How Paper compares to typical academic support options

Providing writing help and feedback is painstaking work. Most teachers don't have the bandwidth to review an assignment more than once. But learners need timely, frequent feedback spanning grammar, structure, and style elements to develop strong writing skills.

Ten p.m. might be the only time a learner can study for their test or do their homework. But when they get stuck, they're all alone. Students need help—and deserve it—any time of the day (or night) when they're willing to put in the work.

Students need help wherever they do their homework: whether that's on break at a job, on a long bus ride, while babysitting siblings, when they're studying at a classmate’s home, or anywhere else.

In the span of two hours, a learner could need extra help in U.S. history, French, and physics. Students and guardians shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to get all the support they need.

Learners sometimes need quick help to get unstuck on their work, and they shouldn’t have to wait minutes or hours for their turn or appointment. Other times, learners need a longer session to grasp bigger concepts. No matter the scenario, they should be afforded all the time they need.

Whether their after-school routine includes a demanding sports team or work schedule, many students have commitments that make it difficult—or impossible—to attend scheduled help sessions. Flexible tutoring availability means students with additional commitments aren't left out when they need help.

Many students need to work or care for siblings immediately after school, lack money to hire tutors, have guardians who aren't able to help with schoolwork, or rely on the school bus as their only way to get home. Regardless, all students should have equal opportunity to access academic support.

To understand where students have learning gaps and tailor classroom goals, teachers need insights into the areas where learners are asking for help, how they're progressing, and how often they seek assistance.

To effectively plan professional development and best allocate school resources, administrators need to understand how often students seek extra help across every subject area.

Planning for capacity is a major challenge when providing extra help in a cost-effective manner. Part-time staff can be difficult to schedule, and demand is unpredictable. Sometimes, you pay for tutoring time that goes unused. Other times, dozens of students show up, and you’re short-staffed. Academic support systems should be cost-effective and properly staffed—always. 

Most students need extra help because they weren't able to grasp a concept in a large classroom setting. The most effective help supplements the classroom with a different approach: personalized support tailored specifically to each learner's challenge areas.

Some learners are reluctant to use school-provided extra help because they fear being judged negatively by their peers. Students should be afforded privacy when addressing their learning challenges. 

Budgeting accurately is critical—and often very challenging for school administrators. Extra help can have large variable costs that disrupt even the most tightly controlled budget and place a hard cap on how often students can access critical support. Fixed pricing is key to avoiding this issue.