{{Short description|Online tutoring company}} {{Infobox website | name = Tutor.com | type = Education | parent = | owner = Tutor.com | foundation = 1998 | location = New York City, New York, USA | key_people = | industry = Education | products = Online Tutoring, Education, Career Help, Homework Help | url = www.tutor.com | launched = | current_status = Online }}
'''Tutor.com''' is an online tutoring company founded in 1998 that connects students to tutors in online classrooms. From 2022 to 2025, the company was owned by Primavera Capital Group. As of July 2025, Tutor.com and The Princeton Review are 100% U.S.-owned, operated, and governed. Robert Batten serves as CEO of the company.<ref name="tutor.com">{{Cite web |title=Tutoring and Test Prep for K–12, Higher Education, and Career |url=http://www.tutor.com:8443/ |access-date=2025-10-02 |website=www.tutor.com |language=en-us}}</ref>
==History== Tutor.com was founded in 1998 by George Cigale.<ref name="Introducing">{{cite news |url=https://ala-apa.org/newsletter/2006/09/17/introducing-george-cigale-and-tutor-com/ |title=Introducing George Cigale and Tutor.com |work=Library Worklife |date=September 2006 |accessdate=July 25, 2020 |archive-date=July 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725054151/https://ala-apa.org/newsletter/2006/09/17/introducing-george-cigale-and-tutor-com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In its early years, the company focused on partnerships with libraries across the United States, which would provide online tutoring to its clients.<ref name="Introducing"/> Tutor.com expanded into multiple markets, including universities, employee benefits, the United States Department of Defense, and additional direct consumer services.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Korn |first=Melissa |date=8 May 2023 |title=Chinese Company Now Owns Tutoring Firm Contracted by Military and Schools in U.S. |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/princeton-review-and-tutor-com-are-now-owned-by-a-chinese-company-58ebea38 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622031418/https://www.wsj.com/articles/princeton-review-and-tutor-com-are-now-owned-by-a-chinese-company-58ebea38 |archive-date=22 June 2023 |access-date=22 June 2023 |work=The Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}}</ref>
In January 2013, InterActive Corp (IAC) announced the purchase of Tutor.com, for an undisclosed amount.<ref>{{cite news |last=Chozick |first=Amy |date=January 6, 2013 |title=IAC Is Set to Announce Acquisition of Tutor.com |url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/iac-is-set-to-announce-acquisition-of-tutor-com/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180510185231/https://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/iac-is-set-to-announce-acquisition-of-tutor-com/ |archive-date=10 May 2018 |accessdate=9 May 2018 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> In August 2014, IAC's former subsidiary and Tutor.com's former parent Match Group bought test-preparation service The Princeton Review and combined it with its Tutor.com educational business.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 29, 2014 |title=IAC/InterActive Unit Agrees to Buy Princeton Review name |url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/iac-interactive-unit-agrees-to-buy-princeton-review-1406670736 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140929212408/http://online.wsj.com/articles/iac-interactive-unit-agrees-to-buy-princeton-review-1406670736 |archive-date=September 29, 2014 |accessdate=May 9, 2018 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> In March 2017, Match Group sold The Princeton Review, along with Tutor.com, to ST Unitas, a Korean education company.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/brandfeatures/venture-capital/article?id=2887|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180510115540/https://www.reuters.com/brandfeatures/venture-capital/article?id=2887 |title=Korean ST Unitas to acquire the Princeton Review |last=Foo|first=Vivian|date=February 22, 2017|work=Reuters|url-status=dead|archivedate=May 10, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hyo-sik |first=Lee |date=February 14, 2017 |title=ST Unitas Acquires The Princeton Review |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2017/02/694_223955.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214151147/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2017/02/694_223955.html |archive-date=2017-02-14 |access-date=May 9, 2018 |website=The Korea Times}}</ref> In January 2022, Primavera Capital Group acquired The Princeton Review and Tutor.com from ST Unitas.<ref name=":1" /> In March 2024, the Florida Department of Education warned districts against using Tutor.com due to its owner's alleged ties to Chinese nationals.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gavino |first=Yona |date=2024-03-26 |title=Florida Dept. of Education warns school districts about use Chinese-owned tutor program |url=https://weartv.com/news/local/florida-dept-of-education-warns-school-districts-about-use-chinese-owned-tutor-program |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=WEAR-TV |language=en}}</ref> In July 2025, Tutor.com and The Princeton Review became 100% U.S-owned, operated, and governed. Robert Batten serves as CEO of the company.<ref name="tutor.com"/>
===U.S. military contract=== Tutor.com has a longstanding contract with the United States Department of Defense to provide its services free to U.S. military service members and their families.<ref name=":1" /> In March 2024, US senators Elise Stefanik and Tom Cotton introduced legislation, the Ban Chinese Communist Party Access to U.S. Military Students Act, to prohibit the U.S. Department of Defense from using Tutor.com.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 22, 2024 |title=Pentagon uses China-owned tutoring company that could weaponize military data, GOP lawmakers say |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/pentagon-uses-china-owned-tutoring-company-weaponize-military-data-gop-lawmakers-say |access-date=March 28, 2024 |work=Fox News |archive-date=March 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240327204458/https://www.foxnews.com/media/pentagon-uses-china-owned-tutoring-company-weaponize-military-data-gop-lawmakers-say |url-status=live }}</ref> This resulted in Tutor.com being removed from Florida state government issued devices. After Tutor.com became 100% U.S.-owned and operated, it was removed from Florida's Prohibited Applications on Government Devices List, which means it is no longer prohibited from being accessed on Florida state government-issued devices and therefore no longer appears on Florida's official list of banned applications.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Services |first=Florida Department of Management |title=Florida Department of Management Services |url=https://www.dms.myflorida.com/prohibited_applications_list |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=www.dms.myflorida.com |language=en}}</ref> In fact, a letter from Florida's Commissioner of Education warning that school districts, charter schools, and state colleges should not contract with companies that have ties to China, including Tutor.com, was taken down on November 14, 2025, to acknowledge that Tutor.com is now U.S. owned and it has no concerns about potential student data privacy risks.
