What: Chegg Study lures college tutors with promises of $20 hourly pay, but allows students to ask for as little as 5 minutes of help. 

Expected pay: $20 per hour

Husl $core: $$

Commissions & Fees: NA

Where: National

Requirements: Be over the age of 18; capable of tutoring at a college level

Review:

Chegg Study promises tutors that they can make $20 per hour. However, the site allows students to pay for as little as 5 minutes of help, which means you might get your $20 hourly rate in a bunch of five minute bites. Naturally, this means you really aren’t making $20 an hour.

Indeed, some tutors say they’re looking for gigs for hours and get a few minutes of work. Tutors also complain that when Chegg bought InstaEDU, the company brought on so many additional tutors that the existing tutors have trouble finding work. Some also complain that they were suddenly removed from the site, without explanation or warning.

Better tutoring work can be found at Varsity Tutors and Wyzant. You can also advertise your tutoring services on a neighborhood bulletin board, such as Nextdoor.

What their tutors say:

“I have been working at Chegg part-time for less than a year. You have to stare at your screen constantly to grab an opportunity when it pops up, since you’re fighting with every other tutor for the opportunity. Most students try to get the answers via chat (which you don’t get paid for), then find another tutor when you ask to start a paid lesson. At least half of the students ask me to do their entire assignment for them (usually a few hours before it’s due), which is against the rules for Chegg. When I decline, they don’t use me again.”

“Let’s Make a Deal” does tutoring: you’ll spend long stretches of time being glued to your computer, then must click on an “opportunity” before anyone else does. To get even one paying assignment, you must respond to sometimes dozens of requests from students looking for free or minimum-time time help ASAP. They advertise $20 an hour, but you won’t get an hour’s work. My first assignment was 5 minutes for $1.67. It’s strictly a nickel-and-dime operation, and a huge investment of tutor time for little return.”

“After they bought InstaEDU, where I was making hundreds of dollars in a month, the jobs died. I have to compete more so now to get students.  Honestly, after they bought InstaEDU, I haven’t even made $100. I think it is ridiculous the amount of tutors that are on the system because you will never get any jobs. You will sit with the browser open on “available” for hours and never end up in a lesson.”

 “The company has an indifferent attitude towards tutor quality. Will punish tutors and cancel payments if student CC’s don’t clear. Students can request then cancel lessons even if tutor work is done. Massive over-tutored (no real requirements for tutors). Students with experience know tutors are mostly under-qualified. Constant churn. It seems about getting new students to keep balance against those who understand the system and leave. The Chegg model is about churn, not quality or consistency.”

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