Azure for Students activation rejected after successful academic verification

Jin Song Cui 0 Reputation points
2026-10-12T03:37:55.9133333+00:00

Hello Microsoft Support Team,

I am a student at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT), China. I am experiencing an issue when trying to activate Azure for Students.

1. My situation

  • I am applying for Azure for Students (Offer ID: MS-AZR-0170P).

I am using a personal Microsoft account registered with a QQ email address.

I successfully completed academic verification using my university email address (@bupt.edu.cn).

My Microsoft account country/region is China.

I used my Chinese mobile phone number (+86) during registration and previously received an SMS verification code.

I have never used Azure before, and my account currently has no Azure subscriptions.

2. The problem

After completing academic verification, I attempted to activate Azure for Students. However, the registration page displayed the following error:

"You're not eligible for an Azure free account."

Despite successfully completing academic verification, I am unable to activate my student subscription.

3. Attempts to resolve the issue

I have already:

Completed academic email verification.

Tried the registration process using Microsoft Edge InPrivate mode.

Checked my Azure subscription list and confirmed that no subscriptions exist.

Attempted to create an official support ticket through the Azure portal.

Unfortunately, I could not complete the support ticket process. The portal repeatedly redirected me to the Help and Support page.

4. My questions

Could a Microsoft support representative please help clarify:

Is Azure for Students (MS-AZR-0170P) currently available to eligible students at universities in mainland China?

Why am I being rejected despite successful academic verification and having no previous Azure subscriptions?

Could this be related to my account region, phone number, or an internal eligibility check?

Is there a way to request a manual eligibility review or contact the appropriate Azure subscription support team without an existing subscription?

I would appreciate any assistance or guidance on how to resolve this issue and activate Azure for Students using my existing Microsoft account.

Thank you very much for your help.

Azure Cloud Services
Azure Cloud Services

An Azure platform as a service offer that is used to deploy web and cloud applications.

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  1. Alex Burlachenko 25,530 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-10-12T11:17:41.02+00:00

    Jin Song Cui hi & thx for join me at Q&A platform,

    important distinction here is that successful academic verification doesn't automatically mean the Azure subscription will be approved. Microsoft checks student eligibility and subscription activation separately, so it's possible to pass the university email verification and still get rejected during signup.

    China is listed among the countries where Azure is commercially available, and Microsoft's Azure for Students offer isn't explicitly excluded for students in mainland China. But there's a distinction between global Azure and Azure China operated by 21Vianet. They're separate cloud environments with different registration systems, so I'd make sure ur applying through the global Azure for Students signup page.

    The QQ email address and +86 phone number aren't, by themselves, proof of an eligibility problem. The rejection could be related to an automated account eligibility or fraud-prevention check, an account-country mismatch, or another signup restriction. Unfortunately, the generic "You're not eligible for an Azure free account" message doesn't identify which one.

    One thing worth checking is whether the signup was started from the Azure for Students page rather than the regular Azure free account page. The error wording is similar, but the offers have different eligibility requirements.

    As u've already tried InPrivate mode and confirmed there are no subscriptions, I'd stop repeating the registration attempts. Instead, contact Azure subscription and billing support and request an Azure for Students activation eligibility review. If the portal won't let u create a ticket without a subscription, ask a Microsoft Q&A moderator to help route the case through the appropriate signup support channel.

    Provide the exact error, the offer ID MS-AZR-0170P, the time of the failed activation, and confirmation that academic verification succeeded. Share any account identifiers privately, not in the public thread.

    Only Microsoft's subscription eligibility team can determine why the activation was rejected or whether a manual review is possible. I wouldn't recommend changing ur country or using another person's phone number to get around the restriction.

    rgds,

    Alex

    p.s. if my answer is hepl - pls mark it as an answer

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