When is the right time to raise your rates?
Most tutors wait too long, because asking for more money feels awkward. A fixed habit removes the awkwardness: review your price once a year, on the same date, and treat a rise as normal housekeeping rather than a special event. Parents are used to school fees, rent and phone plans going up once a year. A tutor doing the same is not a surprise.
Outside the yearly review, these are good signals that your price is too low:
- Your week is full and you are turning away enquiries or keeping a waiting list.
- Nearly every family says yes to your price without asking about it. A price nobody hesitates over is usually below what the market will pay.
- You have new proof of results: a new qualification, a run of good exam grades, or years of experience you did not have when you set the price.
- Your costs went up: travel, materials, software, or the time you spend preparing a harder syllabus.
- You are charging less than tutors with similar experience in your subject and area. Look at local directory listings and parent groups to check.
Good moments to make the change are the start of a school year, the start of a term, or January. Avoid the weeks right before a big exam, when a family cannot easily change tutor and a rise can feel like pressure.
How much should you raise your rates by?
There is no correct percentage. What matters is that the new price reflects your skill and your local market, and that the jump is small enough that a happy family does not need to think twice. A small yearly rise is easier for parents than a large rise every few years, because it never looks like a shock.
A worked example makes the trade-off clearer. Say you teach 20 lessons a week at 30 per lesson, in whatever currency you use. That is 600 a week. If you raise the price by 10% to 33, you earn 660 a week from the same hours. If one family with two lessons a week leaves because of the rise, you teach 18 lessons and earn 594, nearly what you earned before, with two free hours you can fill with a new student at the new price.
| Scenario | Lessons a week | Price | Weekly income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before the rise | 20 | 30 | 600 |
| After the rise, everyone stays | 20 | 33 | 660 |
| After the rise, one family (2 lessons) leaves | 18 | 33 | 594 |
| The free slots filled by a new student | 20 | 33 | 660 |
The numbers are an illustration, not a benchmark. Run them with your own price and hours before you decide. If the rise only pays off when nobody leaves, it may be too small to be worth the conversation, or too large for your market.
How much notice should you give parents?
A month's notice is a sensible minimum for families who pay monthly, and many tutors give a full term. The rule of thumb: tell families before they would need to commit to the next billing period, so nobody is charged a new price for lessons they already planned at the old one.
If you already have written payment terms, check what you promised. The payment terms template on this site, for example, says rates are reviewed once a year with at least one month's notice. If your terms say that, keep to it.
Should existing students keep the old price?
Keeping current families on their old price for a while is called grandfathering. It rewards loyalty and lowers the chance of losing a good family, but it also means you run two prices side by side. There are three common approaches:
| Approach | How it works | Good when |
|---|---|---|
| New students only | New families pay the new price. Current families keep the old one until they finish. | You have a waiting list and want to keep every current family. |
| Delayed rise | New families pay the new price now. Current families move to it after a set date, such as the next term. | You want one price in the end, but with a gentle transition. |
| Everyone at once | All families move to the new price on the same date, with notice. | Your price was well below market, or the rise is small. |
The delayed rise is the middle path most tutors find easiest. It gives existing families time, keeps you honest with new ones, and avoids running two prices for years. Whatever you choose, apply it the same way to every family in the same situation.
What to say: price rise messages you can copy
Keep the message short, warm and specific. Say what changes, from when, and why in one sentence. Do not apologise at length or list your costs; it invites a negotiation you do not need.
Message to an existing family
Hi [Parent], I review my rates once a year, and from [date] my lesson price will be [new price] per [lesson / hour / month], up from [old price]. Nothing else changes: same day, same time, same plan for [student]. Thank you for working with me, and let me know if you have any questions.
Message with a delayed rise
Hi [Parent], from [date] my price for new students is [new price]. Because [student] has been with me since [month], your price stays at [old price] until [later date], and then moves to [new price]. Thank you for your trust.
Reply to a parent who asks for the old price
I understand, and I appreciate you asking. The new price applies to all families from [date], so I can't keep the old one, but I'd be glad to keep teaching [student]. If the timing is hard, we could move to [fewer lessons / every other week] for a while.
A step-by-step plan for your next price rise
- 1
Pick the date
Choose the first day of a billing cycle, ideally at the start of a term or year, at least a month away.
- 2
Pick the new price and the approach
Decide the new rate and whether current families move now, later, or not at all.
- 3
Update your public price first
Change the price on your profile, website or directory listings so new enquiries see it before current families hear about it.
- 4
Message each family
Send the message individually, not in a group chat. Ask them to reply so you have a record.
- 5
Update your billing
Change the price where your invoices are built, so the first invoice after the date uses it without manual edits.
- 6
Answer questions once, then move on
Most families reply with a short yes. A few will ask questions. Answer kindly and do not reopen the decision.
Changing the price in Tutitor
In Tutitor a price lives on the subject, and you can override it for one student. That makes the common approaches simple. To raise the price for new students only, raise the subject price and give current students their old price as a per-student override. To raise it for everyone, change the subject price.
When you change a price, lessons that are already on an invoice keep their amount. If some past lessons are not invoiced yet, Tutitor asks whether they should use the old price or the new one, so the rise starts exactly when you said it would.
Common questions
How often should a private tutor raise their rates?
Once a year is a common rhythm, on a fixed date such as the start of the school year. Raise sooner if your schedule is full and you are turning students away.
How much notice should I give for a tutoring price increase?
At least one month for families who pay monthly, and many tutors give a full term. Tell families before they commit to the next billing period.
Will I lose students if I raise my prices?
You may lose a few, and that can still leave you better off. Work out how many lessons you could lose before the rise stops paying for itself, using your own price and hours.
Should I explain why I am raising my rates?
One short sentence is enough, such as a yearly review or a new qualification. A long justification invites negotiation.
Can I charge new students more than existing ones?
Yes. Charging new families the new price while current families keep the old one for a while is common. Just apply the rule the same way to everyone in the same situation.
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