High School Tutor

I am a sophomore at VCU in Richmond VA. I am thinking about working as a tutor for high school or middle school students in the local area. Any suggestions?

Contact the secretaries or the principal of the school. Most schools have a list of tutors that they can provide to parents if requested. I tutor at a middle school that even sends home the list of tutors and their contact info with the report cards. I've gotten a lot of calls, especially after that first report card comes out. I find that the 6th graders especially have a total shock when they go to middle school and need help with study skills and organization. Also, at a middle school you may not want to specify a subjct you can help with. I found I got more calls when I just listed that I will help with general study skills and all subjects. The work is easy enough in middle schools that if they have their textbook with them you can pretty much figure out what they're working on.
If you do get a tutoring job, just make sure you protect yourself- meet at a public place like a library or on campus. Don't put yourself in a position where you're alone at the kids house or in your dorm room or anything.

2007-08-14 02:40:49 by Joshua G

betterguideviacantic.com ,.Here's the high school tutoring tips I picked up from Anne. Offers a single source on high school tutoring related ...

I am going into my senior year of high school in the fall and I will be expanding my small tutoring business. Last year, I tutored 3-5 kids myself and this year, I plan to tutor a minimum of six, and have at least two employees working under me who will be tutoring frequently as well. My question is this: since I am going to be advertising very openly to get as many students as I can, is it worth it for me to file the necessary paperwork and pay the necessary fees with the government? Most tutoring is done under-the-table, especially if it's done by students themselves. However, I don't really like the idea of risking my business [keep in mind that I will have wage-earning employees working under me] if, say, a parent of a student works for the IRS or something. Am I thinking too much into this? Thanks in advance!

Do not listen to the first poster... he's obviously doesn't recognize your serious intent and desire. Even if you're running a small business with a lot of "under the table" cash, there's no reason to not start learning how to do things the right way now. You will only benefit from the knowledge you'll acquire, and it will help you in future business endeavors.

First of all, it's not a question of it being "worth it", it's a matter of it being legal! If you are making an income from a service you provide, and if you have a payroll, you most certainly are "in business", and are bound by the same laws as anyone else in business. If you are making over $5000 a year, you definitely need to consider becoming a legit entity, preferably a corporation.

You may not need to "register" with the federal government, per se, but you need to set yourself up as a sole-proprietor or a corporation in the County and State in which you reside. This usually means a trip to the County Clerks office, choosing a name for your business, and paying the small fee to file your business. You will be issued a federal tax ID number (this is probably what you meant by registering), which may also be used as your state tax id (resale) number if you buy or sell items through your company.

Unless your "employees" are treated as subcontractors, you will need to obtain workman's compensation insurance, a disability policy, and unemployment insurance. You will probably want to enlist the services of an accountant to handle your quarterly federal and state witholding, and your corporate taxes if applicable. A good accountant can help you with a lot of the initial requirements in starting a legitimate company.

As far as your liabilites go, you need to consider a few things. If you have employees working for you, what they do in your employ is your responsibility. Suppose one of them is working for you in a students house and steals something, or damages something in that house, while on the job. You could be held PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE for that stolen property! You could also be sued personally, and could lose your own personal assets, and depending on your age, your parents assets could also be at risk. This is why people incorporate... to protect themselves from liabilites the business may incur.

You also need to realize that the IRS does not discriminate between the size of a business that is violating the law. Whether you are a business or an individual, If you evade paying taxes, you can be fined or prosecuted. This is especially true if you have employees and don't withold taxes from their paychecks. The IRS considers that tantamount to you stealing from them. IRS penalties for tax evasion are sever, and they usually CAN NOT be discharged, so it's always better to play it safe and do the right thing. Bottom line - If you make the money, pay your share. In theory, a small operation like yours would probably fly well under their radar for years, but why risk it?


There are many benefits to owning a business, even at your age. You can pay for many day-to-day expenses like your cell phone, internet service, computer equipment, gas, vehicle maintenance, stationary supplies, even some meals, with pre-tax dollars. You obviously already have a good head for business, and want to learn how to do things the right way, so now is the best time to learn how the system works, and develop good business habits. There are many good books available. I recommend Own Your Own Corporation - Why the Rich Own Their Own Companies and Everyone Else Works for Them by Robert T. Kiyosaki. His other books are also excellent. You should also read The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber.

Good luck!

2006-07-31 22:39:49 by maximd123

I'm a high school student, and I might get a job tutoring this woman's two daughters in Algebra I. I'm assuming that she'll have a price in mind but I'm wondering, how much should I ask for per hour?

A certified teacher would charge $35 to $40 an hour. You cannot be much older than the girls you would be teaching. I think $15 an hour would be tops.

2010-05-28 11:27:41 by BeautifulDevil

I'm a high school student who wants to make money this year by tutoring but I don't know how to get the word out and get clients? Does anyone know a really good way to do this? And how much I should charge?

Talk to a few students of the class you could teach easily.They could be of some other school also or the ones living near your home.Better charge half the sum the teachers charge.

2008-08-30 09:54:01 by I have a question.

Hi~ i posted a similar question before.
I am a high school student who speaks Chinese.
I was asked to tutor 3 high school ESL students of my age, they are Chinese who does not speak English at all.

They want me to come every weekend for 3 or 4 hours...

I really want to know how much I should charge them per hour. Is $15 sounds OK? I have no experience and have no confidence in myself at all!

Please help me!

It's your choice.
But personally I think that $15 is a bit too much. You should charge at least $5-8 per hour.

2009-05-29 09:40:49 by Vivienne