---
title: Course access limits
---

## Course access limits

Access limits let you decide how long students can use your course. You can leave access open, give each student a fixed period that starts when they enroll, or close the course for everyone on a specific date. The setting is called **Access ends**and offers three options: **Never**, **After x months or days** and **Closing date**.

## The three options

### Never

![](https://assets.eprofessor.com/content/help/courses/close-options-1.png)

Access never ends. When the course is part of a membership, students keep access for as long as their membership is active. Use this when you sell lifetime access, or when a membership should control who can enter.

### After x months or days

Each student gets a period of time to access the course after enrolling. The clock starts at the student's own enrollment, so two students who enroll on different days have different end dates.

Set the length under **Keep available for**, using the **Months** field**or the Days field**. To give access for more than a year, enter more than 12 months. For example, enter 18 for a year and a half.

### Closing date

![](https://assets.eprofessor.com/content/help/courses/close-options-3.png)

All access closes on a date you choose, no matter when each student enrolled. Pick the date in the **Close on** field with the calendar picker.

A closing date suits courses that run as a cohort or a season, where everyone finishes together.

## How to set an access limit

1. Open the Access ends card.
2. Choose one of the three options.
3. If you chose After x months or days, enter the length under Keep available for.
4. If you chose Closing date, click Pick a date and select the day.
5. Save your changes.

**Editor note:** add where the card lives (course settings, pricing tab, or per plan), whether the options appear for courses sold on their own and for membership courses, the name of the save button, and which option is selected by default. Also confirm whether Months and Days can be combined (for example 2 months and 10 days), or only one is used.

## Choosing the right option

| Your situation | Best option |
| --- | --- |
| You sell lifetime access to a course | Never |
| The course is part of a membership and members should keep access while they stay subscribed | Never |
| Each student should have the same amount of time, whenever they join (for example, 6 months to finish) | After x months or days |
| You sell a course with a yearly refresh and want access to last one year | After x months or days, 12 months |
| The course runs for one cohort, season or event and ends for everyone together | Closing date |
| You're retiring a course and want access to end on a set date | Closing date |

If you're not sure, ask who the limit is for. A limit that follows each student suits self-paced courses. A limit that follows the calendar suits live or scheduled ones.

## Frequently asked questions

### What do students see when their access ends?

The course stays visible in their dashboard, but they can no longer open it. Their progress and certificates are kept.

### Can I change the limit after students have enrolled?

Yes. You can change the access limit after students have enrolled.

### Can I extend access for one student?

No. Access limits can't be extended for an individual student.

### How does this work with memberships?

With **Never**, a student keeps access for as long as they are subscribed to the membership that includes the course.

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","url":"https://eprofessor.com/page/help/courses-creating-teaching-content/course-access-limits","name":"Course access limits","description":"Access limits let you decide how long students can use your course. You can leave access open, give each student a fixed period that starts when they enroll, or close the course for everyone on a specific date. The setting is called Access endsand offers three options: Never, After x months or days "}
```