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GitHub Student Developer Pack

Get free access to GitHub Copilot, developer tools, and cloud credits with your EWU student account

GitHub gives free professional developer tools to verified students. The Student Developer Pack includes GitHub Copilot, GitHub Pro, free domain names, cloud credits, and more. This guide walks through the application.

What you get

The benefits most relevant to this course:

Benefit What It Is
GitHub Copilot AI code completion and chat in your editor and terminal. Free while enrolled.
GitHub Pro Unlimited private repos, advanced code review, and GitHub Pages sites.
GitHub Codespaces Cloud development environments — code from any browser.
GitHub Certification One free voucher for the Foundations or Copilot certification exam.
JetBrains Free IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, and other professional IDEs.
DigitalOcean $200 in cloud hosting credits for one year.
Microsoft Azure $100 in Azure credits plus 25+ free cloud services.
Namecheap Free .me domain for one year.
1Password Free password manager for one year.

The full list of offers is at education.github.com/pack. There are 90+ partner offers.

Prerequisites

Before you apply:

  1. A GitHub account. Create one at github.com/signup if you do not have one.
  2. Your EWU email address added to your GitHub account (see Step 1 below).

Step 1: Add your EWU email to GitHub

GitHub uses your school email to verify enrollment. If your GitHub account uses a personal email, add your EWU email as a secondary address.

  1. Go to github.com/settings/emails
  2. Under “Add email address,” type your @ewu.edu address
  3. Click Add
  4. Open your EWU email and click the verification link GitHub sends

You do not need to change your primary email. GitHub just needs to see a verified .edu address on your account.

Reference: Adding an email address to your GitHub account

Step 2: Start the application

  1. Go to github.com/settings/education/benefits
  2. Under “GitHub Education,” click Start an application
  3. Select your role: Student
  4. Select your school: search for Eastern Washington University

Step 3: Prove enrollment

GitHub asks for a document that proves you are currently enrolled. Accepted documents include:

  • School ID with a current enrollment date
  • Class schedule showing the current term
  • Transcript (official or unofficial)
  • Enrollment verification letter

EWU-specific guidance

EWU student IDs do not include dates. Submitting a photo of your EWU ID alone will likely be rejected because GitHub cannot verify current enrollment from it.

What works instead:

Use a DegreeWorks screenshot. Log in to EWU DegreeWorks through EagleNET. The top of the page shows your name, student ID, degree program, and current enrollment status. Screenshot that section — it establishes both your identity and active enrollment.

Alternative: class schedule. In EagleNET, go to Student > Registration > Student Detail Schedule for the current term. Screenshot or print-to-PDF the schedule showing your name, the term (e.g., “Summer 2026”), and your enrolled courses.

Making the screenshot count

GitHub’s automated review looks for:

  • Your full name matching your GitHub profile
  • The school name (Eastern Washington University)
  • A date or term proving current enrollment (quarter name, enrollment year, etc.)
  • Clear, legible text — no blurry phone photos

Tips:

  • Use your computer’s screenshot tool, not a phone camera pointed at a screen.
    • Mac: Cmd+Shift+4 then drag to select the area
    • Windows: Win+Shift+S (Snipping Tool)
    • Chromebook: Ctrl+Shift+Show Windows then drag
  • Crop to show just the relevant section. Do not include browser tabs, bookmarks, or other personal information.
  • Save as PNG. Do not convert to JPEG — the compression can blur text.

Step 4: Submit and wait

  1. Upload your screenshot
  2. Briefly describe why you want the pack (e.g., “CS student at EWU, need Copilot for coursework”)
  3. Click Submit application

Processing time varies. Some applications are approved within minutes by GitHub’s automated system. Others are reviewed manually and take up to a few days.

You will get an email at the address on your GitHub account when a decision is made.

Step 5: Activate GitHub Copilot

Once approved:

  1. Go to github.com/settings/copilot
  2. Click Enable GitHub Copilot
  3. Choose your preferences (suggestions, public code filter, etc.)

Copilot is now active in VS Code (with the Copilot extension), JetBrains IDEs, and terminal tools like OpenCode.

If your application is rejected

Common reasons and fixes:

Reason Fix
Unclear academic affiliation Resubmit with a cleaner screenshot that clearly shows your name, school, and a date
No date on the document EWU IDs do not have dates. Use DegreeWorks or your class schedule instead
Unverified email domain Make sure your @ewu.edu email is verified in GitHub email settings
Email already used on another account Each .edu email can only be used on one GitHub account. See merging accounts if you have duplicates
Blurry or cropped image Retake the screenshot on your computer using the system screenshot tool

You can reapply immediately after a rejection. Fix the issue and submit again.

Reference: Solving problems with your GitHub Education access

Renewing access

GitHub Education access expires and must be renewed while you are still enrolled. When your access is about to expire, go back to github.com/settings/education/benefits and submit a new application with updated proof of enrollment.

Most partner offers (Copilot, JetBrains, etc.) renew automatically when your GitHub Education status is active. Some offers, like free domain names, are one-time only and do not renew.

Sources