Tutoring Agreements and Parent Consent, Signed Online
Private tutors and learning centers work with families, which means two audiences at once: the student who does the work and the parent who signs and pays. Codec Document helps tutors send a clear agreement to parents, covering sessions, cancellations and payments, and collect any consent needed for online sessions or trips, all signed from a phone.
Cancelled sessions and prepaid packages cause most disputes
A student cancels an hour before the session, again. A family prepays twenty sessions and then asks for a refund after eight. A parent is surprised that the price changed in September. Tutors who handle this without a written agreement end up absorbing the cost of every cancellation, because asking for payment feels awkward without a policy the family agreed to. A signed agreement turns an awkward conversation into a reminder.
How it helps tutors
Agreements signed by the parent
Rate, schedule, cancellation window and payment terms, signed by the parent or guardian, who is the party able to contract.
Package terms that are clear
How many sessions, when they expire and what happens to unused sessions, agreed when the package is purchased.
Consent for online sessions and recordings
Permission to hold sessions by video and, if you record them, how recordings are used and stored.
Contractor agreements for learning centers
Centers that work with independent tutors keep their agreements, rates and confidentiality terms on file.
Minors, parents and online services
Contracts signed by minors are generally voidable by the minor, which is why tutoring agreements for students under 18 should be signed by a parent or guardian. If you collect personal information online from children under 13, for example through an online learning platform you operate, the Children Online Privacy Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. § 6501 and following, and the FTC COPPA Rule require verifiable parental consent. Parents can sign agreements and consent forms electronically under the ESIGN Act, 15 U.S.C. § 7001.
The twenty-session package
A math tutor in New Jersey sold a family a 20-session SAT package at a discount. After eight sessions, the student lost interest and the parent asked for a full refund of the remaining twelve at the undiscounted rate. The tutor signed agreement said unused sessions could be refunded at the single-session price minus the discount. The parent accepted the calculation without argument, because it was exactly what she had signed in August.
What to put in writing with every family
- The subject, goals and schedule of sessions.
- The rate or package price, and when payment is due.
- The cancellation window and what happens to missed sessions.
- How unused sessions in a package are refunded.
- Consent for online sessions and, if you record them, how recordings are used.
- Who the tutor may communicate with, such as teachers or school counselors.
Questions people ask about this
Who should sign the tutoring agreement for a minor?
A parent or legal guardian. Add them as the signer; they receive the link and sign from their phone.
Can both parents sign?
Yes. Add both parents as signers if both should agree to the terms.
Can I change my rates for the new school year?
Yes. Send the updated agreement to families for signature so the new rate is agreed in writing.
Is there a free plan for independent tutors?
Yes. You can start free and upgrade when you have many families.
Can I use one agreement for several children in the same family?
Yes. List each student, their subjects and their schedule in the same agreement, signed once by the parent. If the terms differ, for example a test prep package for one child and weekly homework help for another, list them separately so it is clear which rate and cancellation policy applies to each student.
Documents tutors send most
- Service agreement template
- Independent contractor agreement
- Child travel consent form
- Sign a PDF online free