What am I actually paying a tutor for? Packages, fees and missed sessions

The short answer

You pay for the tutor's time, plus whatever work around it is included: planning, checking your child's work, and telling you how it went. With an agency or app, the company may keep part of the price. Before you pay, ask what one session costs with every fee, when you pay, what happens if one is missed, and what happens to unused money if you stop.

What the price of a session actually pays for

The time your child spends with the tutor is only part of the job. A good tutor also plans each session around your child, checks their work, and tells you what happened. When you compare prices, part of what you are comparing is how much of that work is included.

A higher price does not always mean better teaching, and a lower one is not always a bargain. What matters is whether the tutor fits your child.

Ask each tutor what happens outside the session:

• Planning: is each session prepared for your child, or does everyone follow the same course?
• Follow-up: will you hear what was taught and what to try at home?
• Practice: is there anything to do between sessions, and does someone check it?
• Contact: can you message the tutor between sessions, and how fast do they reply?

Who sets the price, and what does one session really cost?

An independent tutor usually sets their own price. With an agency or an online platform, the company may set the price and keep part of it. That part can pay for useful things, like finding tutors, or finding you a new one if yours leaves. Ask how they choose their tutors, and whether your child will keep the same tutor.

Then ask for the all-in price of one session: one number that includes every fee. Ask how long each session is, since a price means little without its length. If two tutors offer different lengths, work out the price per hour to compare them fairly. Ask, too, whether the price can go up after you start. Fees to ask about:

• A sign-up or registration fee
• A first assessment or placement test
• Books or other materials
• Booking, card or processing fees

Pay before each session, or after?

Some tutors sell a package of sessions upfront, often at a lower price per session. Others charge for each session. The real difference is who carries the risk.

When you pay upfront, you carry it. The fit may be wrong. Your child may get sick, your schedule may change, or the business may close. By then the money is spent, and getting it back depends on the terms. When you pay after each session, your money is not tied up in sessions that have not happened yet.

Paying ahead is not unfair. Many tutors ask for it because it protects their time. If you do buy a package:

• Try at least one session first, then start with a small package.
• Ask whether unused sessions expire, and when.
• Pay a large amount by credit card if you can. A credit card gives you a way to dispute a charge for sessions that never happened, but the time limit is short, so check your card's terms. Cash and transfers to a person usually give you no such way.
• Keep the written terms and every receipt.

What happens if a session is missed?

Sessions get missed. Children get sick, tutors get sick, and internet connections drop. Many tutors charge for a session canceled at the last minute, because they kept that time free. That is fair if you agreed to it upfront. The trouble starts when you learn the rule afterward.

Ask about each case, and get the answers in writing:

• How much notice do you need to cancel without paying?
• If my child misses a session, is it charged, moved to another time, or lost from a package?
• If the tutor cancels, do we get a new time, or is that session not charged?
• If the video call fails partway through, what happens?

If you stop: what happens to unused money, and which fees are kept?

Ask how you would stop before you start. Is there a contract, an automatic renewal or a notice period? Can you switch tutors without starting over?

If you prepay, or keep money in an account with a provider, ask whether you can withdraw what you haven't used, and how long it takes. Then ask the question people forget: which fees are kept? A sign-up fee, or a fee charged when you add money or book, may stay with the provider. Whatever the rule is, you want to know it before you pay.

Clear, written answers are a good sign. If a provider won't put these rules in writing, hold off on prepaying until they do.

A quick checklist before you pay, and help if money is tight

Ask every provider the same questions, and compare the answers side by side. That tells you more than comparing prices. These are ordinary questions, and a good provider expects them.

If your budget is tight, ask your child's teacher about free help at school first. Some public libraries also offer free online homework help, so ask yours. Whatever you choose, ask what the goal is and how you will know it is working.

• Who sets the price, how was the tutor chosen, and will my child keep the same one?
• What is the all-in price of one session, and how long is it?
• What is included besides the session itself?
• Do I pay before or after each session? Must I buy a package?
• What happens if my child or the tutor misses a session?
• If we stop, what happens to unused money, and are any fees kept?

How GlowGrades handles these questions

We run GlowGrades, so check our answers the way you would check anyone's. Here is where we stand on the main ones.

Each teacher sets a price on their profile. Most classes are $10 to $15. You pay from a family wallet after each class, and a 5% top-up fee is the only fee we add.

• Choosing a teacher: Every class is live, 1-on-1, with the teacher you pick. Our team reviews every teacher before families can see them.
• Trying first: The first class is free, so you can judge the fit yourself.
• When you pay: You add money to your wallet first, then pay from it after each class.
• Packages: No packages, ever.
• Missed classes: Nobody pays for a class that didn't happen, and there's no penalty. Just agree a new time with the teacher.
• If you stop or switch: There's no contract and no lock-in. Choose another teacher and book with them.

Questions parents ask

Want to see if a teacher clicks with your child?

Every class is live, 1-on-1, with the teacher you pick. The first class is free, so you can judge the fit yourself.

Sources

• Understood: Questions to ask when hiring a tutor
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: How do I dispute a charge on my credit card bill?
• Federal Trade Commission: Using credit cards and disputing charges
• Hennepin County Library: Homework help