# GitHub Student Developer Pack in Saudi Arabia: eligibility, documents and rejections

> **The short answer**: The GitHub Student Developer Pack is free for anyone enrolled in a degree- or diploma-granting programme who is 13 or older and has a personal GitHub account. You apply from your account settings with proof of current enrolment, verification lasts two years, and you get GitHub Pro, Copilot Student and partner offers such as JetBrains.
>
> tiswa lists the current student offers in Saudi Arabia for [GitHub](https://tiswa.app/en/deals/github-student-pack/) and [JetBrains](https://tiswa.app/en/deals/jetbrains/).

**Key takeaways**

- Eligible: a degree or diploma programme, a personal account, age 13 or over.
- Upload a document that clearly shows at least one date.
- Verification lasts 2 years; then you revalidate.
- Students get 180 Codespaces core hours and 20 GB of storage a month.
- An academic email already used for another account cannot be reused.

![GitHub Student Developer Pack: free developer tools for students](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/github-student-developer-pack/github-student-developer-pack-cover-en.webp)

## Who can apply for the GitHub Student Developer Pack?

Anyone enrolled in a degree- or diploma-granting programme who owns a personal GitHub account and is at least 13.[^1] That covers public and private universities in the Kingdom, diploma students at technical colleges, and postgraduates. Your major does not matter: an accounting student learning Python in an elective qualifies as much as an engineer.

GitHub lists three cases that do not qualify: an informal learning programme that grants no degree or diploma (a short course or a bootcamp), a degree that ends in the current academic session, and anyone under 13.[^2] A final-year student applying in their graduation semester risks a refusal, so apply a semester earlier.

Lecturers and teaching assistants are not eligible for the student pack; GitHub Education has a separate programme for teachers and staff.[^4] A teaching assistant who is also doing a master's applies as a student, with a document from the graduate studies deanship. Expat students qualify on the same terms as Saudis, because the test is the programme, not nationality.

![Outline of the guide (GitHub Student Developer Pack)](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/github-student-developer-pack/github-student-developer-pack-inline-1-en.webp)


## What documents does GitHub accept as proof?

One document showing you are a student now:[^1]

- A photo of your university ID with a current enrolment date.
- This semester's class schedule.
- Your transcript.
- An enrolment verification letter, which most Saudi universities issue through the academic portal.

If your university issues academic email and GitHub requires it for your school, add and verify that address on your account before applying. If your university does not issue student email, upload official documentation explaining that, such as a page on the university website or a letter on letterhead.[^1]

> **Tip**: The class schedule is the easiest proof because the semester and year are printed plainly. If your enrolment letter carries only a Hijri date, use the schedule or an ID with a Gregorian date instead; the reviewer is looking for a date they can read quickly.

## How do I apply for the GitHub Student Developer Pack?

1. **Add your university email**: Go to Settings > Emails, type it in lowercase, and verify it from the message you receive.
2. **Open Education benefits**: Settings > Education benefits, then Start an application under GitHub Education.
3. **Pick your school and fill in the form**: Use the English name from the university website, for example King Abdulaziz University.
4. **Upload the photo**: Clear and well lit, showing the date, your name and the university.
5. **Submit and wait**: Approval and Copilot activation are separate; student benefits can take several days to appear after verification.[^5]

## What is included in the GitHub Student Pack?

| Benefit | What you get | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub Pro | Free while you are a student | Stops if your verification lapses |
| Codespaces | 180 core hours and 20 GB storage a month | The same allowance as a Pro account |
| Copilot Student | Unlimited code completions plus GitHub AI Credits | Chat and agent use run on auto model selection only |
| Partner offers | Licences and tools from companies such as JetBrains | Each partner sets its own terms |

The Codespaces figures come from GitHub's education docs and match the GitHub Pro allowance.[^4] GitHub re-checks your Copilot Student eligibility every month, and because the plan is free you cannot cancel it through the usual billing flow.[^5]

## How do I activate GitHub Copilot for free after approval?

Open your GitHub Education benefits page, choose Copilot under the developer resources section, follow the prompts, then set the usage policies you want.[^5] If nothing appears after several days, go straight to the Copilot free sign-up page. Before using it on coursework, read your department's policy, since some courses ban assistants on assignments; more in [AI for computer science students](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/ai-for-computer-science-students/).

