Why wasn't my application approved?
If your application was denied, review these list of common reasons.
Unclear academic affiliation documents
If the dates or schedule mentioned in your uploaded image do not match our eligibility criteria, we require further proof of your academic status.
If the image you uploaded doesn't clearly identify your current academic status or if the uploaded image is blurry, we require further proof of your academic status. When you reapply, upload an image of your school ID, academic transcript, or other document showing proof of your academic status that clearly shows at least one date.
Using an academic email with an unverified domain
If your academic email address has an unverified domain, we require further proof of your academic status. When you reapply, upload an image of your school ID, academic transcript, or other document showing proof of your academic status that clearly shows at least one date.
Using an academic email from a school with lax email policies
If your school issues email addresses prior to paid student enrollment, we require further proof of your academic status. When you reapply, upload an image of your school ID, academic transcript, or other document showing proof of your academic status that clearly shows at least one date.
If you have other questions or concerns about the school domain please ask your school IT staff to contact us.
Academic email address already used
If your academic email address was already used to request a GitHub Student Developer Pack for a different GitHub account, you cannot reuse the academic email address to successfully apply for another GitHub Student Developer Pack.
Note
It is against the GitHub Terms of Service to maintain more than one individual account.
If you have more than one personal account, you must merge your accounts. To retain the discount, keep the account that was granted the discount. You can rename the retained account and keep your contribution history by adding all your email addresses to the retained account.
For more information, see:
Why does the application require an academic email?
GitHub's verification process is individually tailored. When the system detects that recent applicants from your school successfully verified using their academic email, future applicants from the same school must also use an academic email.
What to do:
- Get your academic email: Contact your school's IT or administrative office. This is the fastest path to verification.
- School doesn't issue academic emails? Provide official documentation (such as a school webpage or a letter on school letterhead) explaining the policy.
- School domain not recognized? Contact GitHub Education Support and include your school's full name, website URL, and the domain you are attempting to use.
- Email formatting issues: Ensure your email address is all lowercase and doesn't use plus-addressing (such as "user+school@example.com"). If needed, delete and re-add it under Settings > Emails.
- Tried everything and still stuck? Contact GitHub Education Support and include which steps you attempted, what happened at each step, and where you encountered an issue.
Ineligible student status
You're ineligible for a GitHub Student Developer Pack if:
- You're enrolled in an informal learning program that is not part of the GitHub Campus Program and not enrolled in a degree or diploma granting course of study.
- You're pursuing a degree which will be terminated in the current academic session.
- You're under 13 years old.
Your instructor may still apply for a GitHub Education discount for classroom use. If you're a student at a coding school or bootcamp, you will become eligible for a GitHub Student Developer Pack if your school joins the GitHub Campus Program.
Can I transfer discounts from one account to another?
No. If you have more than one account you want to apply the discount to, merge your personal accounts and rename the retained account if desired.
How do I renew my access?
Once your GitHub Education access expires, you may reapply if you're still eligible, although some of our partner offers for GitHub Student Developer Pack cannot renew. Most of the timed offers from our partners start once you set them up.
To reapply, first make sure that you are signed in to your GitHub account.
- Navigate to your Education benefits settings.
- Under "GitHub Education", click Start an application.
- Complete the form, then click Submit application.