Oxford Learning vs. TutorLyft

Oxford Learning doesn't publish one national price. It says fees depend on the program, how often your child attends, and the city and province. One centre does list its prices: Oxford Learning South Surrey Panorama in BC charges a $250 enrolment fee, which includes the assessment, then $496 a month for 2 hours a week, $744 for 3 hours and $992 for 4 hours. Materials are included and there are no extra taxes. At 2 hours a week that works out to about $57 an hour, with your child sharing the teacher with two other students. South Surrey offers month-by-month tuition, a prepaid package or financing, and Oxford Learning says financing through iFinance is available at some centres. Ask your local centre for its written price list before you enrol.

Oxford Learning says it has a 30-day cancellation policy. Its website doesn't explain more than that. Before you enrol, or when you decide to leave, ask your centre to put the policy in writing: when the 30 days start, whether you pay for that period, and what happens to any prepaid hours. TutorLyft has no subscription: you pay per lesson, and you can cancel a lesson for free up to 24 hours before it starts.

Most centres run classes after school, about 4 to 8 pm Monday to Thursday, plus Saturday mornings. Oxford Learning recommends about 100 hours of instruction. At two 1-hour classes a week, that's about 8 hours a month, so roughly a year. On TutorLyft you decide how often lessons happen, from a single lesson before a test to a weekly slot.

Not at the one Oxford Learning centre that publishes prices. Canadian Kumon centres list $150 to $220 per subject a month, plus an $80 registration fee. The one Oxford Learning centre that publishes prices charges $496 a month for 2 hours a week, plus a $250 enrolment fee. They also work differently. Kumon is math and reading, with two short centre visits a week and daily worksheets at home. At Oxford Learning a teacher works with three students at a time through a program built from its assessment, covering more subjects, with some time for school homework.

It depends on what your child needs. Oxford Learning is built for steady skill-building over a school year: a teacher, two other students, Oxford's own workbooks, and regular progress meetings with you. That suits a child who needs better reading, writing or study habits. If your child needs help with a specific course, a test or a university class, a 1-on-1 tutor is usually the better fit, and on TutorLyft you choose who it is.

Yes. Almost every tutor offers a free phone consultation, so you can ask about their approach and your child's goals first. There's no subscription or sign-up fee, and if the first session isn't the right fit, we refund it and give you your next hour free with a new tutor.