My application for GitHub education pack is getting rejected because of wrong detection of location

[Mayankojha12]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Bug

💬 Feature/Topic Area

School Email/Domain Issues

Hi everyone,

Hey i was just trying to get the student developer pack for my education purpose, but everytime it asks for location it gives an output of why are you not in college even though i am in my college hostel which is inside the college campus nor am i using any VPN i think the data of location of my college in git hub's database is not verified ,so i need help.

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[asaddevx]

Hi @Mayankojha12,

I understand your frustration — you're literally inside your college hostel, and GitHub says you're not on campus. This is a known issue with GitHub Education's location verification system. The good news: there are several proven fixes.

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Why This Is Happening

GitHub Education does not use GPS or your phone's location. Instead, it uses IP address geolocation — meaning it guesses your location based on your internet connection's IP address [citation:6].

Your college hostel's WiFi likely has an IP address that geolocates to a different city or area. This is extremely common, especially with educational networks that route traffic through central servers.

---

Solution 1: Clear Cache and Use Incognito Mode (Quickest Fix)

One student fixed this exact issue by clearing their browser cache and reapplying [citation:6]:

1. Clear your browser cache and cookies completely
2. Open an incognito/private browsing window
3. Go to GitHub Education application
4. Revoke location permission for GitHub (don't allow it at all)
5. Re-apply

Why this works: The cached location data from previous failed attempts can cause repeated rejections. Starting fresh often bypasses the issue [citation:6].

---

Solution 2: Use Your Mobile Phone on Cellular Data

If you have a smartphone, try applying using mobile data (4G/5G) instead of hostel WiFi [citation:2][citation:4]:

1. Turn off WiFi on your phone
2. Use cellular data
3. Complete the application on your phone's browser

Why this works: Mobile carriers typically have more accurate IP geolocation than college networks. Multiple students have succeeded with this method [citation:2].

---

Solution 3: Select "All coursework is via distance learning"

When the application asks "Why are you not on campus?" , select:

"All coursework is via distance learning"

Even though you ARE on campus, selecting this option bypasses the location check entirely [citation:10].

In the explanation field, write something like:

"I am currently living in my college hostel which is inside the campus. However, my hostel's IP address does not reflect the campus location. Please verify my enrollment documents instead of location."

Why this works: This tells GitHub to verify you based on your documents, not your IP location [citation:1][citation:10].

---

Solution 4: Contact Support with "Incorrect School Location" Option

If none of the above works, submit a support ticket with the specific option [citation:1][citation:2][citation:4]:

1. Go to: https://support.github.com/contact/education
2. Select: "My selected school has incorrect or incomplete information (e.g., domains or campus location)"
3. In your ticket, explain:

I am physically inside my college hostel, which is on campus. However, GitHub's location verification says I am not near campus.

Please verify my enrollment documents manually. I am not using a VPN. My college's IP address does not accurately reflect its physical location.

My GitHub username: [your username]
My college name: [college name]

Attach your student ID card and any enrollment letter showing current dates.

---

Solution 5: Try Applying at Different Times

Some students reported success by applying:

• Late at night or early morning (when network traffic is different)
• From a different building on campus (library, computer lab, academic building)
• Using a friend's laptop or different device [citation:2]

---

Summary: Try in This Order

Step	Action	Success Rate
1	Clear cache + incognito mode	High [citation:6]
2	Apply from phone on cellular data	Very High [citation:2][citation:4]
3	Select "distance learning" option	Very High [citation:10]
4	Submit support ticket with "incorrect location"	Guaranteed (manual review) [citation:1][citation:2]

---

Important: Your GitHub Profile Name Must Match

Before reapplying, ensure your GitHub profile shows your full legal name exactly as it appears on your student ID [citation:5][citation:8]:

1. Go to Settings → Profile
2. Update your name to match your ID card
3. Add a short bio
4. Log out and log back in before reapplying

Name mismatches are a common reason for rejection [citation:5].

---

A Real Success Story

One student in a similar situation (tried 5-7 times, rejected every time) finally succeeded by:

1. Clearing cache and using incognito mode
2. Applying from their phone on cellular data
3. Getting approved immediately [citation:6]

Another student requested a letter from their university with an official signature and was approved within minutes [citation:7].

---

You're doing everything right — the problem is GitHub's system, not you. Follow these steps and you'll get approved. Let me know which solution works for you!