where you are from, with discounts applied. I don't believe I was ever forced to verify I was actually a student, although I used a university email address to make the purchases. There is probably a similar portal website for your area.
posted by cschneid at 12:08 PM on August 6, 2007

Another option is to shop around. I had a work discount at Apple, which was a comparable discount to the student discount. But, between paying tax and Apple's high RAM prices for extra memory, I ended up ordering my iMac from Mac Connection. Their rebates, no tax, free printer, and reasonable RAM prices couldn't be beat by Apple's discounts. I'm not sure if they'll ship to the UK, but maybe there's a similar UK retailer.
posted by JibberJabber at 12:09 PM on August 6, 2007

You're not a student until you matriculate at a UK institution, which you haven't done yet. You get your student card when you do that.

As some people ahve said, there are two types of education discount on Apple's site. One you can get from anywhere, and is OK but not wonderful. You can get this from any computer by clicking the appropriate link.

The other you can only get into from the campus networks of approved institutions. It is GREAT. a) you get much bigger discounts, b) you get a THREE YEAR warranty (they don't trumpet it, but it's part of their deal with universities). So you don't need AppleCare.

Wait until you matric, then order online from campus.
posted by bonaldi at 12:28 PM on August 6, 2007