Common Questions

What is Prima Tutor Connect?

Prima is a web-based platform built by a tutor and parent with the desire to fill the need for the appreciation that tutors deserve and the good education that students aspire to.  Prima Tutor Connect has the goal of facilitating the search for tutors and students, with easy-to-use filters and transparent pricing. 

How can I reset my password?

To reset your password, please go to “Sign In”, click "Forgot Password?" and then follow the instructions to reset a new password. 

How do I change my e-mail address?

To change your email address, please log into your account, click on “My Profile”, and change the email address field. Click "Update Details" to save your new email. 

What are Prima's hours of operation?

Prima’s hours of operations are Monday through Friday 9:00AM – 5:00PM (PST).

Who do I contact for support?

For general inquiries, please contact:    admin@primatutorconnect.com

For copyright related inquiries, please contact: dmcaagent@primatutorconnect.com

Does Prima deduct from what I am charging the students?

Prima DOES NOT deduct anything from what tutors charge students.  Tutors receive 100% of what they charge students.   

How is the pricing structure on Prima?

Pricing on the Platform is simple: Tutors decide at what price they will offer their services. The Platform then displays the total amount that includes the price charged by Tutors plus Prima’s Service Fee to students who may wish to purchase.

How can I join Prima Tutor Connect as a tutor?

Join Prima by clicking here to register for an account. In your registration process, you'll set your rates, create a profile to advertise to students, tell us how to pay you by accessing Stripe, pay the candidate background screening fee of $17.99, and proceed through a candidate background screening (formerly known as “background check”) process.

In order for a tutor’s profile to be active on Prima, the tutor  must clear a candidate background screening process and must provide their banking information with Stripe so that Prima can send the tutor the payments that tutor charges students. Please see Tutor Operational Policy, Independent Contractor Agreement, Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.

How much is the candidate background screening fee?

The candidate background screening fee is only $17.99.

What do I need to do after a lesson was completed?

Following the scheduled lesson date/time, Tutors MUST update the status of the lesson by logging into the Tutor Dashboard at https://primatutorconnect.com/sign-in. When you log in, find the section labeled “Update Lesson Status”. Find the lesson that you wish to update, and click “Completed,” “Cancellation Policy Applies,” or click to reschedule the lesson to another date in the future.  Updating the lesson status to “Completed” or “Cancellation Policy Applies” will notify the student, and students have 5 (five) calendar days to file a dispute. If no dispute is filed, the Tutor will be paid by the 6th (sixth) business day after updating the lesson status. Please see Tutor Operational Policy for further details. 

What is Prep Time?

It takes time for tutors to prepare for a lesson, plan new curriculums, prepare homework, grade assignments, provide lesson summaries, and everything else that you do outside of the lesson time itself! At Prima Tutor Connect, we believe that tutors should be compensated for this time. If you choose to offer Prep Time for a subject or exam, students will have the option to purchase Prep Time, together with lesson time, and it is the student’s choice whether to purchase these services. If you choose to not offer Prep Time for a subject of exam, but a student wishes to purchase Prep Time, it is your choice whether to offer these services. You can define what services you'd like to include in Prep Time, and it may differ from student to student, if you choose. Please communicate this to the student so they know what to expect. 

Where do I receive my payment?

During the registration process, you will be prompted to add a debit card or bank account where you'd like to receive your lesson payments. Please see Tutor Operational Policy and other documentation mentioned above for further details.

How do I update my banking information?

To update where you'd like to receive payments, please log into your account, click Payouts, which will direct you to your Stripe account. From there, click on Account, and then update your information as needed. 

How do I get paid?

Are the candidate screening fees refundable if I cancel the registration, or changed my mind after I have entered my payment information?

No, they are not refundable.

Who performs the candidate background screening?

The candidate background screening is being performed by a third-party vendor, Clear Star, Inc., retained by Prima.

How can I contact Clear Star, Inc. - the third-party candidate background screening provider?

Tutors can contact Clear Star, Inc. the candidate background screening provider, at 1-877-275-7099, or via e-mail at connect@clearstar.net

How does the candidate background screening process work? 

All Prima tutors are required to clear a candidate background screening process in order for their profile to be active on Prima. During the registration process, tutors will be provided with information regarding the candidate background screening process. After you have completed the application on Prima, including the payment for the candidate screening fee, you will receive an email from Prima or the third-party vendor, Clear Star, Inc., and you will need to follow the steps and instructions provided in order to complete your candidate background screening. Please complete the necessary steps and instructions within the time frame provided in the e-mail that you will be receiving regarding the candidate background screening process to avoid having to restart the process.

Do I need to contact student to schedule lesson(s)?

