Apple decided to end the honor system that for years allowed almost anyone to access the discounts of its Education Store without proving anything. If Apple in the United States, Canada, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong and Turkey, you will have to go through a verification process. And just in case that were not enough, the company also announced a news that many have been expecting for a long time.

Apple partners with UNiDAYS to verify your academic status

The most important change is clear, the verification system is now mandatory for completing any purchase in the Apple Education Store. Apple partnered with UNiDAYS to manage the whole process, and the operation is quite*simple once you understand how it operates. 

Students and teachers will need to create a UNiDAYS ID and then confirm their academic status in one of these ways 

If you are a homeschool teacher, the process is a little different. You will need to present an official ID document,such as a driver's license, a state ID or a passport, plus a document that proves your activity as a homeschooler, such as a Letter of Intent or a Letter of Recognition. 

The good news is that the majority of users will be verified instantly, and those who need manual verification will receive a response It takes a maximum of 24 hours. Plus, the process applies to both physical stores and online shopping, so it doesn't matter how you prefer to shop. 

Why did Apple make this decision now?

Before this announcement, in the United States basically any person could enter the Education Store website and access r the discounts without anyone verifying anything. It was a good faith system, and Apple tolerated it for a long time. 

This is not the first time the company has tried to implement this system. In January 2022, Apple launched verification in partnership with UNiDAYS, but withdrew it just two days ago. after reports of technical issues, especially for homeschool teachers. Apparently, this time Apple resolved those issues before trying again. 

A theory circulating among analysts points to the launch of the MacBook Neo, Apple's more affordable laptop that started at $599 for the general public and $499 p ara education. With such competitive pricing, opening that discount to anyone without verification would have been unsustainable for the company's business model. 

Apple Watch arrives for the first time with educational discount

The second big announcement of the day was that the Apple Watch is now part of the Education Store catalog for the first time in history. This includes the Apple Watch Series 11, the Apple Watch SE, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3. 

The educational discounted prices in the United States remained like this 

The discount is available in more than 20 markets around the world, including Spain, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, India, Mexico does not appear on the list, but Latin American countries such as Chile are already part of the program. 

As for the purchase limits, these have not changed with the new policy. You can purchase one desktop, one Mac mini, or one laptop per year, up to two iPads and two educationally priced accessories per year. 

If you are a college student, parent of one newly admitted to college, teacher or teacher at home, the benefits of Apple Education St ore they are very attractive. Just make sure to have your documentation ready before you go shopping, because the honor system is history.