Student application(s) keeps getting rejected within seconds

[nikitos-ctrl]

Hi everyone,

Hello everyone,

I’ve submitted several student applications, but they keep getting rejected within seconds.
A couple of issues on my side:

• When uploading the school certificate, the interface only lets me use the camera—no option to upload a file or photo. My certificate is digital, so I’m forced to take a picture of my screen.
• I’m traveling and not on campus yet, so I also attached screenshots of my academic calendar to explain that courses haven’t started. That didn’t help either.

What’s odd is that I do have the official email and documents to prove enrollment. From what I’ve read here and on Reddit, others are facing the same problem. I’m new to GitHub, so maybe this is normal—but it might also be a bug. Friends who applied before didn’t run into these issues.
If there’s a known workaround (e.g., acceptable file types, how to submit a digital certificate properly, or whom to contact for a manual review), any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks for your considerence!

[davevad93]

Hi @nikitos-ctrl,

If you aren't part of a distance learning program and aren't currently on campus (or in the same area), your application will be automatically rejected due to a location mismatch.

Student Developer Pack Application FAQs:

In order to qualify for the GitHub education program, we must be able to verify that you are either located close to your campus, or that you are a part of a verifiable distance learning program.

You must also fill in your billing information and your GitHub profile with your full name exactly as it appears on your academic transcript. I recommend that you try again once you return to school.

[nikitos-ctrl]

Hello @davevad93, appreciate your answer. Okay, will resubmit it in few days once I am back. Thanks a bunch!

[davevad93]

You're welcome @nikitos-ctrl 👍

[nikitos-ctrl]

Thanks for your answer. I am following the steps you advised me to take, and still the only option I got is taking a picture (especially doing it with the webcam feels so unpractical, that's why I thought it is a bug). Bellow you can see the screenshot:

Also, on point 4, there is no way I can contact GitHub support on that. They are no longer providing manual support or any kind of the assistance related to education applications. My kind of last resort is posting a thread in the community.

[potato7YT]

Same problem here and I also can't upload the document to the website only start camera option

[AED-IUE]

To be fair, I only tried this with Chrome. It's possible the issue isn't present in Firefox or some other browser, but I didn't have an option for actually uploading documents and tried submitting the application with webcam photos.

[LNBGitHub]

Hi,

I have updated the billing information and two-factor authentication. I am unable to submit a new application, the supporting attachment fails without any reason with an exclamation mark.

[LNBGitHub]

I tried again and get the following error:

[sidnair2397]

I think it would be very helpful to have an attachment option. I tried uploading the required documents using both my laptop and my phone camera, but for some reason, the pictures always came out blurry (presumably to save costs). As such, my guess is that the AI approver cannot read my transcript or enrollment verification and thus cannot verify my student status. What's worse, I cannot have a manual check done because it has been discontinued as well.

[aktasfatih]

Exactly in the same situation. After selecting the screenshot or any of the options, it is still showing only the "Use camera" option. When taking the picture, it blurs it out.

[blogbuzzing1-dev]

The instant rejections may be triggered by unclear images, unsupported file formats, or the system not recognizing screenshots as valid proof. If possible, try converting your digital certificate to a clear PDF or high-resolution image and check if there’s a desktop option that allows file uploads instead of camera-only capture. For entertainment and online content access, you can also explore Nekopoi, which offers web and APK options for easy access across devices.

[blogbuzzing1-dev]

This often happens when the uploaded proof doesn’t meet the platform’s strict validation rules. Since the interface only allows camera capture, try displaying your digital certificate full-screen on another device and take a clear, well-lit photo (no glare, all edges visible). For entertainment while troubleshooting, you can explore streaming options via OnStream which offers easy access to movies and shows on mobile devices.

[sidnair2397]

Hi, as I said earlier, "I tried uploading the required documents using both my laptop and my phone camera, but for some reason, the pictures always came out blurry (presumably to save costs)". The pictures were of good quality until they were uploaded. I tried paper and digital copies of my certificate to no avail. I think the application would benefit greatly from an upload button.

[ypl400Mar]

This whole situation is becoming dramatic. GitHub shouldn’t claim to support students by offering free GitHub Copilot Pro if the validation system simply doesn’t work. I’ve applied multiple times and keep getting rejected, even though I’ve provided everything they asked for.

The only option I had was to take a screenshot where my enrollment period, student name, and student number are clearly visible. I even translated all the information and added a detailed note explaining my enrollment exactly as shown on the college website. And still rejected.

I’ve already wasted days trying to get this validated. The system is clearly not functioning as it should. Instead of making students jump through hoops with a broken process, GitHub should focus on actually helping them. Allowing students to upload proper documents would solve this immediately and prevent all this unnecessary frustration.