A private tutoring cancellation policy works in two directions: it protects you from the financial cost of last-minute cancellations and no-shows, and it signals to families that your time is valuable and your sessions are a serious commitment. Neither of those messages needs to be communicated harshly. A clear, professional policy does the work without any awkwardness.
Below are templates for the two most common tutoring business structures: per-session deposits for flexible or new-student arrangements, and monthly prepayment for ongoing recurring relationships.
Template 1: Per-session deposit (for new students and flexible schedules)
Short version (booking page or confirmation message):
"A deposit of $[amount] is required at booking to hold your session. The deposit is applied toward the session fee when the student attends. Sessions cancelled with at least 24 hours notice receive a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours or no-shows forfeit the deposit. To cancel: [contact method]."
Full version (for student/family agreement):
"Tutoring session cancellation policy , [Your name/business name]
Session deposit: A deposit of $[amount] is required at the time of booking to hold your session slot. This deposit is applied toward the session fee when the student attends.
Cancellation with adequate notice: Sessions cancelled at least 24 hours before the scheduled time will receive a full refund of the deposit, or the deposit may be transferred to a rescheduled session.
Late cancellation: Sessions cancelled within 24 hours of the scheduled time will result in the deposit being retained.
No-show: Failure to attend a scheduled session without prior notice will result in the deposit being retained and a session credit will not be provided.
Test prep and exam-proximity sessions: Sessions scheduled within 14 days of a major standardized exam (SAT, ACT, AP exam, or equivalent) require [48 hours notice / full session prepayment] due to the difficulty of filling these high-demand slots. This additional requirement will be communicated at the time of booking for qualifying sessions.
Tutor cancellation: If [your name] must cancel a session, the deposit will be refunded in full or applied to a rescheduled session at the family's preference. [Your name] will provide as much advance notice as possible for any tutor-initiated cancellation.
Online sessions: For online sessions, connection information is provided in the booking confirmation and session reminder. Failure to connect to an online session within 10 minutes of the scheduled start time will be treated as a no-show."
Template 2: Monthly prepayment (for recurring weekly students)
Short version:
"Sessions are billed monthly, due at the first session of each month. Monthly fees are based on the number of scheduled sessions that month. Lessons cancelled with 24 hours notice may be rescheduled within the same month, subject to availability. Same-day cancellations and no-shows are charged at the full rate."
Full version:
"Monthly tutoring policy , [Your name/business name]
Monthly billing: Sessions are billed at the start of each month based on the number of scheduled sessions that calendar month. Payment is due at or before the first session of the month.
Rescheduling: Sessions cancelled with at least 24 hours notice may be rescheduled within the same calendar month at a mutually available time. Rescheduled sessions do not carry over to the following month.
Late cancellations and no-shows: Sessions cancelled within 24 hours or missed without notice are charged at the full session rate. No credit or reschedule is available for same-day cancellations or no-shows.
Extended breaks: Students planning extended absences (school break, vacation, illness recovery) should notify [your name] at least one week in advance. Session slots may be held for up to two weeks for documented absences; longer absences may result in the slot being offered to another student.
Discontinuation: One week's notice is required to discontinue ongoing tutoring. The final month's sessions will be billed per the schedule in place at the time of notice."
How to introduce the policy to new families
The policy should appear in three places before a family's first session: your booking page (where the deposit is collected), the confirmation message sent after booking, and any welcome or intake communication you send. This triple exposure creates a clear record of the agreement and makes the policy feel like a standard part of your professional practice, not an afterthought.
For families who reach out by phone or email rather than through your booking link, confirm the deposit requirement in your response before the first session is scheduled: "I'd love to work with [student]. To hold their first session, I collect a $[amount] deposit through my booking page. Here's the link, the cancellation policy is shown at checkout." Documenting this exchange protects you if the policy is disputed later.
Adapting the policy for test prep engagements
Test prep tutoring has a natural package structure that simplifies the cancellation policy. A test prep engagement of 8 to 12 sessions over 6 to 10 weeks before an exam can be sold as a package with full or partial prepayment, a stated expiration (the exam date), and a non-refundable clause after the first session. This structure is common in the test prep industry and well-understood by families who are hiring you specifically for exam preparation.
Package language: "The [exam name] prep package of [number] sessions covers the period from [start date] through [exam date]. The package fee of $[amount] is due [at the first session / in two equal payments]. Sessions in this package are non-transferable to other tutoring subjects and do not carry over past the exam date. Cancellations within 7 days of the exam date are non-refundable."
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