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Membership
A membership with Upstate International gives you member pricing on language classes and access to member-only events and benefits. This page explains what membership is, how to join or renew, where to see your current membership, and how scholarship and family add-ons work.
What a Membership Is and Why It Matters
When you become a member, you get access to member rates on classes and events and to any member-only offerings. Your membership has a level (tier), a status (for example active or expired), and an end date. You can view and manage this from your account.
The Three Tiers
Upstate International offers three main membership tiers:
- Gateway Member — Entry-level membership with member pricing on classes and events.
- Crossroads Collective — Includes everything in Gateway plus additional benefits (for example Get One Give One, if offered).
- World Horizon Patron — Highest tier, with all benefits plus perks such as a free class and patron events (if offered).
Exact benefits and prices are shown on the membership page at https://portal.uibeta.org/membership. Prices may change; always check the site for current rates.
How to Join (New Membership)
- Go to https://portal.uibeta.org/membership.
- Review the tiers and choose the one you want.
- Click the button to add that membership to your cart (for example Add to cart or Join).
- Go to checkout: open Your Cart from the cart icon and click Proceed to Checkout, or go to https://portal.uibeta.org/checkout. Review your order and complete payment.
- After payment, your membership is active. Open your account menu and choose Membership (or go to https://portal.uibeta.org/account/membership).
Member pricing at checkout
If you have an active membership when you enroll in a class or register for an event, member pricing is applied automatically at checkout. You do not need to enter a code; the system applies the discount when you are logged in and your membership is current.
How to View Your Current Membership
- Log in and open your account menu, then choose Membership (or go to https://portal.uibeta.org/account/membership).
- You will see your membership level, status (for example Active), and expiry date.
You can also start from Overview (https://portal.uibeta.org/account): the Renew Membership or Get Membership button at the top takes you toward membership actions.
Use the Membership page anytime you want to check your level or when your membership runs out.
When Your Membership Expires and How to Renew
When your membership reaches its expiry date, it becomes inactive. You will no longer receive member pricing on new class enrollments or event registrations until you renew.
To renew:
- Go to https://portal.uibeta.org/membership and choose your tier again (or the renewal option if shown).
- Add the membership to your cart and complete checkout as you did when you first joined.
- After payment, your membership is active again and the new expiry date will appear under My Account → Membership.
You may receive a reminder email before your membership expires; you can renew at any time before or after the expiry date.
Renewal Flow
When your membership is approaching renewal, the portal will guide you through renewing without losing your benefits.
- Reminder window (30, 14, and 7 days before renewal): You'll receive an email reminder at each milestone. Inside the portal, a yellow banner appears at the top of every page with a "Renew Now" button.
- Grace period (up to 30 days after renewal): Member pricing and benefits remain available. The banner turns orange and shows how many days remain in the grace period.
- After grace (expired): The banner turns red and reads "Your membership has expired." Member pricing is no longer applied automatically — but the portal still recognizes that you previously had a membership and offers a "Renew Membership" CTA from your account page and membership details page.
- Cancelled memberships: If you cancel your membership, the portal will show a neutral "Your membership has been cancelled" banner with the option to rejoin anytime.
Family members linked to an account: when the account owner's membership expires or is cancelled, family members see a separate notice from their own account ("Your family membership access is managed by your account owner") and should contact the account owner to renew.
Where you'll see renewal prompts
- Top-of-page banner: Yellow (renewal due soon), orange (in grace period), red (expired), or neutral (cancelled). Dismissible for 24 hours; reappears the next day or whenever your membership status changes.
- /account quick action: The Renew Membership button reflects your current state — "Renew Membership" if you have or recently had a membership, or "Get Membership" if you've never been a member.
- My Membership card on /account: Shows your level, status, and renewal date. For lapsed memberships, the card displays the expired date and a "Renew Membership" link.
- /account/membership details page: Full details of your current or most recent membership with a Renew Membership button.
Scholarship (Subsidized Membership)
If Upstate International offers subsidized (scholarship) memberships, you can apply from the portal.
- Go to https://portal.uibeta.org/membership/scholarship.
- Read the information about who it is for and what is required.
- Fill in the form with the requested details (for example why you are applying and any required contact or eligibility information).
- Submit the form.
After you submit, staff will review your request. They will contact you to tell you whether it is approved and how to complete your membership (for example with a special checkout or link). You do not pay the full membership price when a scholarship is approved; staff will guide you through the next steps.
Family Add-On
Some memberships allow you to add family members (for example a spouse or child) to your household. There is usually an extra fee per family member.
- Open your account menu and choose Family (or go to https://portal.uibeta.org/account/family).
- Use Add family member (or similar) and enter the person’s name and email.
- An invitation is sent to that email. The person must click the link and either log in or create an account to accept. Once they accept, they are linked to your membership.
Family members then get member benefits under your account. For full steps, see the Family members section of the docs.
Need help? Contact Upstate International staff for questions about membership tiers, renewal, scholarship, or family add-ons.