This article was originally published on August 7, 2023, and was updated to include new tutoring services.
We all need a little assistance at times. If you’re like most students, you probably find certain subjects more challenging than others. If you’re struggling in a class, you may be wondering whether tutoring is available at your college or university—and, if it is, whether it’s what you need to succeed. If you’re wondering whether you should get a tutor, the answer is probably “yes.”
The good news is that many colleges and universities, including online schools, offer tutoring. In many cases, including at University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), online tutoring offers you the opportunity to engage one-on-one with a trained, knowledgeable educator from wherever you are, on a schedule that works for you.
What is online college tutoring?
Online tutoring for college is not just about giving you information. Rather, it’s about helping you gain a better understanding of both your course expectations and the underlying skills you need to succeed—in the classroom and beyond.
Velma Hart took advantage of the online tutoring offered at UMGC and earned her bachelor's degree in human resource management in 2018 and her MBA in 2020.
"I needed tutoring for a particular course, and it went very, very well," said Hart. "I realized about halfway through that it was my thinking that was the barrier. By working with my tutor, I developed enough tools to get me through that course."
A successful tutoring experience will require work on your part. You won’t be given the answers or have your work “fixed” for you. Instead, you’ll be given the tools to improve your work yourself—knowledge and skills that apply, not only to the coursework, but also to the rest of your academic career. Think of tutoring as part of your ongoing education, rather than an isolated event.
“Tutoring unearthed a nuanced way of approaching the work and thinking about the problems that we were addressing in the course,” said Hart. “With that shift, I was able to better navigate the assignments. It was all about the tutoring!”
What kinds of tutoring services does UMGC offer students?
At UMGC, we’re committed to your academic success, so we offer four types of online tutoring for undergraduates and graduates—at no cost to you. These are:
on-demand individual tutoring
scheduled individual tutoring
drop-off (for individual drafts)
group tutoring sessions (for select subject areas)
Individualized tutoring for writing, reading comprehension, statistics, technology (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint), and English language learning support is available to all students, while other subjects like accounting, biology, IT & computer science, economics, finance, math, psychology, and sociology are available by select group of courses. A full list of courses with specific subject tutoring is available on our UMGC Tutoring webpage. As a UMGC student, you automatically have an account with Tutor.com, where you can get focused, individualized assistance with your coursework based on your questions and concerns. Each month, you can access up to ten hours of online tutoring.
Your tutor will carefully assess where you stand with regard to the expectations of the assignment and then help you develop a plan for moving forward. You’ll leave each tutoring session knowing, not only where you can best improve, but also where you’re already excelling, so you can build on your success.
Group tutoring sessions are offered during evenings and weekends, where material is addressed on a variety of courses as well as general subject areas like Microsoft Excel. When you attend a group session, you’ll receive a tailored mini-lesson with the opportunity to ask specific questions and discuss topics with your peers. Our series of group tutoring sessions available for students to register can be accessed on our UMGC group tutoring webpage.
In addition, every student at UMGC can receive writing assistance, regardless of course or level, through UMGC’s Effective Writing Center. At UMGC, we know that effective writing is critical to your academic and career success and requires continuous improvement. If you’re an English language learner, you can signify that when submitting to get specialized feedback. The Effective Writing Center is available to help you develop this foundational skill.
How can I access online tutoring at UMGC?
Tutoring is accessed through the “Tutoring” tab, under “Academic Support” (or under “Resources”), in the online classroom. When you select “Tutoring,” you’ll be taken to the Tutor.com landing page—your single access point for no-cost, UMGC-endorsed tutoring for college students. For more information, we strongly recommend that you review the Tutoring FAQ.
One-on-one subject tutoring is available online in two ways: You can meet with a tutor immediately by choosing the "Connect Now" option, or you can schedule a time to meet with a tutor. With either option, you’ll receive live, online instruction for up to one hour at a time. Subject tutoring is offered for a range of courses, which can change over time. You can find the list of supported courses on the UMGC One-On-One Tutoring webpage. Support for reading comprehension, statistics, technology, and English language learning is also available through this option.
Group tutoring sessions are available for select courses and topics via Zoom. (Time spent in group tutoring sessions is not counted as part of your four-hour allotment in Tutor.com.) These sessions are facilitated by professional UMGC subject tutors. To find the schedule of group tutoring sessions and register, visit the UMGC Group Tutoring Sessions webpage.
How can I access writing assistance?
Writing assistance is accessed through UMGC’s Effective Writing Center, either by scheduling a time to meet online with a writing advisor, or by submitting your written work to an advisor. You can avail yourself of this service any time 24/7 or at any stage of your writing process, from questions about how to get started to polishing a final draft.
When you submit written work for review, within 12 hours you’ll receive two documents in return: a copy of your work with the tutor’s notes and suggestions, and a summary with additional resources to help you improve further.
If you need help with writing but prefer not to have a full tutoring session, you can review UMGC’s Online Guide to Writing, as well as additional writing-related resources that we provide.
Tutoring is just one of the many no-cost support services UMGC offers to help ensure your success. It’s provided online, so you can access these services wherever you are, whenever you need them.
Reference on this webpage to any third-party entity or product does not constitute or imply endorsement by UMGC nor does it constitute or imply endorsement of UMGC by the third party.
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