Yes, and as soon as possible. After a student purchases a lesson or lessons with a tutor, an e-mail is being sent to tutor advising the tutor that the student is waiting to hear from the tutor.  It is recommended that the tutor connects with the student as soon as possible as the student is free to change tutors and a delayed response may result in the student finding a different tutor. The student pays for the lesson or lessons with a tutor when the student is requesting the lesson or lessons and before scheduling. As such, the tutor may lose the opportunity of scheduling lesson(s) with the student if the student decides to change tutor.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. 

What if a subject I want to tutor is not listed on the website?

If the subject or exam is not available, please contact us at admin@primatutorconnect.com, and we'll try to add it to the list of subjects or exams! 

How can students contact me?

Students who are interested in your services may contact you through your profile using the "Ask a Question" form. These inquiries are sent directly to the email address you have provided in your Prima account. Please respond to inquiries as soon as possible. In addition, once students book lessons with you, they will be able to contact you via email through their Dashboard. 

My student did not show up for their lesson. Will I still be paid?

Yes, unless student canceled within the cancellation window as per your cancellation policy or if there is a dispute to the lesson(s).  If the student canceled within the cancellation window or there is a dispute with regards to the lesson(s), the student will not pay due to valid cancellation or dispute.  If your student did not show up for your lesson and did not cancel within the cancellation policy and your lesson schedule was added to Prima ahead of time, then please log into your account, find the lesson on your Dashboard, and click "Cancellation Policy Applies".  You must log into your account and access Dashboard within 5 (five) calendar days of the lesson scheduled date. We recommend that you add a cancellation and makeup policy on your profile to help students understand your policies and prevent disputes. Note that students have the option to dispute any lesson status for 5 (five) calendar days after the status is updated to “Completed” or “Cancellation Policy Applies”.  

Can I reschedule a lesson?

Your schedule is completely up to you and your student(s). If you need to reschedule a lesson, please contact your student.  Then, please log into your account and schedule a lesson or multiple or recurrent lessons according to the agreement between you and student, accordingly. 

Can I cancel a lesson?

Your schedule is completely up to you and your student(s). If you need to cancel a lesson, please contact your student.  You can also provide a cancellation window. 

How many subjects can I teach?

As many as you like! You can customize your rate, prep time, the levels that you teach, number of years of experience in each subject or exam, etc. 

What is the maximum number of students I can teach?

There are no limits set by Prima Tutor Connect, and this decision is entirely yours. 

Do I have to teach all lessons that a student books for me?

No. The lessons are not imposed on you, and you are not required to teach all lessons. You can choose to teach how many you wish. If you choose to teach only one lesson, please do not schedule any other lessons, and advise the student appropriately. 

Can I stop receiving tutoring requests?

Yes! You can hide your profile to stop receiving any new student tutoring requests by logging into your account, click on “My Profile”, and then turn on "Hide your profile from accepting new students", and click "Update Details" to save this setting.  This will hide your profile for all subjects and exams that you tutor. If you want to receive tutoring requests again, simply follow the procedure above and toggle “Hide your profile from accepting new students” and click “Update Details” again and click "Update Details" to save the setting.  

How can I update my profile information?

Update your profile by logging into your account, click on My Profile, then click on Update Advertised Profile & Rates. Make sure to go through all pages to Save and complete your updates!

How do I opt out of text message?

To unsubscribe from automated text messages sent to your mobile phone number, respond to the text with the word STOP.

How do I opt in to receive text messages?

If you accidentally opt out and want to opt back in, text the word START to (657) 366-5033 from your mobile phone.

Do you allow tutors outside of the United States?

No. Prima platform is limited to the United States of America only. 

What are the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy?

Please view the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy here.

How can I deactivate my account?

Please contact customer service at admin@primatutorconnect.com

How can I register as a student?

You can register as a student following these simple steps:
1) Choose the Subject or Exam category you'd like to find a tutor for.
2) Select a tutor of your choice and view their qualifications, policies, session info, ask a question and more. Click Continue to Booking.
3) Select your preferred lesson length, the number of lessons, and whether you'd like to purchase Prep Time (subject to tutor's offerings).
4) You will be redirected to register your account to proceed with the booking. If you already have an account, you can sign in.

You can also visit the “How to Book a Lesson” tab for more information.

How do I book lesson(s)?

To book a lesson or more, search for your subject or exam of interest here. Once you have selected your subject or exam of interest, use the filters on the left to find tutors by related subjects/exams, academic degree, years of experience, rating, number of lessons taught, and more! 

What subjects can I search for?

You can search and select from a comprehensive list of subjects and exams, including but not limited to language proficiency exams.  See the complete list of subjects and exams here. If a subject or exam is not listed, please contact us at admin@primatutorconnect.com and we'll look into potentially add it to the list.  

