Publishers Are Offering Free Tutoring to College Students

The American fall college semester is still a work in progress. While some institutions once planned a partial or full reopening of campus, recent coronavirus outbreaks have changed that calculus. Many students are being told to prepare for another virtual semester. Many educators are growing more worried about the long-term learning gaps that may crop up as a result. In answer, education publishers are coming forward with free tutoring services for college students.

McGraw Hill Partners with TutorMe to Offer Free Tutoring to College Students

For the summer and upcoming fall, McGraw Hill is offering one hour of free tutoring to college students. The service is provided by TutorMe, which connects knowledgeable tutors with students via a live online environment.

McGraw Hill initially teamed up with Zovio (formerly Bridgepoint Education) to offer tutoring services last year. Zovio had recently acquired the company in April of 2019. Over the fall 2019 semester, McGraw Hill launched a pilot program offering TutorMe services via its digital learning platform, Connect.

“TutorMe and McGraw Hill share a foundational commitment to the academic success of students,” said Myles Hunter, CEO and co-founder of TutorMe, in a statement. “We are excited that following an initial trial program, McGraw Hill has decided to offer TutorMe to all its Connect students. Their decision speaks volumes to their commitment to putting their students’ learning first.”

Cengage Is Offering Free Math Readiness Bootcamps

Meanwhile, Cengage is making math readiness bootcamps available to college students. The publisher is specifically targeting incoming freshmen who likely experienced significant disruptions in their final year of high school.

Via their online learning platform WebAssign, Cengage is offering free tutoring to college students with their College Math Readiness Bootcamp and their Calculus Readiness Bootcamp.

The curriculum has a personalized component. College students begin by completing an initial assessment. Based on the knowledge they demonstrate, they are then assigned resulting course work to fill any gaps.

Cengage is also allowing faculty to use WebAssign modify or author their own summer work to make available for incoming students.

“For many college students, math is a stumbling block, which impacts retention and college completion. Instructors have long lamented summer learning loss, which is typically more pronounced for math, and likely to be further amplified this fall due to disruptions experienced this spring from COVID-19,” said Erin Joyner, Senior Vice President for Higher Education Product at Cengage, in a statement. “That, coupled with a higher number of unemployed adult learners heading to college to learn new skills, means there is a real need for math remediation to ensure incoming college students are prepared for success.”

Many Other Resources Are Available

The free tutoring services for college students offered by Cengage and McGraw Hill are just some of those that individuals can access. Times Higher Education Journal has compiled a running list of free educational resources.

It remains unclear how higher education will progress through the 2020-21 school year. But for the time being, numerous online services, tools, and resources are available to help with any disruptions created by the rapid shutdowns schools experienced this spring.

Featured Image: Dylan Ferreira, Unsplash.