rejected but can't understand why

[alx-smt]

Hi everyone,

so I applied for education benefits a week ago, and yesterday I was denied with the reason: "Our benefits are available only to individuals affiliated with a qualified institution that provides instruction to students of eligible age of 13 years old or older." I am 13 years or older and I am currently enrolled in a school...

also i included my student id as proof and was wondering if I can somehow send a .pdf report card for this school year if it has my name, current year (2025/2026) and my school name?
i can also include an .asice file (with a pdf inside) that states that I am currently studiying/enrolled, which is digitally signed by the dept of education but its in estonian.
also I dont really want to include my legal name in my github because, well, privacy

[M677871]

This likely was not an age issue by itself. GitHub says students are eligible if they are 13+, have a personal account, and are enrolled in a degree- or diploma-granting program. ([GitHub Docs]1)

The more likely problem is that GitHub could not clearly verify your current enrollment from the document submitted. Their guidance says reapplications should include proof of academic status that clearly shows at least one date. ([GitHub Docs]2)

A report card, transcript, class schedule, or enrollment verification letter can all work if they clearly show your name, school name, and a current date or school year. ([GitHub Docs]1)

As for privacy, your public GitHub profile name does not need to match your real-world legal name, so you do not need to expose it publicly just for this. ([GitHub Docs]3)

My recommendation: reapply with the clearest current official document you have, ideally the report card or enrollment letter.

[alx-smt]

how can I upload a report card or a letter if they are in .pdf or .asice?
Also: do i enter my school name in english or estonian? everywhere on the documents it's written in estonian, obviously.

[PriYaaaa652]

You can upload your report card or enrollment letter as a PDF directly. If your document is in .asice format just extract the PDF inside, it will still keep the official digital signature and remain valid. Make sure to use your school's name exactly as it appears on the documents (in Estonian), there's no need to translate it. This way your proof will be accepted hopefully.

[PriYaaaa652]

You can definitely send a PDF report card or the digitally signed .asice file to prove you're enrolled and meet the age requirement. Make sure it clearly shows your name (or student ID), current school year (2025/2026), and your school.You don't need to put your legal name on GitHub just submit the documents directly to the benefits program. That way your privacy stays intact and they can verify your enrollment.

So basically you have to attach your report card or signed enrollment file to your appeal instead of sharing it publicly and include your student ID as proof.

[alx-smt]

Wait, can I appeal, or do you mean just send a new application?

[PriYaaaa652]

Yes, you can submit an appeal instead of starting a new application. Just attach your PDF report card or the PDF extracted from the .asice file and make sure to include your student ID, age and current school enrollment. This way they can review your documents while keeping your original application in place. You can also mention politely that your school name is in Estonian as it appears on your documents so they can verify it easily.

[alx-smt]

Where exactly can I submit an appeal?
Also, if I were to upload the document from the Department of Education, do I select 3. Dated enrollment letter on school letterhead or 8. Other?
Also, the doc from the Department of Education doesn't include the current year (2025/2026) but has like an issuance date and time and says that I am currently studying, and it has something like a study start date, which is when I enrolled (two yrs ago). Is it fine? Or should I rather upload my report card? It has my name, school, current study year (2025/2026) and my grades.

[bhargavibattula]

You don’t actually need to submit an appeal — GitHub Education usually expects you to reapply with clearer documentation.

From your description, the best option is your report card, because it clearly shows:

• your name
• your school name
• the current academic year (2025/2026)

That makes it much easier for GitHub to verify your enrollment.

The document from the Department of Education might not be sufficient if it doesn’t clearly show the current academic year, even if it has an issue date.

For uploading:

• PDF files are fully supported, so you can upload your report card directly
• If you have an .asice file, extract the PDF inside and upload that

Also, use your school name exactly as it appears on the document (in Estonian). There’s no need to translate it.

So the safest approach is:
👉 Reapply and upload your report card as proof of enrollment.

[alx-smt]

PDF files are fully supported, so you can upload your report card directly

no? when I tried to upload it I could not.