FutureLearn, a UK-based MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) provider is to offer 10,000 free Certificates of Achievement.
The platform has teamed up with the British Council and the GREAT Britain campaign to offer free certificates to students from 36 lower and middle-income countries, marking completion of a MOOC.
Although all MOOCs on FutureLearn are free, the cost to obtain a Certificate of Achievement is usually £39-69 (~US$50-90), which may deter some students from lower-income countries.
Rebecca Hughes, head of education and society at the British Council, told The Pie News, “We hope by providing free Certificates of Achievement we can encourage citizens of lower and middle income countries to access UK higher education.”
This initiative is part of the Study UK: Discover You campaign, which launched last November to promote the value and benefits of UK education, supported by both the GREAT Britain campaign and the British Council.
Are you eligible for a free certificate?
To be eligible for a free online course certificate, learners must complete 90% of the course and achieve 70% or more in their test results. You’ll also need to be based in one of the 36 countries which receive official development aid from the British Council, such as Mozambique, South Africa and Thailand.
Find out if your country is included in the list here.
You’ll also need to start your course before the end of March in order to be eligible for a free certificate. The courses themselves are completed at your own speed, and usually take between two to eight weeks to finish.
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