The personal finance blog, Free From Broke, recently asked whether students should get paid for getting good grades by parents or institutions. I tweeted them saying — um, bragging — that I would have made bank if I had gotten paid during my school years. I realize school is not easy for everyone so I’m sharing free or cheap tutoring options below in case your kids need a little extra help in school.

What do you think about kids getting paid for good grades — is it bribery or motivation?

My parents have always motivated my sister and I to do well in school, but cash has never been exchanged for good grades. Our motivation has always been the promise of a good career and life.

Struggling In School

Last semester, my younger sister struggled in her honors geometry class. It was a stressful time for all of us. We worried she wasn’t going to pass the class. So we sat together and came up with a plan. Keep on reading to find out what we did.

Are your kids struggling in school? Check out these free and cheap tutoring options.

1. Find a tutor. Look for college students who are willing to tutor students for nearly nothing. Check out colge campuses for interested parties. You can also tutor them yourself! Or, have older kids help out? Having a sibling tutor a younger brother or sister will also help reinforce what your older child has already learned.
2. Search the Internet. There are SO many free resources online. I’m jealous. These where not around when I was in school (and it hasn’t been that long!). When I couldn’t remember how to find the sine, cosine, and tangent of a right triangle I turned to the Internet. SOHCAHTOA, baby! Google it.
3. Watch videos on YouTube. Tutorials on YouTube abound. You can learn to apply your own makeup, compute the Pythagorean theorem, and much more! There are channels dedicated to math and science tutorials. Many of these my teachers.
4. Check your library. My sister discovered she could go online and get free homework help from tutors just for being a library patron. All she needed was an internet connection, and her library card number. Tutoring was one on one and she got to get all her questions answered. She could also interact with the tutor by drawing a math problem. Oh technology, how I love thee!
5. Take advantage of school programs. Many schools offer tutoring during kid’s break times or after school. Make sure to check what’s offered at your school.
6. Keep an eye out on daily deal sites. I’ve seen discounted vouchers for tutoring in the past. Right now, I’m on the look out for a deal on SAT prep for my sister.

Take advantage of these free and cheap tutoring options to help kids succeed in school. We received my sister’s report card a couple days before Christmas and she passed the class. Phew! It was a Merry Christmas, indeed.