Furthermore, the final FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), enacted as Public Law 118-159 on December 23, 2024, includes only a brief mention of online tutoring in Section 854. The detailed amendments previously proposed by senators Stefanik and Cotton to ban Tutor.com were never passed. The final language in Public Law 118-159 applies broadly to all tutoring providers and <u>does not</u> specifically reference Tutor.com.<ref>{{Cite web |title=[118th Congress Public Law 159] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-118publ159/html/PLAW-118publ159.htm |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=www.govinfo.gov}}</ref> Tutor.com continues to uphold a 30-year history of safeguarding student data and privacy. It complies with all applicable federal and state regulations, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA); adheres to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-171; and has earned a SOC 2 Type II attestation, conducted by an independent CPA firm. To ensure continuous compliance and protection, Tutor.com employs a dedicated Data Security Officer who actively monitors and enforces all security protocols.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=http://www.tutor.com:8443/404Handler.aspx?404;http://www.tutor.com:8443/about-us |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=www.tutor.com |language=en-us}}</ref>
==Leadership== Tutor.com was founded by in 1998 by George Cigale, who served as CEO through 2013.<ref name="Ginsberg to Chief Executive"/>
Mandy Ginsberg was CEO of The Princeton Review and Tutor.com from 2013 to 2015.<ref name="Ginsberg to Chief Executive">{{cite web |url=https://www.tutor.com/press/press-releases-2013/20130418 |title=IAC Appoints Mandy Ginsberg to Chief Executive Officer of Tutor.com |website=Tutor.com |date=April 18, 2013 |accessdate=July 25, 2020 |archive-date=July 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725101509/https://www.tutor.com/press/press-releases-2013/20130418 |url-status=live }}</ref> She had previously been CEO of Match.com. Ginsberg often appeared in the press to discuss the increasing trend of online tutoring<ref>{{cite web |title=Mandy Ginsberg Teaches Tutor.com Lessons in Connecting with Consumers |url=http://www.xconomy.com/new-york/2013/12/11/mandy-ginsberg-teaches-tutor-com-lessons-connecting-consumers/ |work=Xconomy |access-date=2017-01-27 |archive-date=2017-02-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202034320/http://www.xconomy.com/new-york/2013/12/11/mandy-ginsberg-teaches-tutor-com-lessons-connecting-consumers/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Shellenbarger |first=Sue |date=November 12, 2013 |title=Invasion of the Online Tutors |url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303763804579186043194947628 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220062005/http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303763804579186043194947628 |archive-date=20 December 2013 |accessdate=20 December 2013 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> with services like Chegg Tutors (InstaEDU), e-Tutor, Bookmytrainings,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/education/edex/2011/jul/25/one-stop-shop-for-training-needs-275137.html |title=One-stop shop for training needs |website= |date=2011-07-25 |access-date=2024-02-17 |archive-date=2023-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207013421/https://www.newindianexpress.com/education/edex/2011/jul/25/one-stop-shop-for-training-needs-275137.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and Sylvan Learning,<ref>{{cite news|last=Fox|first=Zoe|title=Dependable Destinations for Online Tutoring|url= http://mashable.com/2013/08/20/online-tutoring-resources/|newspaper=Mashable}}</ref> and the issues that families face when it comes to homework and preparing for college. Notable appearances include ''The Today Show'' segment "What You Need to Know About Tutors" and Parenting.com's article "Key Signs Your Child May Need a Tutor."<ref>{{cite web|title=What you need to know about tutors|url=http://www.today.com/video/today/52982271#52982271|work=TODAY|access-date=2014-06-20|archive-date=2015-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404104457/http://www.today.com/video/today/52982271#52982271|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Ginsberg|first1=Mandy|title=Key Signs Your Child May Need a Tutor|url=http://www.parenting.com/article/key-signs-your-child-may-need-tutor|publisher=Parenting.com}}</ref>
After the South Korean company ST Unitas acquired The Princeton Review in 2017, Sangje Lee became CEO of The Princeton Review in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-princeton-review-has-laid-off-many-employees-but-revenue-might-not-be-its-only-problem/ |title=The Princeton Review Has Laid Off Many Employees. But Revenue Might Not Be Its Only Problem |work=The Chronicle of Higher Education |last=Hoover |first=Eric |date=August 19, 2018 |accessdate=July 25, 2020 |archive-date=July 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725094232/https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-princeton-review-has-laid-off-many-employees-but-revenue-might-not-be-its-only-problem/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In July 2025, Tutor.com and The Princeton Review became 100% U.S-owned, operated, and governed. Robert Batten serves as CEO of the company.<ref name="tutor.com"/>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{Official website}} * [https://muskantutor.com/ Home Tutor]
Category:Online tutoring Category:American educational websites