2008 'Back to School' Promo Offers Free iPod Touch (8GB)

This year, Apple's Back to School promo sounds better than ever. The company is set to hand out free iPod touch units to faculty and students buying a Mac between June 3, 2008 and September 15, 2008. In order to benefit from a "rebate," you must make your purchase either through Apple's online store or the Apple retail stores that offer educational deals.

"If you're a student, teacher, or staff member and you buy a Mac with your education discount before September 15, 2008, you can get a free iPod touch or iPod nano after rebate," Apple says on its website. The thing is, however, if you buy a qualifying Mac and iPod with your Apple education discount starting June 3, 2008, through September 15, 2008 (while supplies last) you are "eligible" for a rebate of up to $299.

This means you have to order both the iPod and the Mac so you can get a rebate on the equivalent price of an 8GB iPod touch - $299. You can also apply for a 16GB or 32GB model and go for the full discount. Terms and conditions still hold, of course, and some of them are listed below. You can find the rest of them here.

Apple's Terms and Conditions for the Back to School promo say you must purchase qualifying products together using Apple's Education Individual discount from June 3, 2008, through September 15, 2008. Also, you must be a qualified Apple Education Individual end-user purchaser, and not a reseller or institution, in order to obtain this promotional offer. Products must be purchased from the Apple Online Store for Education Individuals, an Apple Retail Store, Apple Telesales, or an Apple Authorized Campus Store located in any of the 50 United States we're all familiar with (or almost all) or the District of Columbia.

Qualifying orders from the Apple Online Store or Apple Telesales that are placed during the promotion and ship after the offer ends are also eligible, Apple says. Residents of Rhode Island and Connecticut who purchase in their state of residence receive an instant rebate and are not eligible for any additional deduction, the company claims, while additional terms and conditions apply in this case.

If your purchase was made on the Apple Online Store, you must sign in with the same Apple ID used to make your purchase. If you have an iTunes account, you can use that account to sign in.