How long does the pack last?

As long as you are enrolled as a student. You may need to re-verify annually. Individual partner offers may have their own expiry dates (one year of free domain, for example). Check each offer's terms.

What if my university email is not recognised?

Upload a photo of your student ID instead. Make sure the photo is clear, shows your full name and the university name, and includes a current academic year. If that is also rejected, try an enrolment letter on university letterhead.

Is this available to diploma students?

Yes. The GitHub Student Developer Pack is available to students at any accredited educational institution, including polytechnics and colleges offering diplomas. You just need proof of current enrolment.

GitHub Student Developer Pack: what Kenyan students get and how to apply | Campus

GitHub Student Developer Pack: what Kenyan students get and how to apply

The GitHub Student Developer Pack gives you free access to dozens of developer tools while you are enrolled. You apply with your student email or university ID on the GitHub Education website. Approval takes a few days. The pack includes free domain names, cloud credits, and paid tools at no cost. Every Kenyan student who codes should have this.

What the pack includes

The GitHub Student Developer Pack bundles free offers from dozens of companies. The full list changes periodically, but the most useful for Kenyan students include:

GitHub Pro. Free while you are a student. Gives you unlimited private repositories, advanced code review tools, and GitHub Copilot access.

Free domain names. Namecheap and other providers offer a free .me or .tech domain for one year. Use it for your portfolio site.

Cloud credits. DigitalOcean, Azure, and other cloud providers include credits for hosting your projects. This means you can deploy apps for free while you learn. The cloud credits guide covers these in more detail.

Development tools. JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm), GitKraken, and other paid tools are free with the pack.

Learning platforms. Some platforms (Frontend Masters, Educative) offer free or discounted access through the pack.

Check the full list at education.github.com/pack. Offers change, so revisit periodically to see if new tools have been added.

How to apply from Kenya

Step 1: Create a GitHub account if you do not have one. The Git and GitHub guide covers setup.

Step 2: Go to education.github.com and click "Get benefits."

Step 3: Verify your student status. You can verify using:

A university email address (ac.ke domain). This is the easiest method.
A photo of your student ID card.
An enrolment letter or fee statement with your name and university.

Step 4: Wait for approval. It usually takes a few days. Sometimes longer if manual review is needed. If rejected, you can reapply with a different document.

Common issues for Kenyan students: Some university email domains are not recognised automatically. If your ac.ke email is rejected, upload a clear photo of your student ID instead. Make sure the photo shows your name, university name, and a current date or academic year.

Which tools to activate first

The pack has dozens of offers. Do not try to activate everything. Start with what you need now:

If you are learning web development: Activate the free domain (for your portfolio site), a cloud hosting credit (DigitalOcean or Azure), and GitHub Copilot.

If you are learning Python or backend: Activate JetBrains PyCharm Professional, cloud credits for deploying APIs, and GitHub Copilot.

If you are building projects for your portfolio: The free domain, hosting credits, and Canva Pro (for design assets) are the most immediately useful.

Revisit the pack each semester and activate tools as your needs change. There is no penalty for not using everything at once.

What to do this week

Visit education.github.com/pack and apply using your student email or ID today.
Once approved, activate GitHub Copilot and one cloud hosting credit.
Claim a free domain name and use it for your portfolio site.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the pack last?: As long as you are enrolled as a student. You may need to re-verify annually. Individual partner offers may have their own expiry dates (one year of free domain, for example). Check each offer's terms.
What if my university email is not recognised?: Upload a photo of your student ID instead. Make sure the photo is clear, shows your full name and the university name, and includes a current academic year. If that is also rejected, try an enrolment letter on university letterhead.
Is this available to diploma students?: Yes. The GitHub Student Developer Pack is available to students at any accredited educational institution, including polytechnics and colleges offering diplomas. You just need proof of current enrolment.