Is TEFL Universal Legit? No!
Is TEFL Universal Legit?
TEFL Universal is yet another Online TEFL program, thought up in the first few months of the pandemic, that tries to heavily undercut some of the more reputable Online TEFL programs cost-wise.
The issue, though, is that TEFL Universal’s courses are not internationally recognized and you just won’t be able to use the certificate at any reputable ESL schools- online or on-site.
TEFL Universal is not a legitimate Online TEFL/TESOL certification course program option.
Essential TEFL Tip!
Don’t get scammed by online TEFL/TESOL courses.
Some providers overstate accreditation, make false job promises, or fail to give internationally recognized certification.
Before you enroll, check out 10 Things to Know Before Enrolling in an Online TEFL/TESOL Course (2026 Guide) to spot red flags, verify accreditation, and avoid wasting time and money: https://trustedteflreviews.com/2026/01/31/online-tefl-tesol-courses-10-things-to-know-before-enrolling/
Once you know what to watch for, choose from the top programs in The 5 Best Online TEFL/TESOL Courses in 2026: https://trustedteflreviews.com/2026/01/31/best-online-tefl-courses-tesol-2020/. Picking a trusted, fully accredited course ensures your certification is accepted worldwide for online and overseas English teaching jobs — and keeps you safe from scams.
— Trusted TEFL Reviews | https://trustedteflreviews.com/
This is the Homepage for TEFL Universal:
It certainly seems legit on the surface.
However, there are two major red flags:
- Accreditat is a very dodgy accreditation website. As well as rubber stamping TEFL courses, they also own and run casinos. Because it is so easy for anyone to get accreditation from Accreditat, the less reputable courses choose Accreditat for their way into the market.
- UKRLP / UK Register of Learning Providers. Anyone can establish a Limited (Ltd.) company in the UK, and, if they run courses – any courses – they can add their courses to the national database, It takes about 5 minutes to add a course to UKRLP. I could create a limited company in a few minutes and then create a 5-minute course based on the best ways of getting from the sofa to the bathroom. I would spend about 5 minutes adding that course to the UKRLP and abracadabra: I can paste the UKRLP logo on my website.
Btw, there is a growing trend of Indian TEFL companies creating UK Limited companies and selling their courses as UK-government-regulated.
If you set up a UK Limited company, it just means that you found an address in the UK, had a bit of spare change in your pocket, and spent a few minutes online registering a company name.
It does not follow that your company is UK-government-regulated.
After having conducted due diligence, Trusted TEFL Reviews can conclude that TEFL Universal is an online TEFL program originating from South Africa.
TEFL Universal is not Fully Accredited.
It is technically Accredited because it is accredited by Accreditat, despite its obvious flaws.
But to claim Fully Accredited status is an outright lie.
Read the TEFL Accreditation Guide: https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-accreditation-guide/
This is the lazy, path-of-the-least-resistance logo that TEFL Universal went with.
If they spent so little effort on their program logo, what do you think you can expect from the course content?
Trusted TEFL Reviews has spent the past few years advising TEFL students not to purchase a 120-hour TEFL course for under US$100.
Why?
If you do, you will find yourself being able to complete the course in a day, there will be no tutor support, the course materials will be subpar, and you will receive aggressive offers to become a referrer for the course- making a sales commission for every new person who takes the course based on your recommendation.
These dirt-cheap TEFL courses have become wise to this.
What they are now doing is stating on their websites that their 120-hour courses are usually much more expensive, but that for a limited period only, you have the amazing opportunity to get a 120-hour course for under US$100.
World TESOL Academy also adheres to this business model: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/world-tesol-academy/
Do you think a 120-hour TEFL course retailing at under US$100 is going to sufficiently train you to be an effective TEFL teacher?
Do you think a 120-hour TEFL course retailing at under US$100 is going to be well-received by online and abroad TEFL employers?
A giant red flag is when a company disables its Facebook page Reviews tab.
The TEFL Universal Facebook page has its Reviews tab disabled.
Why would they do this if they are open to receiving verified customer reviews from their TEFL students?
Trustpilot is the go-to for all the dishonest TEFL companies that want to load the dice in their favor; especially when they run a referral (affiliate’s) program.
See all of those 4 and 5-star reviews? They were written by TEFL Universal students trying to claw back their initial course fee by hoping to convince someone to purchase a TEFL Universal course through their referral agreement with TEFL Universal.
Is TEFL Universal Legit? No, of course, it isn’t.
You may get a kumbaya twinkly feeling when you buy a 120-hour TEFL certification course for under US$100 (in this case, only US$28) but you will fail in any online or abroad job school interview.
You might find some online teaching work, paying well below the going rate, but, ultimately, you will likely become just another TEFL Universal referral minion.
