Skooli is a Canadian online tutoring platform that pays licensed teachers and degree holders about $25 an hour via PayPal. Our 2026 review covers its status, requirements, pay, application process, pros and cons, and better alternatives for English teachers.
This Skooli review is for teachers, not students: Skooli is a Canadian online tutoring platform that pays certified teachers and degree holders to tutor K-12 and college students one-to-one, including in English. It is not a place to study TEFL. Below you will find what Skooli is in 2026, who it hires, what it pays, how to apply and which tutor marketplaces are better bets if you mainly want to teach English online.
TL;DR
- What it is: a Canadian, pay-per-minute online tutoring platform for school and university subjects, sold to families (about $0.82 per minute) and to school districts.
- 2026 status: still operating, but tutor recruitment is limited and intermittent — its Teach Away employer page showed no open vacancies when we checked.
- Requirements: a bachelor’s degree plus a teaching certificate, a master’s or PhD, or a state/provincial teaching licence, plus ID and a recent criminal record check.
- Pay: Skooli sets the rate (historically about $0.42 per engaged minute, roughly $25 an hour), paid via PayPal once you reach $100.
- Verdict: legit and decent for licensed teachers who want occasional academic tutoring; ESL teachers without a teaching licence will get more work on Preply or italki.
Last updated: November 2026
Table of Contents
- What Is Skooli in 2026?
- Who Is Skooli Best For?
- How Much Does Skooli Pay and How Does Scheduling Work?
- Skooli Tutor Requirements
- How to Apply to Skooli
- Skooli Pros and Cons for Teachers
- Skooli Alternatives for English Teachers
- Related Guides
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
What Is Skooli in 2026?
Skooli is an online tutoring company that launched in Vancouver, Canada, in the mid-2010s. Students connect with a tutor in a browser-based classroom with video, a shared whiteboard, file sharing and chat, either by booking ahead or by requesting instant help.
It covers academic subjects across school and college levels: maths, sciences, English and writing, social studies, economics, business and computer science. English on Skooli usually means reading, essay writing and grammar support for native and near-native speakers, not conversational ESL.
Who owns Skooli?
Skooli was part of Pluribus Technologies, a Canadian listed company, which announced a partnership between Skooli and PowerSchool in 2023 to offer tutoring to K-12 school districts. In December 2024 Pluribus entered creditor protection under Canada’s CCAA and began a court-supervised sale process for its businesses. Skooli’s website and school district programmes have kept running since then.
How Skooli makes money
Families pay as they go at about $0.82 per minute (around $49 an hour), with a 15-minute minimum and a free first hour for new students. Schools and districts buy tutoring in bulk. Skooli then pays tutors a lower, fixed rate per minute of active tutoring — tutors do not set their own prices, which is the biggest difference from marketplaces like Preply.
Who Is Skooli Best For?
Skooli suits a fairly specific type of teacher. It works best if you match most of these points:
- You hold a teaching licence or certification, or a postgraduate degree, and can prove it.
- You can tutor school curriculum subjects — maths, science, English language arts or essay writing — rather than only conversation practice.
- You want side income without marketing yourself, setting prices or building a student base.
- You are comfortable with irregular hours, since demand follows North American school terms and homework time.
It is a weak fit if you are a new TEFL graduate without a degree or licence, if you want to teach adult learners conversational English, or if you need a predictable full-time income. For those goals, start with our overview of the requirements to teach English online and pick a platform that matches your qualifications.
How Much Does Skooli Pay and How Does Scheduling Work?
Skooli sets tutor pay and shares the exact rate after you are accepted. The figure most widely reported by tutors is about 41.6 cents per engaged minute, which works out to roughly $25 per hour of live tutoring. You are paid only for time actively spent in sessions, not for waiting or preparation.
| Pay detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Rate | Set by Skooli; historically about $0.42/minute (≈$25/hour) |
| Billable time | Engaged session minutes only; 15-minute session minimum |
| Payment method | PayPal |
| Payout threshold | $100; you cash out your full balance |
| Payout timing | Requests processed weekly, on Fridays |
| Employment status | Independent contractor — you handle your own tax |
Scheduling is flexible: you set availability, students book slots or request on-demand help, and district contracts can add steadier blocks of sessions. The catch is volume. Many tutors report quiet weeks, so treat Skooli as a supplement. Our Skooli requirements and salary guide breaks down pay scenarios and payout steps in more detail.
Skooli Tutor Requirements
Skooli markets its tutors as certified teachers and subject experts, so the bar is higher than on most language marketplaces. You need at least one of the following:
- A bachelor’s degree together with a teaching certification.
- A master’s degree or PhD in the subject you want to tutor.
