Membership Basics
Outschool memberships give families a simple, flexible way to support their learners’ interests and educational goals. With a membership, families receive credits each month to spend on classes. Instead of paying for each class separately, they choose a monthly plan that fits their needs and use credits to enroll in any class on the platform.
When families can easily manage enrollments and stay engaged, you can build strong, ongoing relationships that help learners thrive in your classes. Understanding how memberships work will help you confidently partner with families throughout their Outschool journey.
Families Using State Funding
Some families pay for classes with state funds, such as ESAs or charter school funding. They are asked to indicate this either when setting up their Outschool account or while browsing for classes. This helps ensure their enrollment experience matches their program’s requirements. Families using state funding can access eligible classes without a membership.
Membership Features at a Glance
Pick a plan: Families choose the monthly plan that works best for them (for example, a $40 plan includes 80 credits).
Class listings in credits: Classes are shown in credits, and families use their membership balance to enroll. Each credit is worth 50 cents towards classes, and higher-tier plans unlock bigger discounts so families get more for less.
Rollover flexibility: Unused credits roll over month to month.
Pause easily: Families can pause their membership for up to 12 weeks at a time, as often as needed, and pick it back up after a break.*
Risk-free trial: Families can try membership with a 14-day trial and cancel for a full refund if it’s not the right fit. See eligibility requirements.
*After each pause period ends, a family’s membership subscription will reactivate, and they will be charged their current monthly membership fee.
Membership Benefits
Consistency for learners: Regular credits help families make learning a habit.
Flexibility for families: With rollover, the ability to pause, and the option to share credits among all learners in a family, families can manage classes in a way that fits their needs.
Stability for teachers: Families with memberships typically spend more and return more often, which may lead to steadier enrollments and stronger long-term connections.**
**Based on families with an active Outschool account who purchased a la carte classes compared to the same family being in a membership plan and enrolling in classes with credits for at least 28 days.
Membership Plans and Class Enrollment
Choosing a Membership Plan
During signup, families choose a membership plan with a monthly credit balance they can use to enroll learners in classes. Each plan offers different credit amounts, so families can select the option that best fits their learning goals and class schedule. Unused credits can roll over to the next cycle, giving families flexibility in how they manage their enrollments.
Using Credits to Enroll in Classes
After selecting a plan, families can browse classes and enroll any learner on their account using their membership credits.
Class prices are displayed in credits when families browse classes, and credits are automatically applied toward enrollment at checkout. Credits may be deducted all at once for one-time classes or upfront enrollments, or every Sunday for weekly classes.
For upfront enrollments, the full credit price of the class is deducted from the family’s credit balance at the time of enrollment, even if the class spans multiple months.
If a family’s available credits do not cover the full amount at checkout, they can purchase additional credits, or any remaining balance will be charged to their saved payment method.
Supporting Families with Discounts
Outschool provides teachers with tools to help families get started with a membership and explore their classes. By offering both referral codes and class coupons, you can support families at every stage of their learning journey.
Refer Families and Earn Rewards
Offer your OUTreach referral code to new and existing families. When a family uses your code to sign up for a membership plan, they’ll receive a reduced membership price during their introductory period. You’ll receive a cash reward for the referral through the Outreach Program.
Offer Class Discounts
Share class coupons to help new families get to know you and your teaching style. Choose how much to reduce the class price in USD, and families will see the credit equivalent applied to their class cost at checkout. Class coupons can be a great way to introduce new families to your classes and build relationships that lead to future enrollments.
Using Both to Support Families and Build Relationships
Using your OUTreach referral code and class coupons can help you welcome new families to Outschool and encourage them to explore your classes. Together, these tools can help you build relationships with families and grow your classroom community over time.
Common Teacher Questions About Memberships
Why is my class price showing as higher, doubled, or different than what I set?
Classes are listed in credits so families can see how many credits from their membership are required to enroll. You set your class price in U.S. dollars, and the system automatically converts it to credits for display. For families, this means each credit is worth 50 cents towards classes.
