Student FAQs

 
 

What is UPchieve? +

UPchieve is an edtech nonprofit. We provide free online tutoring and college counseling to help middle school and high school students in the United States, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We’re on a mission to democratize academic support across the United States by offering this service. Why? Because all students should have an equal opportunity to succeed and achieve upward mobility regardless of whether they can afford a tutor or not.

Using our website or tutoring app, students can request and get paired with a live volunteer tutor in under 5 minutes. So far, we’ve matched 35,000+ on-demand tutoring requests from 8,000+ students across all 50 states, and our work has been recognized by Forbes and TIME.

Learn more about our mission and meet the team.

How does UPchieve work? +

  1. Create an UPchieve account or sign-in if you already have one.
  2. Choose the subject you need help in and connect with a tutor or college counselor within 5-10 minutes
  3. Use the chat and whiteboard to work with your academic coach. You can ask them any academic question—this is a judgment-free zone!

Is UPchieve safe? +

UPchieve has many policies and procedures in place that are designed to keep students safe! For starters, all of our Academic Coaches go through a lengthy screening, approval, and onboarding process. We also monitor sessions on the platform to ensure student safety. However, at the end of the day, you’re still talking to strangers on the internet—that’s why we recommend that you never share personal information like your full name or where you live with anyone online, including your coach!

Is this really free? How do you make money? +

UPchieve's online tutoring is 100% free and always will be! As a nonprofit organization, our revenue comes from charitable donations from individuals and foundations who support our mission to democratize academic support.

ELIGIBILITY AND PERMISSIONs

Who can use UPchieve? +

Any student who attends an eligible middle school, or high school or lives in an eligible zip code can use UPchieve. If you’re a student from a public high school in the United States, you’re likely eligible! Sign-up now!

Do I need my parents’ or school’s permission before using UPchieve? +

No! We intentionally designed UPchieve's platform so that you could use it without waiting for your parent or school's permission. That being said, if your parent, teacher, or school has questions about UPchieve, please feel free to direct them to our website or have them reach out to support@upchieve.org.

It says that I was ineligible. What does that mean? +

UPchieve is for students whose families can’t afford to pay for a tutor. Our current eligibility screening requires that you attend a Title I school or live in a low-income zip code. However, if you believe you believe that you are eligible to use UPchieve please fill out our request access form.

If you are under the age of 18, you may need a parent or guardian’s help to complete this form as we ask for your financial situation.

I'm a college student. Can I use UPchieve? +

We know that college students need help too, but right now we don't have the capacity to do so. Please visit this page where you'll find helpful resources for college students.

ACADEMIC COACHES AND SUBJECTS

What is an Academic Coach? +

Our Academic Coaches are volunteers from all over the world who want to help students and believe that you shouldn’t have to pay for the support you need to succeed in school. Since our coaches live all across the world, there’s always someone who can help you no matter what day and time. Our volunteers are college students, university professors, stay-at-home parents, and professionals from all industries and walks of life. Needless to say, you’ll find someone that can help you :)

What subjects can I get help in? +

Currently, you can chat with an academic coach to help you with the following subjects:

  • Math Tutoring:
    • 6th grade math
    • 7th grade math
    • 8th grade math
    • Pre-algebra
    • Algebra 1
    • Algebra 2
    • Geometry
    • Trigonometry
    • Statistics
    • Precalculus
    • Calculus AB
    • Integrated Math 1
    • Integrated Math 2
    • Integrated Math 3
    • Integrated Math 4
  • Science Tutoring:
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Physics
    • Physics 1
    • Computer Science Principles

You don’t have the subject I need. Are you planning on launching it soon? +

If we offer a similar subject, you can request help in that subject and see if the coach is able to support you (for example, if we offer physics 1, but you need help in physics 2).

You can help us decide what subject to launch next by signing up for UPchieve and complete our Contact Us form in the app. We let all our registered students know when a new subject has been launched, so please be on the lookout for our email announcements.

USE CASE AND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

What can I use UPchieve for? +

Our Academic Coaches can help you in many scenarios of student life! Request a session when you need to:

  • Finish a hard homework assignment that you’re stuck on
  • Prepare for a quiz, mid-term, or final exam
  • Review things that you got wrong on a quiz
  • Go over the material you missed when you were absent
  • Help understand concepts that you’re struggling with … or didn’t want to ask in front of everyone during class!
  • Understand the process of college planning and applications
  • Get help preparing for your SAT exams
  • And more!

What can I NOT use UPchieve for? +

Students may not use UPchieve to cheat on their assignments. This includes asking for help with questions from an exam, using the platform to get answers to your homework without making an effort to participate, or asking a coach to write an essay for you. If your teacher would be mad at you, it’s probably cheating.

How can I make sure that I can keep using UPchieve? +

Our top priority is to keep UPchieve a safe and supportive environment for everyone! Help us keep our community thriving by adhering to our community guidelines below.

  • Privacy and sharing contact info: All communications must occur on the UPchieve platform. Users may not share or request contact information (email, phone number, or social media handle) or other personally identifiable information (last name or address) with each other. Users also may not share links to third-party sites like Zoom or Google Hangouts.
  • Academic integrity and asking for the answers: Students may not use UPchieve to cheat on their assignments. This includes asking for help with questions from an exam, using the platform to get answers without making an effort to participate, or asking a coach to write an essay for you. Coaches may not knowingly help a student cheat, should not provide answers to students, and should always encourage student participation.
  • Language and subject matter: Neither students nor coaches are permitted to use inappropropriate or offensive language (such as swear words, insults, or slurs), discuss inappropriate topics (such as violence or sexual topics), or share media related to any of the above.
  • Respecting each other and each other’s boundaries: Everyone on UPchieve deserves to be treated with respect. Students and coaches should notify UPchieve if any user makes them feel uncomfortable, pushes them on a question they are not comfortable with, or violates a stated boundary.

Violating these guidelines may result in your account being put under review and ultimately being suspended from the platform.

TECHNICAL ISSUES AND OTHER QUESTIONS

I don't remember my password +

No worries, it happens to everyone! You can reset your password here

I'm still having problems logging in +

If resetting your password doesn't work and you're still having problems logging in, please contact us and we'll do our best to get you back on UPchieve.

Why aren’t my requests being picked up? +

We’re sorry you haven't been able to get matched with a coach! We try our best to ensure there are enough coaches on the platform for all our students' requests, but sometimes requests aren’t matched. This most often happens if you’re making a request in one of our higher-level subjects (like Statistics or Physics) or late at night (e.g., after midnight ET). We recommend you come back and try making another request in at least an hour OR try during our most popular time: between 12am - 12pm Eastern Time.

I still have questions. How can I get in touch with your team? +

We’re happy to answer them! Just fill out our contact form.

Not a student? Visit the Volunteer FAQs.