ALL NPPS Members

["Ye, Shuwei" <yesw AT bnl.gov>]

Dear all,

I would like to share my experience obtaining a free GitHub Copilot Pro subscription, as the process involved some non-obvious steps that might be helpful to others.

1. Initially, back in April 2024, following guidance from Tadashi and Paul, I attempted to apply for GitHub Education as a teacher via the provided link, but this first application was unsuccessful.

    Apply to GitHub Education as a teacher

Apply to GitHub Education as a teacher - GitHub Docs If you're a teacher, you can apply to join GitHub Education and receive access to the resources and benefits of GitHub Education. docs.github.com

2. Subsequently, in February 2025, I made another attempt and successfully joined GitHub Education (following the invitation after the application). However, I found that GitHub Copilot Pro, despite being a listed benefit, was not automatically activated.
   
   
3. Just this past week, I decided to initiate a one-month free trial of GitHub Copilot Pro myself, specifically to use the Sonnet models. Immediately after starting the trial, I received an email from GitHub titled "Accessing your free Copilot subscription," which stated:

4. 
   
   As you qualify for free access to GitHub Copilot Pro, we recently sent you a refund receipt for your subscription. No other steps are needed to receive your free access to GitHub Copilot Pro!
   Note: It may take up to 14 days for the refund to be processed by your payment provider.

This indicates a crucial step: after being accepted into GitHub Education, you need to manually initiate a GitHub Copilot Pro subscription (e.g., by starting a free trial). GitHub will then recognize your eligibility and process a refund.

I hope this detailed experience proves helpful to those looking to access GitHub Copilot Pro through GitHub Education.

Cheers,

--Shuwei