If you’ve hung around my blog long enough you already know I’m a huge fan of student discounts. I mean you’re livin’ on ramen noodles and Taco Bell anyways, so why not take advantage of every discount and deal that you can find. So to continue on that theme, I want to breakdown the Best Buy student discount program so you can save money on your next laptop, desktop, tablet, and a BUNCH of other cool products and accessories.

What is the Best Buy Student Discount?

The Best Buy Student Discount program offers steep discounts on specific products to college students.

Namely stuff that college students need. Think laptops, tablets, memory cards, charging cords, printers, etc.

Unfortunately the discount program is not available to high school (or younger) students.

So while the discount is not a flat dollar or percentage off like other student discount programs, it’s still worth knowing about, especially during back-to-school season and around Christmas.

What Proof Do I Need to Show?

Typically none.

During the sign-up process on Best Buy’s website you’ll be able to select your university, college, or junior college.

All accredited schools in the U.S. are eligible for their student discount program.

Once your information is entered, Best Buy uses a 3rd party company to immediately check if you’re actually enrolled, or have been in the past.

In 99% of the cases this is a seamless process, but if for some reason you’re not let into the program you should call Best Buy at (888) 237-8289 and they’ll manually add you.

In other rare instances Best Buy might ask you to provide an official transcript to prove your college enrollment.

See Also: All The Places That Offer “Good Student” Discounts & Freebies

So…How Do I Sign-Up?

First, you’ll need to either Sign-In or Create a “My Best Buy” account.

Next, you’ll be asked for your name, email, mobile number, school, and approximate date of graduation.

After you submit your information, you’ll get a text message with a verification code attached.

Just enter the code and you’ll gain immediate access to all of the current student discounts.

How Do I Actually Get My Discount?

Once you’re signed up, just click the “Get Your Deals” button and you’ll be taken to the student discounts page on the Best Buy website.

If you see a product that you’re interested in, click “Shop Now” and add it to your virtual shopping cart.

Important: Make sure the product has the “Student Deals” stamp next to it otherwise their is NO discount currently available.

You’ll notice that the actual student discount dollar amount is not shown to you until you get to the Payment Information page.

Once at the checkout page, you’ll enter any missing information and click “Continue to Payment Information”.

This is where the magic happens. On the left-hand side you’ll see Offers and Rewards, this is where you’ll see your student discount on the item you’re buying.

Click Apply next to the offer and your new order total should now reflect the discount.

VERY Important: Remember, if you don’t click “Apply”, you WON’T get your discount.

See Also: Apple Student Discount: What Is It and How Do You Get the Savings?

What Types of Discounts Can I Expect?

As I mentioned earlier most discounts are on college tech items like tablets, laptops, earbuds, cables, and other accessories.

A few recent student deals that caught my eye include the following:

– $100 OFF a Samsung Galaxy Tab.

– $250 OFF select MacBook models.

– $140 OFF a Hewlett Packard Laptop.

– 30% OFF a bunch of Microsoft accessories like a wireless mouse, keyboard, and Xbox One controller.

– $300 OFF a 2-in-1 HP Spectre Laptop.

Are Discounts Available Year-Round?

Unfortunately, NO.

They seems to come-and-go and tend to be most prevalent around the “back-to-school months” like July, August, and September.

BONUS: Best Buy Student Discount Insider “Hacks”

1. Don’t Have To Be a Current Student – When I successfully enrolled myself in the program I was able to use my personal email that was associated with a local junior college that I took a classes at a few years ago.

2. Don’t Need a .edu Email Address – While many student discount programs require a .edu email address, Best Buy definitely does NOT.

3. You’ll Gain Access to More Than Student Discounts – If Best Buy doesn’t currently have any deals specifically for students, you should check out the “member only” deals.

You might just find a sweet deal on something you need for school.

Ask the Reader: Besides 2-for-1 ramen packages, what’s the biggest student deal, coupon, or discount you’ve ever scored?

By Kyle James