Is TEFL Universal Legit? Trusted TEFL Reviews has added this program to the TEFL Scams section:
https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/x-online-tefl-course-scams/
https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/x-online-tefl-course-scams/page/2/
Read more TEFL Universal reviews
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Verified Online TEFL/TESOL certification course program reviews, ranked in order of customer satisfaction: TEFL Course Directory
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So like how much money should I be looking to drop on a 120 hours TEFL course?
Hi, Cherry! Ideally, you should be searching for Online TEFL/TESOL programs that offer Fully Accredited 120-Hour certification courses for around $300 USD. Some TEFL programs run occasional discounts, but the retail price of the 120-Hour course (including the discount) should never go below $150 USD. The reason for the need to invest a bit more is that the course content will be top-notch and will properly train you to teach English. After taking the course, you will feel prepared to start teaching. Another reason is that the more expensive courses offer things like a personal tutor when you are taking the course and life-long job guidance. Employers are going to be more receptive to being presented with a certificate from a TEFL program that maintains a long-term education goal. I’d recommend checking the TEFL Course Directory. As Mia so often correctly explains: “The top-rated schools in the directory are top-rated for a legitimate reason.” Here is that link for you: https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-course-directory/
Cherry.
Thanks for your comment.
A Fully Accredited 120-Hour Online TEFL/TESOL certification course will cost $$$.
The average price is US$300.
You can sometimes find some great discounts on these courses, but even with the discount, you must expect to pay $$$.
Mia Williams – Trusted TEFL Reviews
I paid 150 USD for the 120 hours TEFL/TESOL certification course online with teflonlinepro.com.
It’s usually more expensive but they r running a Christmas/New Year sale and I saved 50% which I am really happy I managed to get. So far the course is really good and the support is also really good. I’ve had a few questions and someone got back to me each time within a few minutes. I recommend the program.
Hi, I have applied for TEFL Universal course and was asked to pay already the amount of R219.00 which was on due special.
My concern is that there was an icon for verification code which I forgot to put it on. Is it a big issue to miss it?
I also couldn’t find the questionnaire to start and complete. Please assist.
Thank you and regards
Rethabile
Rethabile.
Thanks for your comment.
We can’t help you because we are an independent TEFL reviews website.
I would suggest contacting TEFL Universal and hope and pray that someone eventually gets back to you, if at all.
This is one of the many issues in choosing a dirt-cheap TEFL course such as TEFL Universal.
Mia Williams – Trusted TEFL Reviews
Related links:
The 5 Best Online TEFL TESOL Courses in 2023 – https://trustedteflreviews.com/2022/12/01/best-online-tefl-courses-tesol-2020/
TEFL Course Directory – https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-course-directory/
Hi Rethabile, did they reply from TEFL Universal? I am currently doing their course online almost finished but something is not adding up. Will appreciate your response. Thank you.
Was convinced to take the TEFL Universal TEFL course but then almost immediately knew it was a scam. Nobody is on the other end, the course is lame, and the certificate is without any merit. Applied for a few jobs. All of them rejected me because I got the TEFL Universal certificate. Yup, they got a terrible rep. Took the advice of a friend and instead enrolled in the TEFL Online Pro 120-hour TEFL/TESOL online course. Was like day and night compared to TEFL Universal. Six months later, am teaching English online and earning $3,000 per month. The course I took with TEFL Online Pro was https://teflonlinepro.com/120-hour-professional/
hey guys i just completed my TEFL universal course for 120hours , however i have received no certificate , or next steps to take . i’m curious to know has anybody gone further with tefl universal is there perhaps a customer service line aswell
aaliyah.
Thanks for adding your comment.
The only advice we can give you is to keep trying to contact TEFL Universal via their email or telephone support: https://tefluniversal.com/
Unfortunately, when you choose a dirt-cheap TEFL course, you can’t expect the type of support that you would receive from a reputable program.
The top 5 reputable Online TEFL/TESOL certification course programs: https://trustedteflreviews.com/2024/01/02/best-online-tefl-courses-tesol-2020/
Mia Williams – Trusted TEFL Reviews
Wanted to chip in because I also read this TEFL Universal blogpost and like others chose to go instead with TEFL Online Pro. So pleased I did. Don’t know how they manage to keep their prices so low and offer so many additional free services. The course certificate you get is TEFL+TESOL so all bases are covered. It’s the best $150 investment I’ve made in a long time. I also hear the TEFL+TESOL offered by the University of Toronto is excellent – one major problem though is the price of its course. TEFL Online Pro have lower overheads and I guess that’s the core reason why they remain so competitive. Been teaching English online. When I applied for the job the manager I spoke with said they employ a lot of people with TEFL Online Pro certificates. Choose the 120 hour course. No need to go for the 140 hour.