Github Hates Artists?

[danyelajunebrown]

Hi everyone,

I'm a grad student with official enrollment docs showing remote learning status. (I am in the low residency Bard MFA program in sculpture. Currently in the independent study period for the Fall Term. In case yall have any suggestions out there, I'll upload a copy of my enrollment letter that was provided by the MFA office to support my GitHub student developer pack reapplication.) The problem is that I've been rejected 3x by Github's fully automated system. Support says they "no longer provide manual reviews" - so students with valid low-residency program credentials just can't get verified? What's up with that???
Brown, Danyela June_Bard MFA_Enrollment Letter_10.15.2025.pdf
@github

[apraxd]

Use your school email (if any)
If Bard gives you a school email (even if it’s not .edu), try signing up with it and applying again. Sometimes domain recognition works even if it’s not common.

Resubmit with a simpler, conventional letter format
Ask your program administrator to reissue your enrollment letter with explicit wording like:

“This certifies that [Your Name] is currently enrolled as a full-time graduate student in the MFA program at Bard College for the [Fall 2025] term.”
And include your student ID and the expected graduation date.
Avoid mention of “remote learning” or “independent study” — those terms often trip the automation.

Try GitHub Education support again with context
Even though they say “no manual reviews,” you can reply to your rejection email and clearly explain that you’re in a low-residency accredited graduate program.
Use language like:

“I’m enrolled in an accredited graduate program that operates on a low-residency model, and I have official enrollment documentation. The automated verification system may not recognize this format — can you advise how to proceed?”

Occasionally, someone still escalates such cases internally.

Alternative: Use educational licenses directly
Many of the benefits in the GitHub Student Pack (like JetBrains, Canva, Notion, etc.) can be obtained directly from each company’s own student verification systems. You can often apply with your Bard enrollment letter there — they tend to have more flexible verification options than GitHub’s current system.