github education application - what more do i need to do?

[isaacwong05]

Hey GitHub team, I've been jumping through hoops to get my GitHub Education benefits approved, but I've hit a wall of what can only be described as... intriguing obstacles. I've puzzled over this for ages, and the rejections keep coming with some truly paradoxical explanations. Below, I'll break down the rejection reasons I've encountered, along with my thoughts on each. I've tried everything short of carrier pigeons to verify my enrollment, but alas, no dice.

School Campus Location Mismatch

The school you selected does not appear to have a campus location in your country. Your school-provided academic affiliation document must indicate virtual learning if you are remote. If you believe that the school you have applied for has incorrect information that affects your current application e.g. incorrect email domain, please select ‘My selected school has incorrect or incomplete information e.g. domains or campus location’ option when submitting a GitHub Education support ticket.

• I'm on holiday outside the country - students do that sometimes. There was an option to note that "this semester's class has not yet started," which I selected, but it seems to have been overlooked.

Last Name Mismatch in Billing Info

Please ensure that your academic affiliation document contains your last name exactly as it appears in your GitHub billing information. If you have only a single legal name, enter it in both the first and last name fields of your GitHub billing information.

• I've double- and triple-checked my billing info—no typos, no spaces, nothing. This error pops up every single time.

First Name Mismatch in Billing Info

Please ensure that your academic affiliation document contains your first name exactly as it appears in your GitHub billing information. Variations of your name and nicknames are unacceptable.

• Same story as above. Billing matches documents to a T, no nicknames in sight. At this point, I'm genuinely baffled

Missing Date for Current Affiliation

Your document does not appear to include a date demonstrating current academic affiliation. For countries utilizing non-standard calendars, you may need to capture the original document beside one with a converted date. You may include multiple documents in your image, so long as they are legible.

• I've experimented with cramming everything into one photo (school portal, ID, enrollment email, dated transcript) from my iPhone, but fitting it all legibly? Virtually impossible without something getting cropped or obscured—and bam, rejection. A proper file upload system would be a welcome change though.

Location Not Near Campus

You appear not to be near any campus location for the school you have selected. Your academic affiliation documentation must indicate virtual learning if you are remote. You must configure your browser and operating system to allow location access. You may not use a VPN. If you believe that our information about your school is incomplete or incorrect e.g. missing campus location(s), then please select ‘My selected school has incorrect or incomplete information e.g. domains or campus location’ option when submitting a GitHub Education support ticket.

• Again, summer holiday. No VPN here, location access granted

Incomplete GitHub Profile

You are unlikely to be verified until you have completed your GitHub user profile with your full name exactly as it appears in your academic affiliation document. Please do not use a variation of your name or a nickname. Once you have updated your profile information log out and log back into GitHub before re-applying.

• Profile's been polished with my exact full name—no variations, no fun nicknames. Logged out, logged back in, reapplied... still nada.

The Support Black Hole

I've scoured forum posts, and the consensus is to reach out to GitHub support via email or tickets. I was hoping for a direct line to someone in Education, but to my suprise:

No services available, just a redirect to the discussion forum.

Frankly, I'm stumped. I've piled on every shred of evidence proving I'm a student, but the rejections persist. If there's a human out there who can shed light on this, I'd be eternally grateful.

[joseph-gerald]

I'm on holiday outside the country - students do that sometimes. There was an option to note that "this semester's class has not yet started," which I selected, but it seems to have been overlooked.

I would suggest waiting to apply until you get back from your vacation unless you want to try to spoof yourself back.

> If this somehow helps you to solve your problem, please mark this answer as the solution.

[joelkoomson2]

Double-check your GitHub billing info, profile name, and your documents. All three need to match exactly. Even a missing middle initial or extra space can cause a rejection, and it may also be worth trying to resubmit a ticket; and, given that you're on vacation, this is the reason why wait till you come back home or use a VPN.

If this somehow helps you to solve your problem, please mark this answer as the solution.