If you’re here wondering how to get a free TEFL course online, you’re not the only one! Here are some of the most reputable ways to score a free or discounted TEFL certification.
TEFL is a valuable certificate that gives prospective teachers the knowledge they need to “Teach English as a Foreign Language,” and it can open the doors to exciting job opportunities abroad.
But taking that first step to getting TEFL certified can be super expensive and cost you anywhere from $500 – $2,000+. That’s a lot of coin to drop at once, especially for my fellow budget-conscious friends and how I felt when initially looking for a TEFL certification.
But after digging through the scammy, the spammy, and the fluff, I did find some great opportunities for scoring a free (or nearly free) TEFL certificate.
While these opportunities didn’t end up working out for me, some of these are truly fantastic options that shouldn’t be overlooked! You just need to have an open mind, be flexible, or meet a specific requirement or two.
Read More: What is TEFL Certification? An Ultimate TEFL Guide.
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Why Get TEFL Certified?
Getting TEFL certified is the first step to teach English abroad or online. It is a professional qualification that prospective teachers must have, especially if you don’t have a background in teaching or previous experience.
After taking my course, I ended up spending two years teaching English in South Korea as well as a summer teaching in Vietnam, and it was some of the best years of my life.
It allowed me to live abroad, earn an income to pay down my loans, travel, and experience a new culture all at the same time! And after teaching abroad, I continued to use my TEFL to earn a supplemental income teaching English online.
Read More: The Best TEFL Courses Online to Teach English Online or Abroad
A Quick Disclaimer About Free Online TEFL Courses
In all honesty, you need to be careful about “free online TEFL certification courses”. More often than not, they’re not trustworthy, accredited, or legitimate.
So when searching for something as valuable as a TEFL free online, please make sure you take everything with a grain of salt. You’ll also want to double-check that any employers you’re applying to, accept your chosen certificate.
The last thing anyone wants is to accidentally waste time and energy on something that’s not legit. And please for the love God DO NOT buy one of those super-cheap TEFL certificates on Groupon! There is a 98% chance that they are not accredited, and a good job abroad will probably not accept them.
Read More: The Best Cheap TEFL Courses Online
7 Ways to Get a Free TEFL: Where to Find a Free TEFL Certifications + TEFL Scholarships
1. EF English First Sponsorship
EF English First is a reputable company that hires certified English teachers and helps place them in jobs throughout China and beyond. They’ve been in business for years and are a name educational institutions know and trust.
When you apply to teach with EF, they’ll sponsor your online TEFL course through one of their training partners. All you have to do is pass their interview process and you’re all set! EF’s TEFL sponsorship could save you up to $500 on a traditional course and is one of the only legitimately free ways to get TEFL certified that’s accredited.
However, only citizens from certain countries are eligible to apply for work through EF due to visa requirements abroad. If you’re a citizen from the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa (for China and Indonesia only), China, Indonesia or Russia, you will be considered for employment and a sponsorship!
Learn more about EF English First’s free TEFL sponsorship.
2. The International TEFL Academy Scholarship
The International TEFL Academy is consistently ranked as one of the best TEFL providers out there. They have an excellent reputation for providing top of the line training, helpful job assistance to their TEFL grads, and an abundance of resources so you find the country and job that’s best for you.
With such outstanding service, comes a high price. However, if you’re active duty U.S. military personnel or a veteran, ITA awards ongoing $500 scholarships throughout the year in thanks for your service. Or if you’ve served in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, City Year, or Teach for America, you’re also eligible to apply for a scholarship!
If you don’t happen to fit the bill for any of the above, that’s ok. The International TEFL Academy periodically offers other scholarships or tuition prize opportunities through competitions, drawings, or other events. Be sure to follow their Facebook page or keep an eye on their website for occasional offerings.
Learn more about ITA’s TEFL Scholarships.
3. Scholarship from Premier TEFL
Premier TEFL is another well-known name in the industry that’s fully accredited and offers an almost too good to be true TEFL scholarship for teaching training in a few different countries in Europe. With their scholarship, 97% of fees are covered and you get access to a 120 hour online TEFL course, plus up to three weeks of live, in-person teaching experience in countries like England, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, and Slovakia.
You just have to pay an initial payment of 69 euros, that after successful completion is nearly all refunded to you, minus 19 euros. So that means you get valuable teacher training all for less than $25!
While teaching, all transportation and room and board costs in the country are provided, BUT your round trip flight there is sadly not. So while technically this TEFL course is free, you still need some moola for the experience.
Learn more about the Premier TEFL Scholarship and check out my PremierTEFL review.
4. The Overseas Teacher
The Overseas Teacher is a company that helps English teachers find jobs in China or online. They are a joint venture with bases in both the UK and China. Teachers must meet the standard requirements, and have either two years of teaching experience, or a TEFL certificate.
