Unable to Access GitHub Student Developer Pack Due to Location Issue

[itz-rajkeshav]

Hi everyone,

I have been trying for more than a year to get the GitHub Student Developer Pack, but my application keeps getting rejected because the system says I am “far away from my college.”

This is incorrect because I live in my college hostel, inside the campus itself. I have a valid college ID card and can provide it anytime for verification.

[Leorev01]

Hey @itz-rajkeshav,
If your application is being rejected due to location and you are sure you are near to the location, try contacting GitHub Education Support directly and provide your college ID and proof of residence on campus. This can help resolve issues that the automated system cannot.
Good luck!

[Leorev01]

how to connect them bcz if i am tried them to connect through mail so it will be denied .. and sent me mail to connect the suport where i saw this community ,post and all.

Try through here: https://support.github.com/contact/education

[itz-rajkeshav]

i am already go through it but the problem is the field where to select the response ,i am choose the "application not approved option" by click on this they wont be give me the access to write the subject as well as the para of my problem . i don't think through this step the problem is resolved . is there is any mail to connect them directly or something else?

[Leorev01]

i am already go through it but the problem is the field where to select the response ,i am choose the "application not approved option" by click on this they wont be give me the access to write the subject as well as the para of my problem . i don't think through this step the problem is resolved . is there is any mail to connect them directly or something else?

Unfortunately there is no mail, the only way to contact us through support.
Try this:

• https://support.github.com/contact/account
• When selecting what you need help with select "Other"
  This way you can contact them directly, although there is an education section, unfortunately it doesn't let you, this way you can somewhat bypass this

[promenox]

One option I recommend is checking whether your university provides a VPN profile you can connect through. This can help ensure your location is recognized more accurately. I know it may feel redundant since you’re already in your hostel, but I can confirm that this approach worked for me.

Alternatively, you could see if your university offers a virtual machine you can log in to in order to complete the verification process.

[kaanklcrsln]

Hey bro! The best way to overcome this automated system error is to contact GitHub Support directly. Open a ticket explaining the situation exactly as you described it; state that you live in the campus hostel, that the system is making a mistake, and add that you can provide your valid student ID card as proof.

[akshaysingh015]

yeah, i am also facing this problem many times. Still not find any solutions and I always try to get the GitHub Student Developer Pack from my college but every time the request gets cancelled

[promenox]

When your request is denied, make sure to read the explanation carefully so you understand why. Then, make small adjustments to address the issue. Over time, you’ll get closer to the outcome; it took me about 20 tries using my university VPN and a virtual machine.

[davevad93]

Hi @itz-rajkeshav,

The problem is most likely due to GitHub having the wrong location for your school. Some users have experienced this same issue in the past and resolved it by contacting support and opening a ticket here, select "My selected school has incorrect or incomplete information e.g. domains or campus location" and explain your issue.

You can also open a ticket here, select "Other" and explain your problem.

[samus-aran]

Hey @itz-rajkeshav, @davevad93's suggestion is the most direct because it sounds like your selected school doesn't have your campus associated with it so you will need to make a request to the team to update the school information. When you create the ticket do select the correct option as @davevad93 mentions and also include evidence that the campus you are staying on is associated with your selected school 👍

[promenox]

Just a note on point 1: “Stop using VPN / mobile hotspot while applying — try from the campus Wi-Fi or wired network.” First, make sure you’re not using a service that randomly assigns your geolocation. If needed, you can use your university’s VPN to align your location more closely.

A tool like https://mylocation.org/ can help you check how accurate your location appears. Updating your location services may also help you get as close as possible to your university’s region.

[SieC]

I am having a similar issue. My case is a bit different. Our institution is in another city, but has several campuses across the country. I study at one of the other campuses, and they do not have residence for students. Following the above, I have noticed they no longer accept tickets for individual applications.

How can I proceed?

[JulianWangHZ]

The “far away from your college” rejection usually happens when GitHub’s automated verification system detects an IP address or location mismatch. Even if you’re physically on campus, network routing or VPN/proxy settings can sometimes make your location appear different.

