School Licensing Options Every Teacher-Author Should Know

Understanding Licensing Options for your Products

When selling directly to schools, licensing isn’t one-size-fits-all. Offering the right license type helps schools get what they need while protecting your business and revenue.

Teacher-authors and TPT sellers can benefit from understanding four common types of school licenses to aid in planning next-steps in your educational resource business.

Offering multiple license types isn’t about upselling. It’s about helping schools find a common-sense license type that meets their needs.

Non-Transferable Licenses for Individual Teachers

Most marketplace sales on platforms like TPT are individual teacher purchases. These licenses are perfect for teachers buying resources for their own classroom. They are non-transferable and tied to the individual teacher who purchases the resource license, which means they aren’t supposed to share the resource with other teachers without buying additional licenses.

Individual licenses are simple, cost-effective, and work seamlessly with automated online stores. They are usually purchased by a single teacher, but schools can buy them for one teacher when budgets are tight or the resource is supplemental. It can be a great option for one-off purchases made by schools for individual teachers.

Pros:

• Low cost per license

• Easy to sell via automated online stores

• Simple licensing with no reassignment needed

Cons:

• Cannot be transferred if the teacher leaves or moves to another classroom

• Schools cannot centrally manage multiple individual licenses easily

Transferable School Managed Licenses

These licenses are designed for schools that want to manage resources internally. The school holds the license and can reassign it to accommodate staffing changes such as teacher turnover, reassignment, or retirement. This gives schools administrative clarity and ensures resources are always accessible where needed.

Some schools need crystal-clear language stating that the school holds the license (not the teacher) in order to use school funds to make the purchase.

Pros:

• Flexible, can be reassigned to new teachers as needed

• Ideal for larger schools or districts

• Crystal clear licensing language allows schools to purchase with confidence

Cons:

• Often are more expensive than individual licenses

• Requires manual tracking and management of assigned licenses by school staff

Site Licenses

Site licenses work best for resources designed for school-wide implementation, such as a resource purchased by a school counselor running a kindness program for the entire elementary school. Or for a professional development resource like a video or slide deck that will be used campus-wide or district-wide.

These licenses allow the school to provide access to all students or staff while keeping your terms clear and professional.

Pros:

• Ideal for large-scale programs or school-wide initiatives

• Simple for schools to manage and distribute resources

• Provides clear permissions for multiple users

Cons:

• May have higher upfront cost than individual or small-scale licenses

• May require custom pricing depending on school size

Service-Based or Professional Development Licenses

Service-based licenses cover professional development (PD) sessions, consulting, or training materials. These licenses are especially common for resources that are delivered collaboratively or include guided instruction, whether in-person or virtual.

Pros:

• Allows schools to offer structured PD programs or consulting

• Supports collaborative implementation across multiple teachers or classrooms

• Can justify premium pricing

Cons:

• Requires scheduling, delivery, or ongoing support

• Custom pricing and individualization increase the burden on business operations

Membership Licenses

Membership licenses provide teachers with ongoing access to a curated library of resources for a set period of time, such as a semester, school year, or multiple years. Instead of buying individual resources or a full curriculum bundle upfront, schools subscribe to a membership that grants access to all included materials, often with updates or new additions included during the membership period.

Membership licenses are especially useful for schools that want flexibility, predictable budgeting, and access to multiple resources without committing to individual purchases for each. They can also be structured to accommodate different levels, such as teacher-level subscriptions, single-campus access, or district-wide access.

Pros:

• Provides ongoing access to a large library of resources

• Supports predictable budgeting for schools

• Allows you to release updates or new content to subscribers automatically

• Can create recurring revenue for your business

Cons:

• Requires ongoing maintenance and management of content

• May require digital platforms to deliver and control access

• Schools may cancel subscriptions if usage isn’t clear or value isn’t communicated

• Some schools hesitate to commit to resources with recurring charges due to budget constraints

When to Offer Membership Licenses

Membership licenses work well for teacher-authors with a large catalog of smaller resources, especially if teachers or schools want flexibility in mixing and matching materials. They also pair well with professional development resources or multi-grade-level programs where continuous updates or new materials are added throughout the year.

Choosing the Right License for Your Resources

Not every business needs every license type. Think about your pricing, resource usage, and the type of schools you want to work with. Offering multiple options can maximize sales and meet different school needs, but keeping terms clear and professional is essential.

• Many sellers begin by exclusively offering individual licenses, similar to the licenses most commonly purchased through their TPT store.

• Sellers who offer large bundles or curriculum often branch off into direct school sales, where adding a school-managed, transferable license option makes sense.

• Alternatively, some sellers with a large library of smaller resources explore offering membership options to teachers.

Think creatively about which license types make sense for you to offer, but remember to keep them common-sense and don’t overcomplicate your offerings!

Next Steps

Once you have decided which license types to offer, consider adding supporting forms like an Order Authorization Form or Estimate Request Form to streamline school purchases.

Need more information about how to sell directly to schools? Visit the complete information hub: School Purchase Orders for Teacher-Authors