## Are JetBrains licences included?

Yes, by two routes. JetBrains verifies students by university email, an ISIC card, or a GitHub Student Developer Pack account, and the licence lasts one year, renewable free while you remain a student.[^6] It requires full-time study at an accredited institution in a programme of at least one year, for non-commercial use.[^6] Once GitHub has approved you, use that account for JetBrains instead of uploading another document.

## Why was my GitHub Education application rejected?

GitHub's own list, each with its fix:[^2]

- Blurry image, or no clear current status. Reapply with an image showing at least one date.
- Unverified email domain. Contact GitHub Education Support with your school's full name, website and the domain you used.
- The academic email was already used for the pack on another account. It cannot be reused, and holding several personal accounts breaks GitHub's terms.
- Formatting: lowercase, no plus-addressing. Delete and re-add it under Settings > Emails.
- A programme ending this session, or a course that grants no degree.

## Do I need the best laptop for programming if I have the pack?

No. Codespaces is a development environment running on GitHub's servers that you open in a browser, so a modest laptop handles first- and second-year courses while your monthly allowance lasts.[^4] A larger virtual machine burns the 180 core hours faster, so pick the smallest size your project needs. A strong laptop still matters if you train machine-learning models locally or build iOS apps; see [laptops for computer science students](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/computer-science-student-laptop/).

## Should my graduation project be on GitHub?

Yes, once your supervisor agrees. A tidy repository is the first thing a tech recruiter opens from your CV. Some projects use data from a training host, a hospital or a company, though, and those stay private until the organisation agrees in writing. Write the README in Arabic and English, and state your own part if it was a team project. More in [building a portfolio](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/build-a-portfolio/).

## What mistakes do students make with the pack?

The first is photographing an old university ID with no date on it, then retrying with the same photo. The second is creating a fresh account with the university email and applying from it, then finding after graduation that every repository sits on an account tied to an address that is about to close. Keep your personal account as the main one and add the university email as a secondary address. The third is forgetting to renew. Verification lasts two years, then you prove enrolment again;[^3] a four-year bachelor's student will do this at least once.

> **tiswa's take**: Our view at tiswa: apply in the first semester you take any programming course, even before you need Copilot. Approval takes days, and the student who waits until project-deadline week ends up without Codespaces or JetBrains at the worst moment. Lead with your class schedule rather than your ID card; the semester and year are printed on it, which is exactly what the reviewer looks for. New to the platform? Read [GitHub for beginners](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/github-for-beginners/) before you apply.

Coding and design software and laptops for computing students have student discounts in Saudi Arabia, collected in [computer science student deals](https://tiswa.app/en/deals/majors/computer-science/). [Join tiswa](https://tiswa.app/en/join/)

## Questions

### Is the GitHub Student Developer Pack available in Saudi Arabia?

Yes. The rule is enrolment in a degree- or diploma-granting programme, not a country, so students at Saudi universities qualify.

### How long does GitHub student verification last?

Two years under the pack's terms. After that you revalidate your student status.

### Is GitHub Copilot free for students?

Yes, through the Copilot Student plan for verified students: unlimited code completions plus an allowance of GitHub AI Credits.

### Why was my GitHub student application rejected?

Usually a blurry or undated image, an unverified email domain, or an academic email already used on another account.

### What is the best AI for coding free for students?

GitHub Copilot, for verified students, through the free Copilot Student plan: unlimited code completions and an allowance of GitHub AI Credits.

### What is the best laptop for programming as a student?

Any laptop with a modern browser is enough to start if you use Codespaces, since the code runs on GitHub's servers. Machine learning and iOS work need more power.


## Sources

[^1]: GitHub Docs: Apply to GitHub Education as a student, https://docs.github.com/en/education/about-github-education/github-education-for-students/apply-to-github-education-as-a-student
[^2]: GitHub Docs: Solving problems with your GitHub Education access, https://docs.github.com/en/education/about-github-education/github-education-for-students/solving-problems-with-your-github-education-access
[^3]: GitHub Docs: Terms and Conditions for the Student Developer Pack, https://docs.github.com/en/education/about-github-education/github-education-for-students/github-terms-and-conditions-for-the-student-developer-pack
[^4]: GitHub Docs: About GitHub Education for students, https://docs.github.com/en/education/about-github-education/github-education-for-students/about-github-education-for-students
[^5]: GitHub Docs: Access GitHub Copilot for free as a student, https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-on-github/set-up-copilot/enable-copilot/set-up-for-students
[^6]: JetBrains: Free Student Pack, https://www.jetbrains.com/academy/student-pack/