FAQ
Answers for families: intake, rates, sessions, and billing. Tutors exploring work with us should apply via Become a Tutor; pay tiers and onboarding detail are covered in that process, not here.
For the deeper “why” behind how we teach and operate, read our mission.
What are the standard hourly rates?
For a typical match, families are billed $59.99/hr for tutoring time and tutors are paid $45/hr on that time - so the split stays transparent in the parent and tutor portals. Higher tutor tiers or custom rates can apply; if yours differs, you'll see the exact numbers in the portal before you start.
What if we are not happy after the first session?
Send an email following the guidelines in our parent billing terms. We'll provide a complete refund on your first session—no questions asked.
What if more than one student shares the same tutoring hour?
You are paying for the tutor's time on the clock—not per person. One scheduled block, one hourly rate: bring a study buddy, a friend, or two students together. We love study buddies; just line it up with your tutor.
How does matching work?
We read your intake (goals, schedule, and subject needs) and assign a tutor we believe fits. If we are not the right shop for your case, we will say so instead of forcing a bad pairing.
How soon will a tutor contact us?
After we link a tutor in our system, you get a match notification. Your tutor should reach out within 48 hours to introduce themselves and schedule.
What if my subject is unusual?
Complete intake and describe what you need in goals and subject fields. We will tell you honestly if we can staff it and what to expect next.
How do pricing, tutor pay, and billing work together?
Standard session economics are $59.99/hr billed to families and $45/hr paid to tutors on that time, with both sides visible in the portal. Lean operations (including practical use of AI behind the scenes) help keep tutor take-home high compared with many competitors. Your hourly rate, session history, and charges stay together in the parent portal; tutors see earnings in theirs. Billing runs on Stripe - we don't handle raw card data on our own servers.
Why publish tutor pay?
High mentor pay at fair family prices is what we optimize for; publishing the split is how we prove it. Most agencies won't show what reaches the tutor because that number is an uncomfortable truth for their model. Ours is easy to stand behind, so we don't hide it.
Who are your tutors?
Vetted, high-achieving tutors - many connected to UT Austin and peer universities. Every applicant is reviewed and cleared through our background-check process before they work with families.
How do session records and receipts show up?
After each session, tutors log hours and notes. Your dashboard keeps progress detail and billing aligned: timestamps, duration, and charges when the billing cycle runs. You get a single, straightforward record.
More questions? CustomerSupport@luminescent-learning.com. Tutors already working with us: TutorSupport@luminescent-learning.com.