Frequently asked questions.
Sessions and weekly credit
When are the live sessions, and do I need to attend both?
Each week's session runs twice, and the two cover the same material, so you attend whichever one fits your calendar. The Fall 2026 cohort opens with Orientation on September 30 and October 1 and keeps that rhythm through December 3. The one exception is Week 7, which runs Thursday November 12 and Friday November 13 instead. Join links live inside each week in the course player, so there is nothing to hunt for in your inbox.
- Wednesday1:00 to 2:00pm PT
- Thursday10:00 to 11:00am PT
How much time should I plan for each week?
About an hour a week for nine weeks, plus the Campus Action Proposal. Each week pairs a short pre session video with one live session, offered twice, and a check quiz you can take at your own pace. Weeks 2 to 7 each include an optional activity that builds one piece of your proposal, so it grows week by week rather than landing all at once in December.
Where do the recordings appear, and how soon?
Every recording is posted inside its own week in the course player, in the same place every time, within 48 hours of the live session. There is no separate link or password to keep track of. For most weeks, watching the recording earns your week exactly as attending live does. The exception is the two working sessions in November, Weeks 8 and 9, which count by live attendance only because they are built around what happens in the room.
How do the check quizzes work?
Each recorded module ends with a short quiz of 2 to 3 questions, and you can retake it as many times as you like. It is practice rather than a requirement: it does not gate credit, and there is no score anyone is watching. It exists so you can check what stuck before you walk into the live session.
Materials and sharing
Where do I find the slides and other materials?
Every module has a Materials section with that week's slides as PDF downloads and its supplemental resources. The Resource Library gathers everything from the whole program in one place, and it stays open all term and after. Anything shared during a session lands in the portal rather than in your email, so there is one place to look.
Can I share slides or recordings with colleagues who are not enrolled?
Program materials are for enrolled participants, and we ask that they stay inside the cohort. If there is something you would like to share more widely, email bridge@firstgenempower.org first and tell us what you have in mind; the sharing guidelines lesson in Orientation covers the details. Colleagues who want the full experience can enroll through firstgenempower.org/bridge.
Enrolling and paying
My campus is already part of BRIDGE. Do I still buy a seat?
No. If your institution holds BRIDGE seats, your campus coordinator enrolls you and your invitation arrives from this portal, so there is nothing for you to pay. Not sure whether your campus is enrolled? Email bridge@firstgenempower.org before you buy and we will check for you.
What does my seat include?
Everything in the program, with nothing sold separately.
- Nine weeks of live sessions, each offered twice, with recordings
- The pre session videos, the slides and materials, and the Resource Library
- The Campus Action Proposal guide and the Week 8 working session on your draft
- The program community, the certification path, and the alumni network once you certify
What a seat costs, and how campus and network seats work, is on the pricing page.
When does my access start?
Right after checkout. Your account and your portal access are created as part of the purchase, so there is no waiting period and no second form. Orientation opens first, and each weekly module opens on its date through the term.
I have an enrollment or discount code. Where does it go?
At checkout. Codes come from your campus coordinator, your partner network, or the BRIDGE team, and each one applies its own rate when you pay, from a partner discount to a fully covered campus seat. Enter yours in the coupon field on the payment page, and if anything about your code looks off, email us before you buy.
Can I get a refund if my plans change?
No, and we would rather say that plainly before you pay than surprise you after. All individual enrollment purchases are final, including for non attendance, withdrawal, or not completing certification. The full enrollment terms are one page and worth reading before checkout.
Campus purchasing
Is the price negotiable?
The price is published on the pricing page so you can check it. What is flexible is the cohort size. Campus cohorts run at 50, 100, or 200 participants, and the larger the cohort, the less each person costs. For a handful of people, individual enrollment at $300 is the better path, and anything outside those three sizes is scoped with the team.
Do unused seats roll over or refund?
No. A cohort block is priced on the seats you reserve, and enrollment purchases are final. Campuses usually over invite rather than under invite, because seats can extend to sister campuses and community partners.
Can we pay by purchase order or invoice?
Yes. Campus and network cohorts are invoiced, and we work with your procurement process. Individual seats are paid through secure checkout with Stripe.
How much time does each person commit?
About an hour a week for nine weeks, plus the Campus Action Proposal. Sessions run twice each week and people attend whichever fits, and for most weeks the recording earns the same credit.
What if our staff turn over mid cohort?
Email the team at bridge@firstgenempower.org. Seats belong to the institution, so a campus can tell us who is stepping in.
The Campus Action Proposal
What is the Campus Action Proposal?
It is your plan, in writing, for supporting undocumented students in your own department or institution, and it is the one deliverable the program asks you to produce. It is due December 11. The assignment guide, the submission checklist, and anonymized examples all live in Week 1 Orientation, and Weeks 2 to 7 each include an optional activity that builds toward it, so you are never starting from a blank page.
Where do I submit it?
In one place only: the Campus Action Proposal section of the course. Upload up to 10 files, 20MB each, or paste a link in the notes box if your proposal lives in Google Slides, Canva, or a video. You can submit again at any time, and your new submission replaces the earlier one.
Working in a group? One person submits and lists each teammate in the notes box, one per line, with their first name, last name, and the email they use for BRIDGE. Teammates do not need to submit.
Please do not email your proposal. Submissions made in the portal are the ones that are tracked and reviewed.
What if I need more time?
Write to bridge@firstgenempower.org before December 11 and tell us what is going on. Extensions are handled person to person, and the team will work with you on a date that is realistic on both ends.
Certification and your credential
What does it take to be certified?
Certification is earned by staying with the program week to week: attending the live sessions or watching their recordings, watching the short pre session videos, completing the Campus Action Proposal, and taking the pre and post program surveys. For most weeks the recording counts exactly as attending live does. The two November working sessions, Weeks 8 and 9, count by live attendance only. Decisions are made in mid December. The exact requirements, with the counts spelled out, are printed for enrolled participants in the Program FAQ inside the Orientation section of the course player.
What credential do I receive, and can others verify it?
Certified participants receive a certificate that carries a personal credential ID, and anyone you share it with, an employer or your institution, can confirm it at firstgenempower.org/bridge-verify. Certification also keeps you in the loop: certified educators continue to receive policy updates and remain part of the alumni network, so what you learned does not expire when the cohort ends.
Community and help
Is there a community space between sessions?
Yes, and it lives inside the portal rather than in a separate app you have to install. Your cohort has its own space, and Week 1 Orientation shows you where to find it. Discussions inside each week are also open, and the Week 8 peer feedback on proposal drafts happens there.
I am enrolled but cannot sign in. What do I do?
Start with the email address your seat is under. If your campus enrolled you, that is the address on their roster, and if you bought your seat, it is the one you used at checkout. If that does not work, or you never received access at all, email bridge@firstgenempower.org with what you are seeing and we will sort it out.
Not answered here? Ask the team.
Questions about payment, the program, or a partnership with your campus all land in the same inbox, and the BRIDGE team is glad to help. Please allow 48 hours for a reply.
Enrolling for the first time? Every door and every price is on the pricing page. Already enrolled or holding a code? Activate your seat.
