How It Works

Step 1: Review the course catalog

Learn more about the objectives for each course and review what will be expected from each student. These are college courses and require college work. The courses are self-paced, and students who enroll in a course have a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of six months to complete the course.

  • TEL Education is a course platform provider. Please always verify with your current institution or Briar Cliff University to ensure the courses are right for you.
  • All demo courses will contain current course information in the "Syllabus" tab for those who need quick access to decide on enrolling in a course or to check if this course aligns with their distinctive programs: Demo Courses & Syllabi.

Step 2: Choose Your Courses

Review courses available through the Briar Cliff Courses On Demand program.

Learn More

Step 3: Purchase and Register

After selecting the course, add the course to your cart. The courses are $75 per credit hour, $225 for a three-hour course, and $300 for a four- to five-hour course. The course price is all-inclusive.

Students CANNOT take more than four courses per semester. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

Once you've received your purchase confirmation email and completed the course registration form at checkout, a welcome letter will be sent to the student’s email address. This message will come from either telindependents@tel-education.org or wordpress@shop-tel.org, depending on where the course was purchased.

Important: The purchaser’s account cannot be used to access courses. All course access is provided through the TEL Canvas platform. You’ll receive two separate email confirmations.

  • Order Confirmation – Sent to the purchaser's email. Be sure to complete the registration form linked above the course order number. Your student will not be enrolled in the course unless this form is submitted.
  • Welcome Letter – Sent to the student’s email within 24–48 hours after the registration form is submitted. This message includes course start dates, orientation details, TEL policies, and instructions for logging into Canvas. If you don’t see the welcome letter in your inbox, please check your spam or junk folder.

To ensure timely delivery of all communications, double-check the spelling of all email addresses during registration.

Step 4: Complete the Course

Each course contains 60 to 70 lessons and combines written material, videos, and quizzes to help students understand the material. The mastery assignments for each course are designed to help students do more than repeat the material. They help students analyze, break it down, and apply it to other situations.

Course Timeframes: (Students will not receive credit for completed courses faster than the time frames below. The weeks are counted consecutively, not concurrently)

  • One Course = Two consecutive weeks (14 days) from the enrollment date. The final exam can be taken 14 days from the enrollment date or after.
    -  If you buy/add another (1) course within 7 days of your original purchase, it will count as two courses. You cannot complete either course in less than 4 weeks.
    -  If you add/buy two (2) more courses within seven (7)  days of your original purchase, they will count as three (3) courses. You cannot complete any of the three courses in less than six weeks (42 days).
  • Two Courses = Four consecutive weeks (28 days) from the enrollment date. Both final exams can be taken 28 days from the enrollment date or after.
  • Three Courses = Six consecutive weeks (42 days) from the enrollment date. ALL final exams can be taken 42 days from the enrollment date or after.
  • Four Courses = Eight consecutive weeks (56 days) from the enrollment date. ALL final exams can be taken 56 days from the enrollment date or after.

Add/Drop Date: You have 7 days from the date of purchase to drop a course and receive a full refund. Due to the length of time given, extensions are not available.

Withdrawal Date: You may withdraw from a course & receive a “W” on your official transcript within 8-30 days of purchase. However, if a student completes more than 75% of the course, a “W” will not be granted.

Step 5: Request a Transcript

All final grades are reported to the registrar’s office after your course end date (six months from your enrollment date). Upon enrollment and registration submission, the course start date is initiated by the Welcome/Login Credentials letter sent to the student’s email.

If you complete your course before the scheduled end date and need your grades sent early, please follow the five (5) steps outlined below in the Official Transcript Ordering Process. All communication regarding final grades will come from telindependents@tel-education.org. To ensure you receive these updates, please add this email to your contacts to prevent messages from going to your spam folder.

Official Transcript Ordering Process:
(**This process could take up to 10 business days**)

  1. Once you have completed your course(s), submit the Final Grade Request Form. This notifies our academic team to conduct a final review of your completed course(s).
  2. Final Grade Processing – After the review, our academic team will process your final grade(s) and send them to your designated university partner.
  3. Confirmation Email – You will receive an email from telindependents@tel-education.org once your grade(s) have been sent to the designated university for transcription.
  4. University Processing—The university processes your final grade(s) in its system and finalizes your official transcript.
  5. Order Your Transcript – Follow Briar Cliff’s transcript request process to request and pay for your official transcript. Official transcripts can be sent to an address of your choosing.

Important Reminders:

  • TEL does not provide unofficial transcripts.
  • TEL is not your university that issues your official transcript upon successful completion.
  • Please allow the University’s Registrar up to 10 days to process your official transcript.
  • Instructors are not involved in the grade finalization process.

Since TEL Education is only a course platform provider and not your college or university, TEL reports all finalized grades to your credit-granting university 1-2 weeks after the official course ends, unless you have submitted the Final Grade Request Form for early release.

Request a Transcript