While the education discount is year round, there can often be better deals these days at sites like Best Buy or Amazon or other retailers at specific times of year.
I generally check two places, first the MacRumors Buying Guide to see where in the life cycle the product may be, as to whether or not I should buy it now, or if it’s better to wait a couple of months.
Then I will check TomsGuide for info on specific sales on MacBooks: