GALWAY, IRELAND - 2026-09-28

Alison has revamped its Refer a Friend Programme, which rewards Learners with discounts on digital Certificates and Diplomas when they introduce new Learners to Alison. To take part, a Learner shares their unique referral link with a friend. The friend must then register through that link and complete a course for the referral to count towards a reward.

The revamped programme lowers the number of successful referrals needed to earn discounts, while a redesigned programme page makes it clearer how referrals work and rewards can be claimed.

Ten Completed Referrals Now Unlock a Diploma Discount

The largest change is the new threshold for digital Diploma discounts. Previously, a Learner needed 25 referred friends to complete a course before receiving a 50% discount. Alison has reduced that requirement to 10 completed referrals. That reduction removes 15 completions from the target and makes the reward substantially closer for Learners who introduce Alison to people in their personal or professional networks. 

Three Completed Referrals Qualify for a Certificate Discount

The Certificate reward is available sooner. When 3 referred friends complete a course, the referring Learner can receive a 50% discount on Certificates. Keeping this threshold at 3 gives people an early, clearly defined reward within the programme.

The Redesigned Page Makes the Rules Easier to Follow

Alison has also revamped the Refer a Friend Programme page with a new look and feel. It explains how the programme works, how Learners can introduce new people through their unique link, and how to claim discounted digital Certificates and Diplomas after reaching the relevant threshold.

Referral programmes depend on clear conditions. The refreshed page brings the steps and rewards together, so that Learners can check the requirements without having to infer what qualifies. The important distinction is that a referral contributes to the reward when the new Learner completes a course.

Clearer guidance also makes the two reward levels easier to compare. Learners can see the 3-completion Certificate threshold alongside the 10-completion Diploma threshold and decide which reward they are working towards.

By combining lower thresholds with a clearer programme page, Alison has made its Refer a Friend Programme easier to understand and more achievable to use. 

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About Alison

Alison is a global leader in free online learning and skills development. With over 50 million registered Learners across 193 countries (as of October 2025), Alison empowers individuals, communities, and organisations to upskill quickly and effectively – at zero cost.

The Alison platform provides immediate access to over 6,000 free, CPD-accredited courses, covering essential areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Project Management, Business Operations, Healthcare and Sustainability. Courses are created by a mix of independent experts and global leaders, including IBM, Stanford and Microsoft.

For organisations, Alison offers a Free Learning Management System (LMS) that enables unlimited Learners to access thousands of courses with no upfront cost. A premium version with advanced analytics and customisation is also available. Alison's offering includes a full suite of assessments and psychometric tools, including a Workplace Personality Assessment, Mental Health & Wellbeing Assessment, English Language Proficiency Test, as well as Numerical, Verbal, and Abstract Reasoning tests.

To further support career development, Learners also gain access to a Career Guide, a Resumé Builder, and the ability to study offline through the Alison App.

The platform is also expanding its reach with multilingual versions, starting with complete Spanish, French, and Hindi offerings — reaffirming its mission to make education accessible to anyone, anywhere.

Founded in 2007, Alison pioneered the concept of free, large-scale online learning and is recognised as the world’s first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform. Today, its mission continues: to break down barriers to learning, helping people gain skills, build confidence, and improve their lives — no matter where they live or what they earn.

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