I didn't find the subject/exam I'm looking for.

If a subject or exam is not listed, please contact us at admin@primatutorconnect.com and we'll look into potentially add it to the list.  

Do you have a list of language proficiency exam?

Yes! Prima Tutor Connect offers a comprehensive list of standardized and language proficiency exams to use as a filter in searching for a tutor. Please see the list also here to search for tutors! If your exam or language is not in our list, please contact us at admin@primatutorconnect.com 

My tutor didn't arrive for my scheduled session. What do I do?

Please contact your tutor to reschedule.  In addition to contacting your tutor, you can also contact us at admin@primatutorconnect.com

Can I keep the same tutor for every lesson if I like their teaching style?

Prima cannot guarantee that you can keep the same tutor.  It is up to the tutor whether the tutor can continue tutoring with you.  Please contact your tutor for details. 

Are there any technical requirements to book a session?

Tutors determine their methods or technology used for tutoring. Please contact your tutor to find out what technology requirements you will need in order to receive tutoring. 

What is Prep Time?

Going beyond the lesson time by benefiting from your tutor’s lesson summaries, new curriculum, providing you with homework, grade assignments, and everything else that tutors do outside of the lesson time itself, it is an enhancement that Prima offers to its users! At Prima Tutor Connect, we believe that students should have the option to receive such additional extra attention to their tutoring sessions, subject to tutors’ offering of these services. If a Tutor offers Prep Time, students will have the option to purchase Prep Time, together with lesson time. If a Tutor does not offer Prep Time, but students wish to purchase Prep Time, students can contact the tutor and inquire into whether the Tutor(s) can offer this service to students.  

How are the tutoring lessons held?

Lessons methods are the choice of the tutor. Use the filters provided on Prima to filter for online or in-person tutoring.  Further, please check tutor’s profile to seem if the tutor has specified their preferred web conferencing platform for online tutoring (ex. Zoom, Google Meet, WebEx, etc.) or driving radius for in-person tutoring.  Tutor and student can discuss and agree on a tutoring method of their choice. 

For online tutoring, what online platform do you use?

Tutors are responsible to provide you with the method or online platform that they use for their online tutoring. This information can be found on tutor’s profile, or you can contact the tutor(s) directly to ask. 

Are tutoring days and times flexible?

Scheduling is solely up to the tutors and their availability. Please contact your tutor to inquire about scheduling. You can contact the tutor by sending a message from their profile by clicking "Ask a Question". 

What is the cancellation and make-up policy?

Please check the tutors’ profile to determine the cancellation and/or make-up policy for tutoring sessions, or you can contact them directly to ask. Please note that as a student, if you do not show up for your tutoring session(s), or you have canceled a tutoring session or sessions outside the cancellation window, you will be charged for this session or these sessions. 

What are the lengths of each tutoring session?

Please check the tutors’ profile to find out the lengths of tutoring sessions, or you can contact them directly to ask. Tutors may specify the tutoring session lengths they would like to offer which could be 30, 45, 60, 90 or 120 minutes or other time range.  

How much do the tutors charge for tutoring?

Each tutor has the flexibility to set their own rates for tutoring sessions - lesson time or Prep Time (if they choose to Prep Time). Tutors have the flexibility to choose what lengths of sessions they would like to offer. Find a tutor in your subject or exam of interest here and explore the different rates available to you! 

To take advantage of package discounts, purchase or schedule more lessons! 5-9 lesson packages receive 3% off lesson fees, 10-14 lesson packages receive 5% off lesson fees, and 15 lesson packages receive 7% off lesson fees! There are no discounts for Prep Time charges. 

How is the pricing structure on Prima?

Pricing on the Platform is simple: Tutors decide at what price they will offer their services. The Platform then displays the total amount that includes the price charged by Tutors plus Prima’s Service Fee to students who may wish to purchase.

To take advantage of package discounts, purchase or schedule more lessons! 5-9 lesson packages receive 3% off lesson fees, 10-14 lesson packages receive 5% off lesson fees, and 15 lesson packages receive 7% off lesson fees! There are no discounts for Prep Time charges.

What are the fees for students?

The Prima fees are separate from the charges that tutors charge. Prima fees for students are called “Service Fees.”. The “Service Fee” is a percentage rounded to the next whole number in increments of 5 (five) of the amount charged by tutor for lesson(s), and Prep Time if applicable, and are assessed with each purchase for tutoring whether it is subject-based lesson or exam-based lesson, and each purchase for lesson time, and Prep Time, as follows:

• For subject-based or exam-based lessons:
  • 25% of the Lesson Fee* plus an additional amount to round to the next whole number in increments of 5 (five)
  • 20% of Prep Time Fee plus an additional amount to round to the next whole number in increments of 5 (five)

Are there discounts if I purchase a package of lessons?

