TutoringZone is an educational services company dedicated to improving students’ performance in the classroom by enhancing their mastery of the curriculum and familiarity with the tools for success in a challenging university environment.

A number of professors have begun to reference TutoringZone in their syllabi or in their classes. To see these references, click here. For those of you who are not familiar with us, we hope that you will read on.

Our goal is to provide effective tutoring in small groups, leading to success in the classroom at an affordable price. Our emphasis is on personal interaction. In our experience, students learn best when they can work with an instructor and perform numerous practice exercises. 

We hire and train exceptional instructors who can engage the student and challenge them to perform, while also entertaining and encouraging them. We are an effective supplement to the classroom. Students who go to class, read the book, and attend TutoringZone perform much better than their peers. TutoringZone is NOT a substitute for class. We do NOT nor will we ever show students how to cheat, encourage them to skip class, or otherwise engage in conduct detrimental to the learning process.    

TutoringZone was founded in 2001 by a former UF instructor. We began by offering tutoring sessions for students in selected business classes.  Since that time, we have expanded to offer tutorial programs for over 30 undergraduate classes at UF: Mathematics, Pre-Med, and many of the general Business classes. We have expanded to locations in Athens and Tallahassee, serving students of the University of Georgia and Florida State University, respectively.

We believe that if we clearly illustrate our role as partners in the learning process, the University community will consider us when they encourage students to use each and every resource for their course. Private tutoring, discussion sections, and athletic tutoring all provide substantially similar services as TutoringZone.

The original idea for TutoringZone was to bring the benefits of a small, elite, private university to students at a large, public university at a fraction of the cost. If students spent $25,000 per year on tuition, then they would expect a discussion section to be included. TutoringZone is dedicated to fulfilling that role at larger public universities. 

TutoringZone provides students with access to a professional tutor in a constant learning model as you would find at much more expensive institutions. If a student can benefit from this type of interaction, then it is available in a fun and friendly environment at a reasonable cost. If they are more self-motivated and do not wish to utilize our services, they benefit from the absolute lowest tuition available anywhere. 

We have heard a number of individuals proclaim that ‘students should not have to pay’ for this type of service. Although this is a reasonable goal, it is simply not possible. In economics they refer to the principle of TANSTAAFL. That is, 'There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch'.  If the University provides discussion sections or ‘free’ tutoring, then there is a commensurate increase in costs.  Essentially, students that do not use the ‘free’ tutoring are paying for those that do.  

We believe that our learning model could be employed at hundreds of public institutions nationwide and usher in an era where a public-private education partnership emerges. Our model allows students the choice of whether or not they need additional help instead of forcing them to pay for it through higher mandatory fees.

We would also like to take time to distinguish our services from those of some of our ‘competitors’.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and any visitor to campus can attest to the fact that these days there are a huge number of services competing for the students’ money. How are we different? We are dedicated to partnering with the University to help students in a responsible and conscientious manner. In addition to expertise in their field, all of our tutors undergo a minimum of 3-6 months of training before they tutor their first student.    

In addition, TutoringZone believes it is important to give back and actively encourages all of our employees and customers to become active and informed citizens of their local communities.  If you are so inclined, please click here.

• Financial Assistance – We do NOT want money to be the reason a student can’t get the help they need. So, we offer a ‘pay it forward’ approach for the student to receive all of the tutoring they want, for free! The student signs up to be a tutor/mentor with a local non-profit (such as CHAMPS or Big Brothers Big Sisters), and we  provide all the tutoring they want at no cost.  
• FREE MONEY! – We offer a couple of chances for students to flex their creative muscles:
  • TZ Scholarship – Two prizes (1^st and 2^nd places).  We do NOT consider things like GPA or activities.  The winners are selected based upon their response to a short essay.
  • TZ Business Idea Competition – As entrepreneurs, we love to encourage the entrepreneur within everyone.  The business idea competition asks students to write down a 2–3 page description of an idea for a business that they would consider opening. The entries are judged by our panel, which includes a UF professor of entrepreneurship, distinguished alumni and venture capitalists. We offer this program in conjunction with the UF Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Last year’s winner competed in the finals of the CEI’s Business Plan Competition and has just opened for business. They are well on their way to success! 
• Real Life 101 – TutoringZone has created a unique and innovative internship through the Honors Department at UF. Each semester 10 interns participate in our “Real Life 101” Internship. They learn about various aspects of running a small business and in the process gain valuable experience for their job search. Real Life 101 is a combination of classroom and hands-on experience designed to teach the unique lessons that apply to an entrepreneurial start-up.
• Standardized Test Prep – We offer innovative and affordable test prep for the GRE, GMAT and LSAT exams.

Thank you again for taking the time to read more about us and the role that we play in undergraduate education. Together, we can help to achieve the goal of imparting valuable skills and knowledge to the student body, and help to prepare them for the next stage in their journey. 

 We value any feedback or suggestions you might have. Please feel free to e-mail us with your comments  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it