When I was in school Math was always a pain in my butt. My brain would literally shut down as soon as numbers were mentioned. I was far better at subjects that allowed me to babble or write such as history or English. Ironically, grammar and punctuation were still a weak area for me. But today I make a full time living writing regardless of these weaknesses. Thank goodness for the internet. lol
Unfortunately, that doesn't fly well in school; so boys and girls, you need to be more mindful of it than Uncle Eddy with a y. And if you really struggle, that's when getting a help from a tutor is a good idea.
And that brings us to our topic today which is how to make money as a tutor. Judging by some of the comments I get, there are definitely a few grammar and spelling Nazis out there who should be interested in this opportunity; so let's dive into it.
What is Tutor.com
Tutor.com is an online tutoring company that connects students to tutors in an online classroom. The service offers on-demand and schedule tutoring to students in grades 4 through 12 and college. Users can connect with live tutors online in more than 40 subjects including
Math- Science
- English
- Social Studies
- Foreign language
- Test Prep.
Tutor.com supports Honor Students, IB (International Baccalaureate) & AP (Advanced Placement Students
Since launching in 1998, the company has facilitated over 11 million tutoring sessions with approximately 3,000 tutors.
Tutor.com was founded in 1998 by George Cigale. In its early years, the company focused on partnerships with libraries across the United States who would provide online tutoring to their patrons. The company has since expanded to multiple markets, including colleges, universities, employee benefits, the United States Department of Defense and also consumer services for families to purchase directly. (source: Wikipedia)
How Does Tutor.com Work?
Tutor.com provides an Online Classroom Platform that features text chat, a real-time interactive whiteboard, and other tools that make for a robust educational experience online. Students connect to a Tutor.com tutor for a one-to-one session online whenever they need help. The service is available 24/7 year round.
How Much Does Tutoring Cost?
Tutor.com offers 5 plans:
- 1 Hour/month $39.99 per month
- 2 Hours/month for 6 months $79.99 per month
- 3 Hours/month for 6 months $114.99 per month
- 5 Hours/month for 6 months $179.99 per month
- 10 Hours/month for 6 months $339.99 per month
Who Are The Tutors?
Tutors are active and retired teachers, college professors, professionals, and undergraduate and graduate students at accredited universities. Every tutor goes through an extensive qualification and screening process, including a third-party background check that is updated monthly.
Every session is recorded and tutors review their sessions regularly with our team of experienced tutoring mentors (Image credit: Si D. Teacher retired – tutor.com)
How You Become A Tutor
Applying at Tutor.com is free of fees or costs and rather lengthy. Besides filling out an application form, you will have to pass a rigorous subject exam. Preference is given to applicants passing more than one subject exam. The next step is a ‘mock tutoring session' with a the tutor mentor.
If your application is accepted and tutoring is available for your approved subjects, you will have to complete a screening process (i.e. background check) before you can start tutoring. If there is no immediate availability for your subject, you will be put on a waiting list and contacted as soon as tutoring is available.
Requirements and Qualifications
- Currently reside in either the U.S. or Canada
- Have a valid Social Security Number or Social Insurance Number
- Are eligible to work in the U.S. or Canada
- Are available to tutor at least five hours per week
- Are an expert in your subject (Not sure? Check our concept list!)
- Possess strong oral and written communication skills
- Are a college sophomore or higher, or have a degree from an accredited U.S. or Canadian University. (You must have a college degree to tutor Accounting, Economics, Finance, College Essay Writing and College Statistics!)
What are the System Requirements?
- Windows 10, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 7, or Windows Vista with the latest updates and service packs
- 2.0 GB of system memory (RAM)
- Single Core Processor at 2.4 GHz or Dual Core Processor at 1.8 GHz (manufactured on or after 2004)
- High-speed internet access
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 9.0 and Microsoft Word 2007 or later
- A working headset and/or microphone for voice communication
- A minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768. (Hint! Netbooks and mini-laptops only support a resolution of 1024 X 600 and can't run our classroom software.)
- Work on a Mac? If you're able to run Windows applications (for example, through a multi-boot utility like Boot Camp or Windows emulation software like Parallels) and have Microsoft Word, you can still apply!
