GitHub Copilot Pro Free for Verified Teachers and OSS Maintainers

GitHub currently provides free Copilot Pro access through two special eligibility paths: verified teachers in GitHub Education and maintainers of popular open-source repositories who GitHub determines are eligible. GitHub reevaluates eligibility every month. Eligible users can open their Copilot settings; when the account qualifies, GitHub shows a Copilot Pro eligibility page with a Get access to GitHub Copilot action. After accepting the use policies and completing setup, the account receives Copilot Pro without a normal paid subscription charge while eligibility continues. Maintainer qualification is determined by GitHub, so maintaining any public repository does not automatically qualify. Teachers must first complete GitHub Education teacher verification.