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Things to Consider when Buying a College Laptop

A new computer can be a significant investment. You want to ensure that you’re getting a great machine and not paying too much for it. You’ll want a laptop that will last throughout your schooling and even after and well into your job search.  From financing options to protecting your laptop here are some things you should consider when purchasing your laptop for college.

Student Discounts

Many laptop manufactures offer laptops at a discount to college students. When purchasing a laptop be sure to ask if you qualify for any of these discounts. Additionally, many colleges have exclusive deals with manufactures for discounts on computers they recommend. Check with you school to see what discounts they offer their students.

Financing Options

Many retailers and manufacturers offer their own financing on laptops, sometimes even at a zero percent interest rate. Amazon offers up to 12 months of no interest financing on many computers purchased with the Amazon.com Store card. Purchases must be over $599 and monthly minimum payments are required. Best Buy offers similar financing through their Best Buy Credit card. Purchases of $399 and up charged to the Best Buy Credit card qualify for Zero interest if paid within the first 12 months. As always, be sure to read the terms and conditions of any financing offer so that you aren’t hit with any surprise fees, late payments, or interest charges.

Dell offers their own financing and even provide a handy payment calculator so you know exactly what to expect when you finance through them.  Apple offers special education financing plans to match the needs of students, including flexible terms so your payments are timed for when you expect an influx of money, such as at the beginning of courses when financial aid is made available.

Leasing

Rent to own options are also available through retailers such as Rent-A-Center and Aaron’s but may not be the best option available as you’ll end up paying much more than the original purchase price by the time you take ownership of the computer. We recommend you only use this option if you have bad credit and are unable to obtain financing through traditional means.

Insurance

Once you invest in a new computer you’re going to want to make sure that your purchase is protected. Consider insuring your computer. Often the payments are very reasonable, often under $5 a month, and will come in so handy if ever your laptop is stolen or broken. You may even be able to insure your laptop through renter’s insurance.

Warranty

While a laptop warranty shouldn’t be your only deciding factor when making a purchase, it will help give you some peace of mind that your money will be well spent. It is important to note that most laptop warranty programs do not cover accidental damage to your machine, so if you drop it, break the screen, or spill something on the keyboard it won’t be covered by the warranty, though it might be covered if you’ve purchased additional laptop insurance coverage.  You may also purchase accidental damage coverage (ADC) from many different manufacturers such as Apple, Toshiba, and Microsoft. Costco also offers competitive ADC warranties for laptops purchased through them.

Buy Used

There are many great places where you can purchase a great machine at a significant markdown once it has been used or refurbished. For the most secure purchases, consider buying a refurbished model direct from the manufacturer. These laptop models are often covered under the same warranty you’d get from the factory buying a new model.

Look for a corporate off-lease sale. Many large companies lease new laptops from retailers for a few years and then return them at the end of the lease. These computers are newer models that have been well cared for. The retailer then sells off the laptops for a lower price. While they’re a step down from a refurbished model, you’ll also see that reflected in the cost. This is a great way to get a well running machine for a fraction of the cost.

Online Education Is Growing And Is Viable

As of 2012, almost 90 percent of public colleges and over half of private colleges offer at least one online course to their students.  A ten year longitudinal study by Pearson Education and The Alfred P Sloan Foundation reported that in 2003, 57.3 percent of academic leaders rated the learning outcomes of online education similar or superior to face to face instruction.  In 2012, that number rose to 77 percent.  Employer perceptions of online education continues to grow and Insperity, a recruiting services firm that serves more than 100,000 small and midsize businesses, reports that 75 percent of their clients have embraced online credentials of prospective employees.