> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.firstrespondershub.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# When students get access
> Send codes right after enrollment or purchase, a few days before class, or only when a team member clicks Release
Holding a code and **sending** a code are two different moments.
* **Hold** happens as soon as a student enrolls or a purchase is confirmed. That unused code is no longer available for someone else.
* **Send** happens when the student can actually see the values (email + dashboard).
You control **send** on the course under **Student access** → **When students receive access**.
## Two paths, two rules
A course can be used in a program **and** sold on its own. Set timing for each:
| Path | Setting name | Typical use |
| ---------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| Student enrolls in a cohort | **When enrolled students receive access** | EMT class with a start date |
| Student buys the course on its own | **When standalone purchasers receive access** | A department buying Heartsaver online |
They do not have to match. Example: enrolled students get codes **7 days before class**. Standalone buyers get codes **right after purchase**.
## Options for enrolled students
| Option | What happens |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Right after enrollment** | Send as soon as the student is enrolled (if codes and shared values are ready). |
| **Before class starts** | Send on a date based on the cohort start date. You choose **Days before class starts**. |
| **When staff sends it** | The code stays hidden until someone clicks **Release** on [Pending deliveries](/student-access/send-access). |
### Before class starts, with an example
You set **7** days before class.
* Cohort start date: March 15
* Jordan enrolls on February 1
* Jordan's code is **held** on February 1
* Jordan's code is **sent** on March 8 (7 days before March 15)
If Jordan enrolls **late**, they still do not wait extra. The send time is the later of:
* When they enrolled
* Cohort start minus your number of days
So if Jordan enrolls on March 10, and class starts March 15 with a 7-day rule, they get access at enrollment (March 10), not on March 8 in the past.
The platform checks once an hour for codes that are due to send. A student might get the email a little after the exact minute of the scheduled time, not at 12:00:00 a.m. sharp.
## Options for standalone purchasers
| Option | What happens |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Right after purchase** | Send as soon as payment (or a free claim) is confirmed. |
| **When staff sends it** | Hold until a team member clicks **Release**. |
Standalone purchases have **no class start date**, so **Before class starts** is not offered there.
## What students are told in the meantime
They never see the actual code until it is sent. They **do** see a clear status:
| Your timing | What they are told |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Right after enrollment or purchase | Access codes will be sent by email and appear in the dashboard shortly. |
| Before class starts | Access codes will release on **{date}** (or "before class"). |
| When staff sends it | The organization will send access codes when ready. Watch email and the dashboard. |
| You were out of stock | Same as staff-sends-it. They are not told you ran out. You get the stockout email instead. |
Exact student wording is in [What students see](/student-access/what-students-see).
## What you see as staff
On [Pending deliveries](/student-access/send-access) the timing line will look like:
* **Reserved, waiting automatic release** — scheduled, not due yet
* **Reserved, waiting manual release** — you must click **Release**
* **Waiting for codes** — you were out of stock when they enrolled or bought
* **Released** — already sent
On a student's enrollment or purchase you may also see a **Credential access** note with the same idea.
## Cohort-level timing
For the **enrollment** path, a cohort can override the course rule (for example, this one class should wait for staff even if the course is "7 days before"). Shared values like Course ID can also differ per class. See [Different values per class](/student-access/different-values-per-class).
## Which option should I pick?
| Situation | Suggested timing |
| ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| AHA link the student can start today | **Right after enrollment** or **Right after purchase** |
| Navigate access that should not open until the week of class | **Before class starts**, 3–7 days |
| You need to confirm payment, paperwork, or roster first | **When staff sends it** |
| Mix of "start now" buyers and a dated EMT cohort | Immediate for standalone, before class for enrollment |
Changing timing on the course does not rewrite history for codes already sent. It applies to new enrollments and purchases, and to deliveries that are still waiting.