Has Apple done away with the education discount on iPods?

Woot?! The 80gig iPod video is actually a penny MORE in the UK educational store?

Education:
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/4030/picture1ms9.png

Regular:
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/1575/picture2pw1.png

I'm still waiting for the widescreen. Roll on Macworld SF 07

Living in DC, I tend to see the customer service reps at the Apple Store pushing any reason they can find to offer the discount. They'll start ringing up a purchase and say "And you're a government employee, right?" to people who look confused for a moment and then slowly say "Yyyyeeeah. I am."

I *am* a gov't employee and when I've gone in the store, they offer me a student discount. I'm not sure if it's a "policy" but it sure seems to help them upsell a little bit with the customers I've observed.

I rung up apple yesterday and asked if they had stopped the discount, i was told they hadn't and that it was just that it was a new product and would take a couple of weeks, but if i ordered the product from him on the phone, he would apply the discount anyway.

So he did, and i got my new white 80gb iPod, and Universal Dock, for £266.26.

There's a cute spoof ot the Ipod Shuffle news at:

AmericanInventorSpot.com

I should also add that this policy was enacted for the Apple Store Online. Individual stores - to my knowledge - still have the ability to offer discounts on a case-by-case basis. In this case, however, proof of academic affiliation is more than likely required.

I'm ex-Apple Corporate (Sr. Systems Engineer) and still have contacts within the company. I was told this was going to happen, and confirmed it online earlier. The discount was repealed for one main reason:

ABUSE! (and inability to properly verify academic credentials)

To expand, too many people felt they could get away with the discounts even though they weren't entitled. I can't quantify the number of people I've heard say they purchased with an education discount even though they're not even remotely affiliated with any kind of academic institution. And, the "my son/daughter is a student" excuse doesn't cut it, either. It's a PERSONAL PURCHASE intended for college/university students or teachers (faculty). Because your kid is 12 and "in school" doesn't mean it applies to them.

It's also incredibly difficult to police, as the sheer volume of web sales outnumbers the ability Apple has to practically review each and every order, and phone for verification requests. If you wanted to add a 1 to 3 business day order processing lead time, they could do it -- but again, Apple ships very quickly and orders don't go through too much of a screening process outside of the usual

Regrettably, you can even find suggestions on sites like Amazon.com to the effect of "go to Apple.com and buy it there with an education discount -- even if you're not a student!" So, plain and simple, it was repealed. You can blame that fact on anyone you know you has purchased with the discount who doesn't deserve it.

Yeah, I noticed the lack of Edu discount here in Canada. It's too bad, but I don't think it will impact sales.

on the UK educational website some of the ipods cost more than on the normal site. the 2gb nano and the 80gb ipod is £0.01p more in the EDU store than in the regular stor

I bought a 4 gig Silver iPod nano today and got a $20 student discount at the Apple store in International Plaza in Tampa, Fl.

The discount says: Individual Educator

Corporate Employee Purchase program still has discounts for the iPods. Looks like same discount offered to Federal employees.