Student verification repeatedly rejected despite dated UNISA enrollment letter

[GarethMackenzie]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Question

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Verification Help & Guidance

Hi everyone,

Hi GitHub Education team,

I’m looking for guidance with my GitHub Education Student verification application. I have applied several times and my latest application was rejected even after updating my account details and providing current academic evidence.

The rejection states that:

my first and last name need to match my GitHub billing information;
my academic document does not appear to contain a date demonstrating current academic affiliation; and
my GitHub profile must contain my full name exactly as it appears on my academic document.

I have reviewed these points and updated my GitHub profile name to Gareth Mackenzie, which matches my academic documentation.

My academic evidence is an official University of South Africa (UNISA) registration/enrollment letter. It is dated 25 August 2026 and explicitly confirms that I am registered for the current academic year. It also identifies my qualification as the Bachelor of Business Administration.

I have also added and verified my UNISA academic email address on my GitHub account.

Could someone please advise which specific part of my account or application is still preventing verification? In particular, I would appreciate guidance on why the document is being interpreted as not containing a current academic affiliation date when it clearly contains a 2026 date and confirms current registration.

I will not post my academic evidence publicly because it contains personal information, but I can provide it through an appropriate private verification channel if required.

Thank you for your assistance.

[muhammedtuerkmen]

Hi Gareth,

Here are the most common reasons why your application is likely still getting rejected despite updating your public profile:

1. Billing Profile vs. Public Profile Name (Most Common Issue)
   GitHub specifically checks your Billing Information, not just your public display name. Go to Settings > Billing & plans and update your billing/payment details so that your full legal name (Gareth Mackenzie) matches your document exactly.

2. Live Camera Capture vs. Document Upload
   GitHub Education requires taking a live photo of your physical/printed document via your webcam/phone camera during the application flow. If you uploaded a digital PDF or a screenshot, the automated OCR system will automatically flag and reject it.

3. Date Visibility & OCR Framing
   When taking the photo, ensure the date (25 August 2026) and the text explicitly stating your current enrollment are centered, well-lit, and completely legible in the camera preview.

4. Location / VPN Checks
   Make sure to disable any VPN or proxy. Your browser's IP location should match the country of your university (UNISA / South Africa).

Recommended Next Steps:

• Check and update your Billing details under Settings.
• Print out your UNISA letter if it is a PDF, and take a clear, live photo of the physical page during the application process.
• If the automated system fails again after fixing these points, open an official ticket with GitHub Education Support so a human reviewer can verify your document.

Hope this helps! If this answers your question, please feel free to mark it as the accepted answer.

[Davidlam2]

Hello, I've applied about 5 times now on my phone and my computer. Every time I take a picture of my transcript the quality of the photo immediately drops and I am getting rejected within minutes because it says the image is not readable. Can anyone help with this?

[KaranShahi]

having the same issue