Error "Not Eligible" when linking verified GitHub Student account to Microsoft/Azure

Hello Tyuo,

Thanks for raising this question in Azure Q&A forum.

The "Not Eligible" error when linking a verified GitHub Student account to Azure for Students is a very commonly reported issue. It occurs because GitHub Education and Microsoft Azure for Students use completely separate verification systems — being verified on GitHub does not automatically sync your eligibility to the Microsoft Azure side. Here is the complete step-by-step resolution path.

Step 1 — Verify your GitHub Student Pack status

First confirm your GitHub Student Developer Pack is truly active:

• Go to education.github.com/discount_requests/student_application

You should see a purple/green confirmation box showing your student status as "Approved"

Also confirm your academic email is verified and set as the primary email on your GitHub account under Settings → Emails

Step 2 — Ensure email consistency between GitHub and Microsoft accounts

This is the single most common cause of the "Not Eligible" error:

Your GitHub account must have your institutional/academic email added and verified

Your Microsoft account must use the same email address

Go to GitHub → Settings → Emails → add and verify your institutional email if not already there

Go to account.microsoft.com → Your Info → Manage how you sign in → add the same institutional email

Step 3 — Use the correct Azure student verification URL

Always use the official Azure student verification link directly:

text
https://signup.azure.com/studentverification?offerType=1

On this page, choose "Sign in with GitHub" using your GitHub username (not your email). Do this in a private/incognito browser window to avoid cached session conflicts.

Step 4 — Try direct academic verification

If GitHub verification consistently fails, bypass it entirely and use direct academic email verification:​

Go to https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/students/

Click "Start free" → Sign in with your institutional email (not GitHub)

Azure will send a verification email to your institutional address

Complete the verification — this path bypasses GitHub entirely and is often faster​

Step 5 — If your institution's domain is not recognized

Sometimes the "Not Eligible" error means your institution's email domain is not in Microsoft's academic database. In this case:​

You will need to contact Microsoft Education Support at **https://aka.ms/azsuportedu**​

Select Azure for Students as the topic

Provide the following evidence:

Screenshot of your GitHub Student Pack approval page (purple/green confirmation box)

  Screenshot of the exact error message you receive on Azure
  
     Your institutional email address and institution name
     
     Request a **manual review** or a **25-digit Azure Student verification code** for manual activation​
     

Step 6 — Contact GitHub Education support in parallel

If Step 5 doesn't resolve it, also open a ticket with GitHub Education support:​

Go to support.github.com

Select "I am a verified student having trouble redeeming my Global Campus offers"

Explain the Azure verification failure — GitHub Education can sometimes directly escalate to Microsoft's Azure for Students team on your behalf​

Important Notes

The verification process can take up to a few days after your GitHub student status is approved before Azure's systems pick it up​

If you previously had an Azure subscription (free trial, pay-as-you-go, or another student subscription), your account may be flagged as ineligible for a new student offer — in that case, Microsoft Support must manually review your account

You cannot have two active Azure for Students subscriptions on the same Microsoft account​

If it helps kindly accept the answer.

Best Regards,

Jerald Felix