Most teachers start on Starter (free) and upgrade as their classroom needs grow. Here's how to make that change.
Why Teachers Upgrade
The most common reasons to move from Starter to a paid plan:
Moving from Starter to Core You want students to have access to the Personal Finance Student Curriculum and the Personal Budget Simulator. The Starter plan provides teacher resources, but students don't have full access to the in-platform curriculum or any simulator.
Moving from Core to Plus You want to add the Stock Market Simulator to your class. Plus also includes a dedicated Account Manager and faster support.
Moving from Plus to Pro You want the Business Startup Simulator and access to OpenStax courses from Rice University. Pro is best for advanced or higher-education classrooms.
Moving to District Your school or district wants to standardize Intertwined across many classrooms, with the Administrator Portal and SIS/LMS integrations.
See 1.3 Understanding Your Plan Tier for the full feature comparison.
How to Upgrade
Contact the Intertwined team at https://www.intertwinedfinance.com/contact-us
Billing Basics
Intertwined's premium plans are billed annually on a per-student basis. Current per-student pricing (2026–2027 academic year):
Starter — Free, forever
Core — $7 per student per year
Plus — $13 per student per year
Pro — Contact for pricing
District — Custom pricing
Pricing may change over time. Always confirm current pricing on the Intertwined website (intertwinedfinance.com/pricing) or with your Account Manager before finalizing.
Per-Student Pricing Explained
You pay per student you actively teach within the school year, not per student account in the system. So if you teach 30 students in Period 1, 28 in Period 2, and 25 in Period 3, you're billed for 83 students (the total across your active classrooms).
If you teach the same student in multiple classes within Intertwined, they typically count once.
What Happens to Your Data When You Upgrade
Upgrading is entirely additive:
Your existing classrooms remain intact
Your existing students keep their accounts and progress
Your existing assignments and Gradebook data is preserved
New features (simulators, additional courses) become available
You don't lose anything by upgrading — you only gain.
What Happens to Your Data When You Downgrade
Downgrading is less common but possible. When you downgrade:
Features unique to the higher tier become unavailable (e.g., if you downgrade from Plus to Core, the Stock Market Simulator becomes inaccessible)
Existing data within those features (e.g., student stock portfolios) is preserved but hidden
If you re-upgrade later, the data becomes accessible again
To downgrade, contact support or your Account Manager. We typically discuss downgrades to make sure you're not losing access to something you actually need.
Trial Plans and Promotions
Intertwined periodically runs promotions offering free access to higher tiers (e.g., the "Stronger Together" promotion offering one year of Core features for free). If you're eligible, the promotion appears in your Account Settings or in welcome communications.
Promotions are typically time-limited and may revert to standard pricing at the end of the promotional period. Watch for renewal notices and decide whether to subscribe or downgrade before the end date.
Refunds
Subscriptions are typically not refundable once billed for the academic year, but exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis (e.g., a school administration that mistakenly purchased the wrong tier). Contact support to discuss.
Free Access Through Bank Sponsorships
Many schools qualify for fully sponsored access through Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) bank partnerships. If your school can secure a local bank sponsor, your Intertwined subscription can be funded externally at no cost to the school. See 10.5 Funding Your Program with CRA Bank Sponsorships.
Related articles:
1.3 Understanding Your Plan Tier
10.3 Subscription FAQs
10.5 Funding Your Program with CRA Bank Sponsorships