Frequently Asked Questions

Coursework & Deadlines

You have a flexible window of 1 to 6 months from your date of purchase to complete and submit your coursework (not sooner or later).

To maintain academic integrity and satisfy state contact-hour requirements, courses cannot be completed in less than 1 month.

Some courses are designed for specific state or district programs, which may have their own deadlines. Please refer to your State page for more information.

You can absolutely enroll in multiple courses at once.

We recommend taking no more than 5 courses within a 6-month period to ensure you can comfortably complete the coursework and manage your workload.

If you register for more than five at once,
support team can help stagger your course start and completion dates to keep you within guidelines.

Remember: you also earn Upward Rewards when you register for multiple courses!

No. All Upward courses are 100% asynchronous and self-paced. You can log in and review your digital materials whenever it fits your schedule—day or night.

There is no complex software to install. You only need a standard web browser on a computer or tablet to access your digital course materials.

Assignments are completed using your preferred word processor (like Google Docs or Microsoft Word) and emailed directly to us.

We keep our submission process entirely friction-free. Once you finish all your assignments, you simply attach all three files (Word, PDF, or a shared Google Doc link) and email them directly to our team at support@upwardteachers.com.

For a full step-by-step formatting checklist, please visit our dedicated page for your State. Our support team is also available to help with anything you need.

Credits & Grading

It depends on your enrollment track. Graduate Credit Track courses are evaluated on a traditional letter-grade scale (A–F) to ensure acceptance by district HR departments for salary advancement.

Other non-credit courses are subject to your state's registry reporting standards. Visit your State page for more details.

Yes, if you enroll in the Graduate Credit Track. These courses are credentialed through the University of Massachusetts Global as 9000-series professional development semester hours.

There is no complex software to install. You only need a standard web browser on a computer or tablet to access your digital course materials.

Assignments are completed using your preferred word processor (like Google Docs or Microsoft Word) and emailed directly to us.

Once you complete all assignments for a course, simply attach your completed work files (Word documents, PDFs, or shared Google Doc links) to an email and send them directly to our review team at support@upwardteachers.com.

Please include your full name and the course title(s) in the subject line. Our team evaluates and grades submissions within one week.

Where applicable, we process your official records with the university registrar or state entities (an additional 5-business days).

Once our team evaluates and grades your coursework (within one week), we submit your records directly to the University of Massachusetts Global. Within 5 business days of that submission, your grades are finalized in their system, allowing you to order your official, registrar-issued transcript bearing the university seal directly from the UMass Global website.

No. The flat rate covers everything required to take the course and earn your credits, including all digital course materials and the processing fees to register your grade with the University of Massachusetts Global.

The only separate expense you will encounter is the standard transcript ordering fee (typically $7) charged directly by the university registrar's clearinghouse when you officially request your transcript copy to submit to your district or state.

Upward Rewards & Referral Perks

Unlike traditional PD programs that offer "store credit" forcing you to spend more money, Upward Rewards gives you real digital gift cards redeemable at hundreds of major retailers, including Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, and more.

You earn gift cards through both our Referral Rewards and Loyalty Rewards programs simply by taking courses and sharing Upward with fellow educators.

When you refer a colleague using your unique referral code, both you and your friend earn a $20 gift card as soon as they register for their first Upward course.

Your friend can easily claim their reward post-purchase via email or by following the instructions in their Welcome Packet within 48 hours.

Loyalty Rewards are earned as you register for courses within a calendar year (resetting every January 1st):

Course 1: Enrollment in Upward Rewards & your shareable referral code
Course 2: $5 Gift Card
Course 3: $10 Gift Card
Course 4: $15 Gift Card
Course 5: $20 Gift Card
Course 9: $50 Gift Card

Note: Be sure to use the exact same email address for all registrations so your progress tracks automatically! Rewards gift cards are valid for 12 months from qualification.

See the full list of the hundreds of US retailers at the Tremendous website.

Each promotional rewards gift card is valid for 12 months from the date you qualify.

Refunds

We offer a 7-day refund guarantee from your date of purchase, provided that the digital course materials have not been accessed, and promotional incentives or rewards (such as gift cards) have not been redeemed.

Click on the link to review the full Refund Policy.

To request a qualified refund, please email our team at support@upwardteachers.com.