Here’s what I recommend:

1. Turn off any VPN, proxy, or mobile hotspot and retry the application from your campus Wi-Fi.
2. Upload a clear photo of your official student ID (front side showing your name, ID number, and validity period).
3. If possible, also upload an enrollment letter or any document issued by your college confirming you live in on-campus housing.
4. If the automated check still rejects you, open a support ticket directly with GitHub Education here:
   https://support.github.com/contact
   → Choose “GitHub Student Developer Pack” and include your ID photo + explanation.

[ninjacode911]

The Problem
Your application keeps getting rejected because GitHub's automated system thinks you're not physically near your school — even though you're
literally living in the campus hostel. This has been going on for over a year with repeated rejections.

Why This Happens

GitHub uses geolocation checks during the verification process. It compares your detected location against the campus coordinates stored in their
database. This can fail for several reasons:

• GitHub has the wrong campus location in their database — this is the most common cause. If your school has multiple campuses or if the
  coordinates are slightly off, the system flags you.
• Your network is misreporting your location — mobile hotspots, certain ISPs, and VPNs can make your IP appear to be in a completely different
  city or state.
• Your school has satellite campuses — if you're at a branch campus but GitHub only has the main campus location, you'll fail the geofence check.
• Browser location permissions — if you denied location access, GitHub falls back to IP-based geolocation, which is often inaccurate.

How To Fix It

1 — Fix your location signal (try before reapplying)

• Turn off any VPN or proxy — these are the Welcome to GitHub product feedback #1 cause of location mismatch
• Don't use a mobile hotspot — mobile data IPs often geolocate to a different city
• Use your campus Wi-Fi — this is the most reliable way to show you're on campus
• Allow browser location access — when GitHub asks for your location, click "Allow." GPS/browser location is far more accurate than IP geolocation
• Check your detected location at https://mylocation.org/ before applying — if it shows the wrong city, your application will fail

2 — Try your university's VPN (counterintuitive but effective)

One user in the thread confirmed this worked after ~20 attempts:

• Connect to your university-provided VPN — this routes traffic through your school's network, making your IP match the campus location
• If your university offers a virtual machine you can remote into, try applying from there
• This ensures your IP address is clearly associated with your institution

3 — Report the incorrect campus location (the real fix)

The most likely root cause is that GitHub's database has wrong or incomplete campus coordinates for your school.

Open a support ticket at: https://support.github.com/contact

Select: "My selected school has incorrect or incomplete information (e.g., domains or campus location)"

Include:

• Your school's full name
• The campus you attend (with the actual address)
• Evidence that this campus is part of your school (screenshot from your school's website showing campus locations, Google Maps link, etc.)
• Mention that you live in the campus hostel
• Your student ID photo

This gets GitHub to update their location data, which fixes the problem permanently — not just for you, but for all future applicants from your
campus.

4 — If the support ticket form won't let you write details

This was an issue mentioned in the thread — the "application not approved" option doesn't give you space to explain. Workaround:

• Go to https://support.github.com/contact/account
• Select "Other" as the category
• This gives you a free-text field where you can fully explain the situation

5 — For multi-campus institutions

If your school has multiple campuses across different cities and you're at a branch campus:

• The same support ticket approach applies
• Ask GitHub to add your specific campus location to their records
• Provide documentation that your campus is officially part of the institution

What NOT To Do

• Don't use a random VPN to fake your location — GitHub can detect commercial VPN IPs and it'll make things worse
• Don't keep reapplying without changing anything — the automated system will reject you the same way every time
• Don't give up — this is a database/geolocation issue, not a problem with your eligibility

The Fix Priority

1. Check your detected location at mylocation.org while on campus Wi-Fi
2. If location is wrong → try university VPN or wired campus network
3. If location is correct but still rejected → open a support ticket to fix the campus coordinates in GitHub's database
4. Include your student ID and campus address evidence in every attempt

The support ticket to fix the campus location is the permanent solution. Everything else is a workaround.

[dr5t]

hey please choose other option and describe the issue in the description box the education team will review your answers and verify you as student but make sure to have proper student credentials