How to Upgrade from GitHub Copilot Student Pack to Copilot Pro

[wu-mx]

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I am currently enrolled in the GitHub Student Developer Pack and have access to GitHub Copilot through the student program. However, I would like to upgrade to GitHub Copilot Pro to access advanced models like Claude and other premium features.
When I attempt to upgrade to Copilot Pro through my account settings, the system appears to keep me locked in the student plan and does not provide an option to switch to a paid subscription. I understand that recent policy changes may have restricted model selection within the student plan, but I would like to proceed with a paid Pro subscription regardless.
Could you please advise on the following:
1.
Is it possible to upgrade from the Student Pack to Copilot Pro while maintaining my student account status?
2.
If not, what steps should I take to transition to a Pro subscription?
3.
Are there any account changes or actions I need to take on my end to enable this upgrade?
Thanks a lot.

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[GitAlboBis]

1. Upgrading While Maintaining Student Status

Unfortunately, you cannot seamlessly upgrade to a paid Copilot Pro or Pro+ plan through the standard settings while your Copilot Student entitlement is active. GitHub's billing system recognizes your account as already possessing an active Copilot license via the Student Developer Pack. Because of this overlap, the system hides the standard "Upgrade" button to prevent duplicate billing, effectively locking you out of the paid UI.

2. Steps to Transition to a Pro Subscription

Since the automated system blocks the upgrade, you have two practical paths forward:

Option A: The Support Route (Keep One Account)
If you want to keep everything under your current GitHub username, you must have the free entitlement manually revoked.

1. Go to the GitHub Education Support portal.
2. Submit a ticket explicitly stating that your Student Developer Pack's Copilot entitlement is blocking you from purchasing a paid Copilot Pro/Pro+ subscription.
3. Request the manual removal of your free Copilot student license. (Note: Explicitly ask them to remove only the Copilot benefit, rather than the entire Student Developer Pack, so you don't lose access to your other student tools).
4. Once Support confirms the removal, the standard purchase options will reappear in your billing settings.

Option B: The Workaround Route (Fastest)
If you do not want to risk your other Student Developer Pack benefits or wait on a support ticket, you can split your workflow.

1. Create a second, completely separate GitHub account.
2. Purchase the paid Copilot Individual/Pro subscription on this new account.
3. In your IDE (like VS Code), sign in to the GitHub Copilot extension using this new paid account. You can continue using your original student account for your Git credentials (committing, pushing, and pulling code).

3. Required Account Actions

If you choose to go through GitHub Support (Option A), take these actions once they confirm your student Copilot license is removed:

• Clear your cache: Log out of GitHub entirely, clear your browser cache, and log back in to force the UI to refresh.
• Navigate to billing: Go directly to your GitHub Copilot settings to select your new paid plan.
• Re-authenticate your IDE: After purchasing the paid plan, sign out and sign back into your GitHub account within your IDE to sync the new model access permissions.

---

[SIMARSINGHRAYAT]

You cannot simultaneously hold both a Student Pack and a paid Copilot Pro subscription. Here's what you need to know:

Question 1: Can you upgrade while keeping student status?
No - the systems are mutually exclusive. Once you subscribe to Copilot Pro (paid), you lose the student pack benefits.

Question 2: Steps to transition to Pro:

1. Go to github.com/settings/billing/subscriptions
2. Cancel your GitHub Copilot Student subscription
3. Wait 24 hours for the system to process the cancellation
4. Go back to the same page and subscribe to Copilot Pro with a valid payment method
5. You'll immediately lose access to all student benefits (free tier ends)

Question 3: Account changes needed:

• You'll need a valid credit/debit card linked to your GitHub account
• Your student educational email can remain on the account
• Payment method: Any valid payment method (your school card won't work for Pro)
• No other specific account changes required

Best practices:

• Download any student-exclusive tools/resources before canceling
• Pro gives you access to advanced models regardless of your student status
• GitHub Education benefits and Copilot Pro are separate programs

[AdrianoCahete]

I see on the same Github announcement, that this was changed:

Update March 13: We've now added the option so folks can upgrade from your GitHub Copilot Student plan to a paid GitHub Copilot Pro or GitHub Copilot Pro+ plan if you want to, while retaining the rest of your GitHub Student Pack benefits.

Source

However, nothing more was added, like how the tokens are count on this Student Pack +Pro accounts, how the billing will be count to (since GH does a US$4 to discount, this discount will be applied to the paid plan?) or even how to do it. Any update on these questions?

[ChanifRusydi]

So, any update regarding this? @wu-mx May we know how do you proceed in the end? And if you mind, can you share about the token count and billing?

[nilsbtr]

Is there something new about upgrading and discount for students?