To take advantage of package discounts, purchase or schedule more lessons! 5-9 lesson packages receive 3% off lesson fees, 10-14 lesson packages receive 5% off lesson fees, and 15 lesson packages receive 7% off lesson fees! There are no discounts for Prep Time charges. 

How can I purchase tutoring sessions – lessons or Prep Time?

Lessons are purchased prior to the lesson itself. There are 2 ways to purchase lessons. Students can purchase lessons through a tutor's profile by selecting the length of lessons, the number of lessons, and whether to add prep time (if the tutor offers it). Click on “Continue to Book”, then log in or register for an account, and then continue to confirm the payment details. Once you have purchased lessons, and Prep Time if applicable, with a tutor, tutors can also book additional lessons/Prep Time on your behalf. Once a schedule is agreed upon, a tutor can schedule those lessons/Prep Time which will be automatically charged to your card on your account. Tutors can schedule up to 15 lessons max.

What types of payment methods do you accept?

We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

What if the tutor does not contact me after I purchase lesson or I want to change tutors?

When Student purchases a lesson or lessons, an e-mail notification is being sent to the tutor chosen by the Student. If the Student decides to change the tutor before the lesson took place, either because the tutor has not contacted the Student or for any other reasons, the Student can make a request to credit the purchase of the Lesson Fee payment towards the Student’s account or for a refund of the Lesson Fee by contacting us at admin@primatutorconnect.com. The request for credit or refund of the Lesson Fee can be made only before the lesson took place, and it does not include circumstances where the cancellation policy applies. The Student understands that the Service Fee is non-refundable.  

As a student, what can I expect from my tutoring sessions?

What is included in a tutoring session and how the lesson will be conducted is defined by each tutor. Please contact your tutor for any questions by clicking "Ask a Question" on their tutor profile. 

Do I have to continue tutoring with a certain tutor?

No. If you choose to not continue with a tutor, and if you have purchased lessons or a package, then you can click "Change Tutor" on your Student Dashboard. You can search the database for tutors that meet your tutoring needs.  Prima does not guarantee you finding tutors. 

What do I do if my tutor updated the status of the lesson to Complete or Cancellation Policy Applies, but I believe it's incorrect?

If the lesson was updated to Complete or Cancellation Policy Applies, and you believe that it is an error, we encourage you to contact your tutor directly to resolve the issue. You may file a dispute with Prima within 5 (five) calendar days of the lesson status update. Please review the Student Operational Policy for this question and others. 

Do you have background screening?

Yes. We conduct a background screening process (colloquially known as a “background check”) for tutor candidates. The following is the tutor candidate background screening process that tutors undergo and pass before their profile is active on the Prima platform:

SSN Trace / Address History Locator
A trace of the provided Social Security Number for given name match and address history. The trace also returns the year and state of issue for the SSN provided (when available), if the SSN is validly issued, and a scan of the Death Master Index File.

County Criminal Records History
A primary source search of the tutor candidate's current county of residence.

Criminal Insight (national)
Includes U.S. criminal and state sex offender records, OFAC, national and international watch lists. Includes validation of any county hits supported by identifiers at the source jurisdiction for the name performed.

Although we conduct a background screening, we do not otherwise review and vet the credentials of tutors available on Prima. Therefore, we do not warrant that the background screening is completely thorough or that it guarantees complete safety to students, or guardians, or others. The background screening is limited in its coverage of local, state, federal, and international records, as well as other records. Although we are taking steps to provide users with some level of candidate background screening, students, guardians, or others should not rely on this background screening as the sole tool for ensuring safety of students, guardians, or others. If a student or guardian, as applicable, wishes to conduct a more comprehensive background screening, the student or guardian must communicate the request to Prima, and the student or guardian is responsible for all costs and fees associated with the more comprehensive background screening, or a repeated background screening.

The background screening is performed by a third-party professional background screening vendor, Clear Star, Inc., that can be contacted at the information below:

ClearStar
Clear Star, Inc.
www.clearstar.net
1-877-275-7099
connect@clearstar.net

How do I contact my tutor?

You can email your tutor directly. If you're unsure of your tutor's email address, you can log into your account, find your tutor on the Dashboard, and click "Email Tutor". 

How do I cancel my account? 

If you would no longer like to have your account active, please contact admin@primatutorconnect.com. Note that you can retain your account and leave it as inactive, if you ever want to come back and search for lessons or exams with the same or different tutor! 

Who do I contact for support?

Please contact us at: admin@primatutorconnect.com 

You can also choose other departments from here.