If you just got a part-time tutoring job as a college student and you’ve been wondering how much to charge for tutoring, this is for you.
Every smart-thinking college student always finds a way to make cash for themselves at their level. Therefore, becoming a tutor is a great way to earn extra part-time cash as a college student.
In this article, you’ll find out how much a college student should charge for tutoring and a lot more.
Table of contents
- Can I Be A Tutor As A College Student?
- How Much Should A College Student Charge for Tutoring?
- How To Reach A Tutoring Agreement
- Conclusion
- Recommendation
Can I Be A Tutor As A College Student?
Of course, you can. Tutoring is flexible work that you can fit around your studies.
Working through college won’t cater to all your expenses as a college student. However, it will only reduce the debt burden and give you a sense of comfort.
According to a study from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, over the past 25 years, more than 70 percent of college students have worked while attending school. And the number has continued to grow with the increasing college enrollment and tuition rate.
Not every college student can pass as a tutor; however, the ones who do greatly benefit from the hourly pay.
Tutoring jobs for college students can be found in various places and through various means, such as; peer tutoring programs at the university, at private firms, or even remotely, in online formats. Nonetheless, being a tutor is a financial delight.
How Much Should A College Student Charge for Tutoring?
Most tutoring charges come per hour, so I plan to charge between $25 and $75 per hour as a college student.
Furthermore, your charges must align with the following factors:
- The task’s multiplicity.
- Your student’s grade level.
- Your education level.
- Your overall experience as a tutor.
- The people you’re working with.
With that being said, let’s go further to show you how to reach a tutoring agreement.
See also:10 Ways you get Paid to go to School Online
How To Reach A Tutoring Agreement
In most cases, when a college student tutor lets out their price, clients normally try to negotiate your price down. In such cases, what should be the right approach? Back down or convincingly stick to your rate? We’ll find out.
Here are my tips to help you negotiate the hourly rate you want.
Tip #1 – Know Your Worth
Knowing your worth is one firm way to establish yourself and market your value. Knowing your worth will help you set a price target for yourself and know how to make the right choices. Stay focused on the job title, ‘tutor’; think more of your value and willingness to share.
Tip #2 – Price Yourself High
Before you head into the negotiation room, set your price slightly above your desired hourly rate so that any reduction during the negotiation won’t go below your benchmark.
In other words, set your starting rate 10-15% above what you want to charge. That way, you will still make a reasonable rate if you have to go down on your price.
#3 – Know when to leave the negotiation table
Knowing when it’s a terrible deal and how to get it off the table is the key to any negotiation. You might have to take a walk when the client is trying to go beyond your set price.
This is because, once you settle for less, it might turn into the new normal; hence your value is reduced.
Therefore, don’t let a client persuade you into settling for a price below what you’ve set out for; otherwise, it will reduce your value as an excellent tutor.
See also: 20 Jobs that Pay $40 an Hour Until You’re Tired
Tip #4 – Don’t Argue
In the negotiation table, try as much as you can not to argue; rather, seek clarification. This will help you put your points straight and appear focused and knowledgeable.
More so, emphasize the point that what matters most is the genuine success of the student, which you are willing to offer, and not the financial rewards. You’ll score a pleasing point in the client’s heart at that point, trust me.
Tip #5 Consider the nature of the job and its involvements
This is mostly done before arriving at a set price. It entails considering the number of hours per day to be spent tutoring, the number of subjects or courses to be taught, materials needed, You should consider the distance and cost of transportation and all other things you feel. These considerations help you arrive at a certain price.
Important costs to consider before arriving at a tutoring fee
Before settling for a particular price, there are other important costs you need to consider. These other involvements will help you know how to arrive at a particular price and also set a budget for yourself.
The costs to be considered are;
Travel time and expenses
This will greatly depend on your location and distance to the work place.
If the job demands you drive on average anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour, round trip, for each 1-hour tutoring session. This means a 1-hour session actually requires 1.5 hours of your time. So if you want to make $20/hr of your actual time spent, you better charge $30 for that 1-hour session in view of the distance to the job place.
More so, you also need to put the cost of fuel and mileage into consideration: if you don’t have a car, the bus fare is there. Assuming it takes about $5 to fuel your car or whatever means you use to get there, you have to add it to your existing $30/hr making it $35/hr.
It’s fascinating to note that mileage is tax-deductible at about 55 cents per mile, which is meant to estimate the true cost per mile.
Materials
Tutoring sessions require more than a student’s school textbook and homework sheets. This is because there’ll always be a need to reference other materials for clearer understanding. It is quite acceptable to ask the parent to purchase these materials independently.
However, it may be essential to have your copy of whatever material is purchased for future reference when handling other students.
See also: 13 Quick & Easy Online Jobs for College Students
Variable scheduling
Having an impromptu assignment outside the agreed schedule isn’t part of the direct cost, and attaching it as compensation. This kind of volatility demands additional compensation.
It’s also reasonable to establish a cancellation policy. You don’t have to enforce it for every violation, but you’ll be glad you started it when you encounter a constant offender.
Conclusion
Becoming a tutor is a great way to earn extra part-time cash as a college student. I believe this article will help you know how much you can charge for tutoring and also things to consider when negotiating.
Recommendation
