Hi, trying to get academic eligibility verified in admin centre

HoveKA 45

Hi, we are trying to get academic eligibility verified in Admin Centre, but it is stuck at pending.

We have followed all steps in the help documentation, added a verified domain, payment method, and O365 Faculty Trial. How can we move forward with this please?

HoveKA 45 Reputation points

2026-01-27T12:29:05.0266667+00:00

How do I contact a human support assistant?

Answer accepted by question author

Phoebe-N 10,665 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello @HoveKA

Based on your description and the instructions you followed when selecting the Help icon, it appears that the option to receive support from an agent was not selected. My apologies for not making that clearer earlier. Let me guide you again through the correct steps:

When you're in the Admin Center, go to the Help icon at the top‑right corner > select the headphone icon > then choose your preferred contact option. User's image

Then, you'll see a place to input your case details, as the below example:

User's image

Please try follow the given steps again and let me know if you need further assistance. I am happy to help!

HoveKA 45 Reputation points

2026-01-29T08:48:15.03+00:00

HI Phoebe-N,

Thank you, I have done that now,

What was not clear is that I have to type "Contact Support Agent" in the Search bar, in order to bring up the headphone option.

Kevin
Phoebe-N 10,665 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-29T08:55:58.3033333+00:00

Hello @HoveKA

On my end, I selected the Question mark icon ̣(Help), then I could see the headphone option. Searching for "Contact Support Agent" is also a helpful approach. Thank you for pointing that out!

I'm pleased to hear that you can now submit a support ticket regarding your issue. In case you need further clarifications, let me know.

Best regards and thank you for your patience.
Phoebe-N 10,665 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-30T14:02:15.16+00:00

Hello @HoveKA

May I know if there are any updates from the support team yet? Please check our private message so I can provide you with additional information.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Answer accepted by question author

AI answer

If your academic eligibility verification is stuck at pending, it may require additional information for a manual review. This process can take up to 10 business days. Here are some steps you can take to move forward:

Check for Communication: Ensure that you have not missed any emails from Microsoft regarding your eligibility verification. They may have sent a questionnaire or request for more information.
Contact Support: If you have not received any updates after the 10 business days, consider reaching out to Microsoft support for assistance. They can provide specific details about your verification status and any necessary steps.
Resume Verification Wizard: If you exited the verification wizard before completing it, you can resume it at any time during your trial to ensure all necessary information is submitted.

Make sure that all the information provided is accurate and complete to avoid further delays.

References:

AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

1 additional answer

Phoebe-N 10,665 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-27T13:19:09.1766667+00:00
Hello @HoveKA

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A Community!

Thank you for contacting us regarding the academic eligibility verification for your Microsoft 365 tenant. I understand you have already verified your domain, added a payment method, and activated the Office 365 A1 Faculty trial, yet the status remains “Pending.” I appreciate the steps you have taken so far, and I will outline how this process works and the actions we can take to move it forward.

In some cases, Microsoft performs a manual review of academic eligibility. When a manual review is required, Microsoft may request additional information by email, and the review can take up to 10 business days to complete. It is common not to see an immediate change in status while this review is in progress. Please check the inbox and junk folders associated with your admin account for any questionnaires or document requests from Microsoft. For reference: Verify eligibility for Microsoft 365 Education subscriptions | Microsoft Learn

To contact a Microsoft support engineer, you can submit a support request directly from the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
- Sign in as an administrator
- select the Help icon in the top‑right corner
- choose Contact support
- describe the issue as “Academic eligibility verification stuck on Pending,” and select your preferred contact method (chat or call)
This path connects tenant administrators with Microsoft support engineers and is the recommended route for education tenants.

For reference: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn

In case you prefer calling, please try creating the ticket via the phone number in this article Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support

To expedite the investigation, please include the following in your ticket submission:
1. Tenant name and primary domain.
2. The date you initiated the academic verification.
3. Confirmation that the Office 365 A1 Faculty trial is active.
4. A brief description of your institution (for example, independent K–12 tutoring provider) and any official documentation that substantiates educational activity.
5. Screenshots of the Admin Center page that shows the “Pending” status and any error messages.
Note:

Sometimes, you may first hear an automated voice message. Please wait until it finishes. If an agent is available, you will then be connected and receive assistance.

If your organization's Office 365 Business/Education subscription is from a partner or reseller, and the global administrator is unable to open a service request on your end, contact the reseller's support provider to help open a service request on behalf of you instead.

After submitting your support ticket, it may take some time for it to be assigned to an agent. Due to the high volume of requests, there could be delays in handling your case. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

I appreciate your patience while this is reviewed. I will remain your point of contact and will track this through to resolution.

If there’s anything else I can clarify or help with in the meantime, please let me know.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.
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HoveKA 45 Reputation points

2026-01-27T14:49:41.6666667+00:00

HI Phoebe-M,

Would definitely appreciate your help, I would like to submit OFSTED report to prove academic eligibility, I just need a link or human to send it to. Thank you.

Phoebe-N 10,665 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-27T14:59:49.5833333+00:00

Hello @HoveKA

Thank you for your message. I understand you would like to provide your OFSTED report as supporting evidence to complete your academic eligibility verification.

Microsoft does not provide a direct email address for sending verification documents. Instead, they require all academic documentation, including OFSTED reports, to be uploaded through an official support request from your tenant’s Microsoft 365 Admin Center. This ensures your documents are securely attached to your case and reviewed by the correct verification team.

According to Microsoft’s guidance, tenant administrators can submit support requests directly from the Admin Center using the Help icon, which connects you with a Microsoft support engineer. If additional documentation is needed for academic eligibility, Microsoft typically requests it during the manual eligibility review process and may contact you by email or through the support ticket.

Please ask your admin to follow the steps below:

Sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center using your admin account.

Select the Help icon in the top-right corner of the page.

Choose Contact support.

In the description field, write: “I need to submit documentation (OFSTED report) to complete academic eligibility verification. Status is currently pending.”

Submit the ticket.

Once the support request opens, you will see an option to upload attachments. Upload your OFSTED report here.

After the document is submitted, a Microsoft engineer will review it and process your academic verification.

Let me know how it goes on your end.

HoveKA 45 Reputation points

2026-01-27T15:59:35.04+00:00

Hi Phoebe-N

Thank you, I will try that later this afternoon and update this thread accordingly.

I do appreciate your help.

HoveKA 45 Reputation points

2026-01-27T16:25:50.11+00:00

Hi Phoebe-N

OK, in Microsoft 365 Admin Centre help, there is no option for me to contact support, only communicate with support assistant (AI), although I am set up as a global admins.

So I have messaged: "I need to submit documentation (OFSTED report) to complete academic eligibility verification. Status is currently pending." as suggested.

Reply from Support Assistant is:

"To complete the academic eligibility verification when the status is currently pending, you need to submit the required documentation such as the OFSTED report through the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the Billing card.

Check the status of your domain verification process (it should show as approved, pending, declined, or prompt you to add your domain).

If your status is pending, ensure you have submitted all required documentation, including the OFSTED report, as part of the academic eligibility verification process.

If you exited the verification wizard before entering your domain, you can resume the academic verification wizard to complete the submission.

Wait up to two weeks for processing. You will receive an email with your school eligibility"

So kind of back to square one and going round in circles, with no option to generate a ticket, and thus upload the OFSTED report.
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Hi, trying to get academic eligibility verified in admin centre

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