All families see the same number of credits for a class, but the price they pay for those credits may vary, since most membership plans include discounted credits. Showing classes in credits does not affect how you set your prices or reduce your earnings.
Can families start enrolling in my classes as soon as they sign up and receive their membership credits?
Yes. Once families receive their credits, they can sign up for any class on Outschool. No additional action is required on your part.
How do I know if a family is enrolled with membership credits?
When you select Manage Enrollment for a learner, the enrollment fee is displayed in credits. This indicates that the enrollment was completed using membership credits.
How do I process refunds for membership credit enrollments?
Calculate the refund as a percentage of the enrollment fee. For example, if you need to refund 25% of a 100-credit enrollment fee, refund 25 credits. Any credits you refund will be returned to the family's membership credit balance.
How are my earnings impacted if a family uses membership credits?
Membership credit enrollments do not reduce your earnings. You’ll earn at least the teacher share of the class price you set. All teacher earnings are subject to the Teacher Addendum and the Teacher Earnings and Payments Policy.
How to Answer Common Family Questions About Memberships
Here are a few common questions families may have about memberships, and some simple ways you can help answer them.
What is a membership, and how does it work?
A membership gives you monthly credits to use for any classes your learner is interested in. You can choose a plan that works for your family based on how many classes you expect to take each month, and the credits are added to your family account automatically to use for any of your learners.
How do I know which plan is right for me?
I recommend checking out this article for tips on choosing a plan. There are lots of flexible options to accommodate your family’s needs.
Why do I need to sign up for a membership to take this class?
You’ll need an active Outschool membership, which is required for enrolling and gives your family the credits to sign up. You can use those credits for this class and, if you’d like, for other classes your family is excited to explore. Most plans also include bonus credits, giving you extra savings and flexibility. Many families like that one plan works for the whole family, making it easy to share credits across siblings.
If you’re signing up for the first time, I’m happy to share my referral code so you can get a discount on your first month. You can also check out this article for tips on choosing a plan, and here’s the link to sign up when you’re ready.
Do I have to commit long-term when I sign up for a membership?
No, there’s no long-term commitment. You can pause or cancel your membership anytime if your needs change. As long as your plan is active, any credits you don’t use in a month will roll over to the next.
Families can also decide how to use their credits, whether that’s spending them all on one class or spreading them across multiple classes. It’s designed to be flexible and fit what works best for you.
If you’re new to Outschool, I’m happy to share my referral code for a discount on your first month. You can also learn more about how memberships work here.
Can I pause my membership?
If you ever need a break from receiving new credits, you can pause your membership for up to 12 weeks at a time. While your plan is paused, you can still use your existing credits, but you will not receive new credits until your membership resumes.
You can pause as often as you need, but your plan must restart before you can pause it again. When your pause period ends, your membership will automatically resume, and you will be charged your current monthly plan fee. You can learn more about pausing your membership here.
Do my membership credits expire?
Your credits roll over each month while your membership is active, so you don’t have to worry about losing them. If you pause, your balance will stay available until you are ready to use it again. If you cancel, any unused credits will no longer be available after your final billing cycle. You can learn more about how credits work here.
How do I know how much a class costs? Are there additional fees at checkout?
On Outschool, classes are listed in credits, and families use credits from their membership balance to enroll. Each credit is worth 50 cents towards classes. The amount of credits families receive and the discount on those credits vary by membership plan.
As you browse, you’ll see how many credits each class requires and how many you have left in your balance. Some classes require you to enroll upfront for all weeks instead of week by week. In that case, you may see an additional charge if your credits do not cover the full upfront amount.
If you don’t have enough credits for a class, the remaining amount will be charged to your saved payment method. You can learn more about managing and spending credits here.
Where can I get more help if I have questions?
If you have more questions or want help choosing a plan, Outschool Support is always happy to assist you. You can also visit the Help Center to learn more about how memberships and credits work.