- A state or provincial teaching licence (or an international equivalent).
- A recognised ESL or specialist teaching qualification, assessed case by case.
On top of that you upload government ID and degree or transcript copies, provide a criminal record check issued within the last six months, and pass a screening interview. Tutors on school district programmes are also vetted to a Level 2 background check standard or its international equivalent.
A TEFL certificate on its own is unlikely to be enough, but it strengthens an application for English tutoring if you also hold a degree. If you are building your credentials, a 120-hour TEFL course is the standard minimum most online employers look for.
How to Apply to Skooli
- Check for openings. Look for the tutor sign-up link on Skooli’s website and its employer page on Teach Away; recruitment opens and closes with demand.
- Create a tutor profile. List your subjects, grade levels, qualifications and a short, specific bio.
- Upload documents. ID, degree or transcripts, teaching licence and your recent criminal record check.
- Interview. A short online conversation about your subject knowledge and how you explain concepts.
- Go live. Once verified, set your availability, connect PayPal and start accepting sessions.
Technical needs are basic: a computer with a webcam, a headset or good microphone, and a stable broadband connection (at least 2 Mb/s, ideally much faster).
Skooli Pros and Cons for Teachers
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Established platform with school district contracts | Recruitment is intermittent; openings are not always listed |
| No need to market yourself or set prices | You cannot raise your own rate as you gain reviews |
| Academic subjects, not just ESL conversation | Strict entry bar: licence, certified degree or postgraduate degree |
| Flexible availability, work from anywhere with good internet | Paid only for engaged minutes; quiet weeks are common |
| Simple PayPal payouts every week | $100 minimum before you can cash out |
| Built-in whiteboard and file sharing | Parent company went through creditor protection in 2024–2025 |
Is Skooli legit?
Yes. Skooli is a real, long-running company that pays tutors through PayPal and works with schools in North America. Complaints from tutors focus on low or inconsistent volume and pay that is below what experienced teachers can charge independently, not on missing payments.
Skooli Alternatives for English Teachers
Skooli sits in the tutor marketplace segment, but it behaves more like an agency because it controls pricing. If your main goal is teaching English online, these platforms are usually easier to join and offer more bookings.
| Platform | Who sets the rate | Degree / licence required? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skooli | Platform (≈$25/hour reported) | Yes — licence, certified degree or postgraduate degree | Licensed teachers tutoring school subjects |
| Preply | Tutor (platform takes commission) | No | ESL tutors building a long-term student base |
| italki | Tutor | No for community tutors; yes for professional teachers | Language teachers who want to set their own prices |
| Verbling | Tutor | Teaching experience or qualification expected | Qualified language teachers |
| Superprof | Tutor | No | Local and online tutoring in many subjects |
No degree yet? Our guide to teaching English online without a degree lists platforms that accept TEFL-certified tutors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Skooli a legit platform for teachers?
Yes. Skooli is a Canadian online tutoring company that has operated since the mid-2010s, works with North American school districts and pays tutors weekly through PayPal. Tutor complaints mainly concern inconsistent session volume and a fixed rate below what experienced teachers can charge elsewhere, not unpaid earnings.
How much do Skooli tutors make?
Skooli sets the rate and confirms it after acceptance. Tutors have widely reported about 41.6 cents per engaged minute, roughly $25 per hour of live tutoring. You earn only for active session time, so monthly income depends on how many students request you.
Do you need a teaching licence to tutor on Skooli?
Not always, but you need strong credentials. Skooli accepts a state or provincial teaching licence, a bachelor’s degree with a teaching certification, or a master’s or PhD. You also need government ID, a criminal record check from the last six months and a successful screening interview.
Is Skooli hiring tutors in 2026?
Skooli is still operating in 2026, but tutor recruitment is limited and opens with demand. Its Teach Away employer page listed no vacancies when we checked in November 2026. Check Skooli’s tutor sign-up page directly and keep Preply or italki as backup options.
Can I teach English as a second language on Skooli?
You can tutor English on Skooli, but most demand is for school English — reading, writing and essays — rather than conversational ESL for adults. ESL-focused teachers usually find more bookings on Preply, italki or Verbling, where students search specifically for English tutors.
How does Skooli pay its tutors?
Skooli pays tutors through PayPal. Once your balance reaches $100 you can request a cash-out of the full amount, and requests are processed weekly on Fridays. Tutors work as independent contractors, so you are responsible for declaring the income and paying your own tax.
Conclusion
Skooli is a legitimate option for licensed or highly qualified teachers who want occasional academic tutoring without marketing themselves, but its fixed pay and patchy recruitment make it a side income at best. Compare it with other platforms in our guide to the requirements to teach English online before you apply.
