Tutoring begins in Week 2 of each fall and spring semester. Peer and professional tutors provide individual and group consultations for math, sciences, writing for all disciplines, and a variety of other courses. Students may also contact the SSC for consultations about study, test-taking, and time management strategies. On-campus and Zoom sessions are available based on the tutors’ schedules.

Tutors are committed to working with students from all disciplines, majors, and academic backgrounds at any point in their study. Tutors provide help not only for students who feel they are struggling, but for those who wish to remain strong in their courses and prepare for exams and projects. In addition to reviewing class content, assisting with questions and exam preparation, and reviewing rough drafts, the team of peer and professional tutors is also useful for:

  • analyzing audiences and developing topics for writing assignments
  • helping students craft speeches, presentations, and surveys
  • serving as usability testers or a test audience for projects and presentations
  • providing assistance on basic use of Microsoft programs (such as formatting in Word or Power Point)
  • hosting and/or helping to facilitate group study sessions

Making an Appointment with a Tutor

Use the online scheduling system to schedule a session. New users will have to create an account using their Penn State email address and ID before logging in. Contact or visit the Student Success Center if you have any questions or difficulties.

  1. Log in and select the appropriate semester.
  2. Limit the schedule to the course or subject area of interest.
  3. View open appointments and select an available time. Complete the form to reserve your appointment. Note if your sessions will be at an on-campus location or via Zoom.
  4. Attend your session.
    • For an on-campus session: Go to the tutoring location at the time of your appointment.
    • For a Zoom session: Return to https://eberly.mywconline.com a few minutes before your appointment to sign in and select your appointment. There you will find the session location information and Zoom link

For more information about Zoom, please see the Zoom Meeting Quick Start Guide.

If you must cancel or reschedule an appointment or if you request data changes, please do so in the online scheduling system or contact the center by phone at 724-430-4119 at your earliest opportunity.

OWL – Online Writing Lab

Writing help is also available online via our Fayette OWL (Online Writing Lab). Access the OWL at sites.psu.edu/fayetteowl/ to receive tutoring online at a time that is best for you. Professional writing tutors will help at any stage of your writing process (brainstorming, planning, drafting, revision). Students should submit their questions and paper drafts by completing a request survey.

Students may request paper reviews or Zoom/phone sessions to discuss brainstorming and paper development. Please plan for a turnaround time of approximately 48 hours (also factoring in time for writer revisions after receiving feedback and communicating with the tutor).

*If many OWL requests come through in a short time, such as when students are required to submit a paper to the OWL as part of an assignment, this may lengthen our turnaround time. We appreciate your understanding and patience as the writing tutors do their best to provide quality feedback for each request.

Request Assistance Arranging a Tutoring Appointment

Would you like assistance at a time currently unavailable through the scheduling system? Are you looking for help in a course in which tutoring is not offered? Please submit the tutor request form, and a Student Success Center staff member will follow up with you.

If no tutor is available for your specific course, we will still consult with you as you work on study skills for that course in collaboration with your faculty. While we want to offer students as much help and practice as possible, students are also encouraged to utilize faculty office hours.

We may be unable to fulfill your request if a tutor in your subject area is not available at the center, or if a tutor in your subject area is not available at the time requested.

Are you seeking help for an elementary, middle school, or high school student?

Unfortunately, our tutors are hired solely to work with current Penn State students. However, the Student Success Center’s Career Planning division can advertise your tutoring need to our student body. Email information about the opportunity to [email protected].Please provide a contact person, email and/or phone number, subject(s) and level of the student, school district/general location, and pay or volunteer information (a rate or the willingness to negotiate a wage). Through the advertisement, anyone interested in assisting may contact you directly.