For more details see the application process page and the tutoring FAQ page on their website.
How Much Are Tutors Paid?
Unlike private tutoring where you must deal with potential delays from clients, payment comes on a set schedule directly from Tutor.com. You are paid a set hourly rate dictated by the subjects you tutor, and there are incentives available for high-quality tutoring. More information on the pay structure will be provided once you have successfully completed the initial application and subject exam phase of the process.
It took me quiet some time but I did find one source that actually gave me an idea about the different pay levels.
- Probationary Level: Newly hired tutors start at around $11.75/per hour
- Level 1 tutors get paid $13.75/per hour
In addition, there are special tutoring assignments with higher pay and bonuses for qualified tutors. Promotions to higher levels seem to be very frequent, and many tutors advanced to the position of Tutor Mentors.
What Are The Tutor.com Complaints?
This section is like having a ‘Love/Hate relationship'. I love it if there are hardly any serious complaints, or just some minor concerns with a work from home opportunity. On the other hand, it pains me when I find a lot of warranted and serious issues.
There are a lot of very positive reports from tutors, like the one shown in the screenshot below:
Unfortunately, there are also a bunch of complaints, which I need to bring to your attention.
I Am Qualified But Got Rejected!
Rejection hurts, especially when people think they are qualified for the task and assume that they did well in the quiz and the mock tutoring session. This complaint comes mostly from teachers, active or retired, and is difficult to understand. However, it's a fact that not everybody will be a perfect fit or can satisfy the high standard set by Tutor.com.; just as in any other industry.
The Pay Is Too Low
A lot of tutors feel that they are underpaid, especially at the probationary level and level 1 at $11.75 and $13.75 respectively. Come on guys and gals, that's not too shabby for a job you can do from the comfort of your home. Don't forget, this is not a full time job.
Tutors Get Terminated For No Reason
These are serious complaints, and the high number is a real reason of concern. Some say the real reason is that Tutor.com avoids promotions in order to ‘make more money for the company'. Others accuse their mentors of being unfair in their assessment of the quality of their work. Whatever the reasons may be, Tutor.com has the right to terminate a work relationship if it deems it necessary, but its unfortunate they don't provide any explanation as to why.
Too Much Scrutiny By Tutor Mentors
This is yet another common and often mentioned short coming at Tutor.com. Their tutor mentors seem to be overly zealous in finding wrong in the tutor's performance. They tend to give too much credence to the student's evaluation of the tutoring session, not considering the fact that most students are in their teen age, often rude and not very appreciative of the extra effort they have to put in to better their grades.
Read more of the good and bad here!
Software Glitches & Awkward Whiteboard Function
This complaint ties in with the paragraph above. There seems to be a number of glitches in the Tutor.com platform. The use of the whiteboard appears to be extremely difficult for many students. I know from experience that ‘writing and drawing' with the mouse is not easy, and often times looks more like chicken scratches, nearly impossible to read. Rumor has it though, that Tutor.com is in the process of upgrading the system, integrating a better white board system, audio and video.
Is Tutor.com A Scam Or Legit?
Well, looking at the whole picture, Tutor.com may have a few areas which obviously require some improvement. Particularly the scrutiny by the mentors can be detrimental to the ability of tutors to perform at their best. Some of the complaints have to be taken with a grain of salt though, knowing that nobody can please everybody all the time. Overall, I believe that Tutor.com is a good opportunity to earn extra income for qualified tutors.
If you think you qualify and like tutoring, give it a try. The worst that can happen is that Tutor.com rejects your application. If they do reject you or you're looking for other sources of incomes, I would recommend looking into My Top Free Work At Home Recommendation or you may want to explore my Work At Home Courses. Either way it's always good to have multiple streams of income coming in. And judging by some of the complaints of people being booted out of Tutor.com for no reason, you should understand my logic for not putting all your eggs in one basket. So be sure to check out the other options.
Well that's enough for me folks. Let's hear what you have to say about this company. Post a comment down below so I can hear your two cents. It's always good to hear from you either way.
Thanks for reading.
Eddy with a y