GitHub Student Pack rejected? Every reason and how to fix it

Checked 10 Oct 2026 · 7 sources

The GitHub Student Developer Pack is the most valuable student offer you can get from Pakistan, and also the one people get rejected for most often. Almost every rejection comes from a handful of causes. They're all fixable, but the fixes are spread across dozens of forum threads, so we put them in one place.

Before you apply

Most rejections happen before GitHub even looks at your document. Do these first:

Set your GitHub profile name to your full name exactly as it appears on your uni document, in English.
Add billing information under Settings → Billing with the same name. You won't be charged; GitHub compares the names.
Add and verify your uni email under Settings → Emails, if your university gives you one.
Turn off any VPN (and iCloud Private Relay on Apple devices), and let your browser share your location.
Apply from campus, or at least from the city your university is in. GitHub checks how far you are from your school.

Proof that gets approved

GitHub now asks you to take a photo with your camera rather than upload a file. The document must show your name, your university and a current date. In order of what works best:

1An enrollment letter ("bonafide certificate") from the registrar dated this semester. Most universities charge Rs 1,000 to 2,000 and take a few days.
2A fee challan or receipt for the current semester.
3Your class timetable from the student portal, showing your name.
4Your student card, but only if it shows a valid-until date that hasn't passed.

Photo tips: good light, no glare, the document filling most of the frame, and all text sharp. If the document is in Urdu, GitHub suggests photographing it next to a typed English translation.

Copilot Student in 2026

Copilot Student comes with an approved pack, but it changed this year. GitHub paused new Copilot sign-ups on 20 April 2026 and started reopening them on 17 June. Since March the student plan also picks the AI model for you, so you can't choose the top Claude or GPT models yourself.

Once the pack is approved, turn Copilot on in your Copilot settings. You re-verify every 12 months.

Don't buy approval

People sell "approved" accounts, edited student cards and uni emails online. GitHub requires you to be a current student, and accounts approved this way can be suspended later, along with your code.

Problems and fixes

You're not near your school / location doesn't match: Turn off your VPN, allow location in the browser and apply again from campus, ideally on mobile data. If it still fails, GitHub may have your campus in the wrong place: open a GitHub Education support ticket, choose "incorrect or incomplete school information", and attach your proof.
Names don't match your billing information: Make your profile name, billing name and document name identical, including the order of your names. One student was approved after also turning on two-factor authentication.
Your document doesn't show a current date: Many Pakistani student cards have no date, so they're rejected automatically. Use an enrollment letter or a fee challan for this semester instead.
The photo is unclear or unreadable: Retake it in daylight, flat on a table, with no glare. Students have also been approved by showing a digital document full screen on a second device.
Your university doesn't give students an email: You can still apply with document proof. If your school isn't in GitHub's list, open a support ticket with a link to your university's website or a letter on its letterhead.
Approved, but Copilot still says Free: The Copilot benefit can take a few days to show up after the pack is approved. Check your Copilot settings again after that, and if it still says Free after a week, contact GitHub Education support.

The offers in this guide

GitHub Student Developer PackOfficial page for GitHub Student Developer Pack (opens in a new tab)
GitHub Copilot StudentOfficial page for GitHub Copilot Student (opens in a new tab)
JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm and more)Official page for JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm and more) (opens in a new tab)

Check your uni email to see everything else it unlocks.

Sources

Changes

10 Oct 2026: First published.

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