Pricing private lessons14.10.20268 min read

How to raise your private lesson price without losing students

Four bars rising from left to right, the last one in amber, with an upward arrow and two coins — Raising a price in steps and with notice keeps your students

The short answer: you raise the price at a natural point in time (the start of a year, the start of a term), announce it in advance and in writing, explain briefly and without apologising, and decide in advance what happens with long-standing students. Most parents do not leave because of a reasonable raise. They leave because of a surprise.

When is it right to raise the price

A few natural moments:

The start of the school year. Parents are replanning anyway: clubs, transport, lessons.
Before the matriculation season, for new students. Demand rises, and it is a good time to set a new price for those who join.
When the diary is full. If there is a waiting list and you are turning enquiries down, the price is probably lower than the demand.
After a change in costs. More expensive travel, a move to being an authorised dealer, or more hours of preparation.

When not to: in the middle of the student's exam period, or from tomorrow in the same week. Even if the price is justified, the timing creates a feeling of being taken advantage of.

If you are not sure what the right price is, start from the calculation in the guide to how much a private lesson costs.

How far ahead to announce and through which channel

Time: a few weeks ahead, and at least a month before the new price starts. That way the parent does not feel pushed.
Channel: a written, personal message, to each parent separately. WhatsApp or email. Not a message in a group, and not by word of mouth at the end of a lesson.
A clear date: "from 1 January", not "soon".
A chance to ask: a parent who has a question needs to know they can get in touch.

Wording for a message to parents (to copy)

Hello [parent's name],
I wanted to let you know in advance: from [date] the price of a private lesson will be NIS [new price] (instead of NIS [current price]), and the price of a group lesson will be NIS [price] per student.
The change is because of [one short reason, for example: rising costs / more preparation time for each lesson].
Until [date] everything stays as usual. If you have any questions, I would be glad to talk.
Thank you for your trust, [your name]

A few rules for the wording:

One sentence of reason, not a paragraph of justification.
No "sorry" and no "I know this is hard". Raising a price is a normal part of work.
Explicit numbers: old price, new price and a date.

Wording for payment messages and reminders on WhatsApp, in the same tone, is in a WhatsApp payment reminder for parents: ready-made wording.

Long-standing students: the old price for a period, or the same for everyone

Two approaches:

Approach	Advantage	Disadvantage
Everyone moves to the new price at the same date	Simple, fair, easy to manage	Long-standing students may feel unappreciated
Long-standing students stay on the old price for a period (for example until the end of the year)	Rewards loyalty	Two price lists in parallel, you need to remember who is on what

If you choose the second approach, always with an end date. "The old price forever" turns over the years into a big gap and a much harder conversation.

By how much to raise

There is no number that is right for everyone, but there is a way to check. Compare the current price with the rate that comes out of the calculation of your costs and hours, and check how much time has passed since the previous raise.

An example (the numbers are for illustration only): a tutor who has charged NIS 120 for three years, and whose calculation shows they need NIS 135. They can jump straight to 135, a change of 12.5%. They can also go up now to 130 and next year to 135. The stepped raise sounds smaller to parents, but requires repeating the conversation twice. Both ways are legitimate. What is not worth doing: waiting another two years and then jumping by 25%.

What to answer a parent who objects

Most parents accept a reasonable raise without questions. When there is an objection, it is usually one of three:

"This is expensive for us right now." You can offer an alternative rather than a discount: a lesson every two weeks, a shorter lesson, or a place in a small group at the group rate.
"Another tutor charges less." There is no need to argue. You can say in one sentence what you give (familiarity with the material, follow-up, availability), and leave the decision to the parent.
"Why now?" The reason you wrote in the message. If it is real, it is enough.

And if a parent decides to leave? It happens, and it is fine. A raise that loses one student and leaves all the others at the right price is usually a good deal. The hour that was freed is room for a new student at the new price.

How to update a rate in Teaching without changing lessons already recorded

In Teaching there is one rate for a private lesson and one rate for a group lesson, in settings. When you change it, a "Rate change" window opens that shows what changes, and asks: "Apply the new rate to lessons that have not been paid yet as well?"

"No - unpaid lessons keep the old rate" - this is the default. The debt on lessons already recorded does not change. It suits an announcement of a new date in advance.
"Yes - update unpaid lessons too" - the open debt on lessons already recorded will be calculated at the new rate.

In both cases: new lessons are recorded at the new rate, and lessons that were paid, and lessons whose price was edited by hand, do not change. After saving, the system tells you how many lessons stayed at the old rate or were updated.

A tip: change the rate on the day the new price takes effect, not on the day you sent the message.

And what about a long-standing student who stays on the old price?

In Teaching the rate is for the whole tutor, not for each student. If you decided that a particular student continues at the old price for a period, you use "Edit price" in the history screen, for each of their lessons that was recorded. A price edited by hand overrides the regular rate. This works well for one or two students, and less well for ten. That is one more reason to prefer a uniform raise with a clear date.

On everything that Teaching does in managing students, lessons and collection, see the guide to a student management app for a private tutor.

Frequently asked questions

How far ahead should I announce a price increase?

There is no single rule. It is usual to announce a few weeks ahead, and at least a month before the new price starts, so that parents can prepare and ask questions.

By what percentage should I raise it?

A small, regular raise, for example once a year, is accepted far more easily than a big jump after several years with no change. The number depends on the gap between your price and your costs and demand.

Should I raise it for long-standing students too?

You can raise it for everyone at the same date, or leave the old price for long-standing students for a defined period. What matters is that there is an end date and that it is written down.

What happens to lessons already recorded when I change a rate in Teaching?

The system asks whether to apply the new rate to lessons that have not been paid yet as well. The default is to leave them at the old rate. Lessons that were paid, and lessons whose price was edited by hand, do not change.

In summary

Choose a natural date, announce a month ahead in a short, personal message, and decide in advance what happens with long-standing students. A price raise that arrives with no surprises is a normal part of a private tutor's work.

Written by the Teaching team. Updated on 14.10.2026.

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Want the move to a new rate not to confuse your debts? In Teaching you change a rate in settings and choose what happens to lessons that have not been paid yet. 30 days free trial on the Pro plan, no credit card.