If you don’t have a TEFL, The Overseas Teacher will actually cover the costs of a British Council recognized 120-hour TEFL certificate! However, this offer is only for applicants interested in moving to China and does not apply to those seeking a job teaching online.
5. Via Lingua Scholarship
Via Lingua TEFL has been in the biz for over 25 years, helping teachers get TEFL certified to live and teach English abroad. As a smaller company, I must admit I haven’t heard much about them, but after reading a few online reviews they seem legit.
They offer a yearly scholarship opportunity to cover four-week tuition at one of the Via Lingua TEFL centers in Florence, Sardinia, Budapest, St. Petersburg, Istanbul, Crete, Arequipa, but housing is not included.
To apply, you must submit a 300-500 word essay on varying topics depending on the specific scholarship you’re applying for, and you’ll need to fill out the application form and send in a 275 euro application deposit. If you’re not awarded the scholarship, that deposit goes towards one of their courses.
Learn more about the scholarships with Via Lingua.
6. CLAIR Grant for JET
The CLAIR Grant is specifically for current JET participants who wish to improve upon their teaching abilities and get a TEFL or TESOL certification. The grant application deadline is often due in spring and there are a few requirements you must meet to be eligible. For example, you must not already hold a TEFL certificate and you must already be in the JET program and plan on continuing on for another year.
The JET program or Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme brings native English speakers to Japan to assist in the classroom and help create a wider cultural relationship with Japan and the world.
Learn more about the CLAIR Grant for JET
7. Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Programs (ETA)
The Fulbright ETA program awards U.S citizens a grant to go abroad and work as a teaching assistant in English classrooms around the world. The grant covers living and transportation costs to get from the US to the country you’re going to.
You must apply through their somewhat strenuous application process, but recent graduates and young professionals are encouraged to apply. The aim of the program is to create global connections between the US and the world and to foster positive relationships abroad.
So while technically this is not actually a way to get a free TEFL certification, it does allow you to skip the TEFL process completely as many countries in the ETA program don’t actually require that you have a TEFL certificate to apply. This is also a great opportunity to gain some valuable experience teaching English abroad for free, and a great resume booster.
Learn more about how to apply to the Fulbright ETA program.
Budget-Friendly Online TEFL Provider
If I didn’t describe you in any of the above scholarships, I’m sorry about that! But I do have a super budget-friendly TEFL course recommendation that I think you’ll love.
iTTT TEFL is a trusted name that delivers quality training at some of the best prices on the market. They not only offer a ton of different TEFL options varying in hours, specialization, or in-class vs online, but they also offer job search assistance and have a ton of resources to help you on your TEFL journey.
iTTT is honestly probably one of the cheapest TEFL providers out there that’s fully accredited, trusted, and reputable. You can get TEFL certified for as cheap as $200 which ain’t too shabby!
And I have the pleasure of offering my readers a 20% discount off any TEFL course with iTTT when you visit their site via this link!
Do you know of any other opportunities or ways to get a free TEFL certification? I’d love to hear about them to share the love!
Hi,
I am Imran from Pakistan. I have a Master’s degree in English Literature. I wish to get TEFL certificate but nowadays I am a penniless. I need TEFL Scholarship. How can I get?
Hello! Unfortunately the opportunities shared in this guide are what I know of for free TEFL certificates :/ If I come across any more legit scholarships I’ll be sure to update this list and include them. Good luck your search and I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful!
Hello Brit! how can I get the free TEFL certificate? because I am on line of attempting to apply free fully funded scholar ship. Also, I have no money to success my targets or goal.
best regards,
Meskello Tagesse
Hello! Aside from the TEFL scholarships listed here, you can also TEFL providers on social media and try to win a free TEFL course. For example, I know PremierTEFL often does giveaways on Instagram every few months or so! Keep chasing your dreams!
Hi Brit. Is there any program that you’ve heard is a better fit for veteran teachers? I’ve been looking at programs and they all seem to run in together at this point. I primarily want to work with children but I’m going to take the business course as well just to open up more opportunities.
Hi Norma!! Thanks for your comment 🙂 I’m not familiar with any that are specifically for veterans, although I do know that some TEFL providers offer discounts for active duty and vets! CIEE offers a $300 discount to military, and the International TEFL Academy has scholarships for service members too. I recommend seeing what your dream job requires of teachers to help you choose (does the job require a certain number of hours of training, in-class practicum, TEFL with a teaching license, etc). Ultimately, choosing a reputable and high quality course from a well known brand is best, and these top providers are fairy similar. So whichever you choose should help you nab a job. I hope this helps!! Good luck!