Stuck on Algebra at 9:40 p.m.? A Free Live Tutor Is Online Until 11
Revised October 22, 2026
Where can I find a free tutor?
Start at the library. A valid St. Louis County Library card opens Brainfuse HelpNow, with live tutors for grades K-12 and adults, and St. Louis Public Library lists live Brainfuse tutors every day from 2 to 11 p.m. Clubs add in-person homework help for a small fee: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis membership is $25 a year, and Gene Slay’s afterschool program is $200 a year with scholarships.
Keep reading ↓It’s 9:40 on a school night, the algebra is due at 8 a.m., and the one adult at home who could explain it is on a night shift. The laptop is the only light on at the kitchen table. Sign in to Brainfuse through the library, and a live tutor is there. The City library lists its live tutors every day from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. The cost is nothing.
Finishing school costs money, though, and the numbers are worth seeing before you plan anything. And the cheaper of the two tests earns the same certificate from the state.
The whole price list: prep classes $0. HiSET at a test center $120. GED at a test center $142. The same tests from home: $172.50 and $181.96.
Where can I find a free tutor?
Start at the library, either one. The City’s Central Library is at 1301 Olive Street, and the County’s Clark Family Branch, which replaced the old headquarters building, is at 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., but the tutoring happens on your own screen. St. Louis Public Library (314-241-2288) and St. Louis County Library (314-994-3300) both offer Brainfuse HelpNow, with live tutors for students in grades K-12 and for adult learners. Through the County, tutoring, homework help and test prep are there around the clock with a valid County library card. Through the City, a live tutor needs no registration, though signing up lets a student track progress. No card yet? The City library has an eCard form that opens its online resources.
What the clubs cost, and the one program that is free
The afterschool program at the Soulard club runs from 2:30 to 7:30 on weekdays, with daily homework help in it. Not everything here is free, so here are the real prices. Gene Slay’s Girls & Boys Club in Soulard (314-772-5661) charges $200 for the school year, turns no child away over money, and offers scholarships. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (314-335-8000) charges $25 a year, and that covers homework help and tutoring. College Bound is free, but it works by application: it starts in 9th grade and is aimed at first-generation students with financial need.
Free prep classes: three places to start
Evening classes at Saint Louis Public Schools meet Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the day classes run Monday through Thursday. The district’s Adult Education & Literacy Center is at 955 Arcade (314-367-5000). St. Louis Community College’s Fast Track HiSET/GED class meets at 5600 Oakland Ave in Forest Park, and the admission contact is Susan Ryffel at 314-951-9432. St. Charles Community College’s program is at 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Dr. in Cottleville (636-922-8411). Nobody has to have everything figured out before the first call. Prep classes at these adult education programs are free to eligible Missourians, and who qualifies is in the details below.
Getting a Missouri high school equivalency, step by step
At the end of this road is a certificate issued by the State of Missouri to the mailing address on your account, and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) calls it comparable to a traditional high school diploma that can help you pursue employment, education or training. Missouri recognizes two tests that lead there, the GED and the HiSET, and the Missouri State Board of Education approves both. They earn the same certificate, and DESE doesn’t endorse one over the other.
Here is what each costs, straight from the state’s fee page. All four GED tests at a test center come to $142. The five HiSET tests come to $120. Take either one from home with an online proctor and the totals rise to $181.96 for the GED and $172.50 for the HiSET. Each total includes a $10 annual state fee. At a test center that makes the HiSET $22 cheaper than the GED; from home, it’s $9.46 cheaper.
To test, you set up your own account with the test publisher and schedule there, because a test center can’t book the exam for you. Missouri also requires a Missouri mailing address, and you must be 17 or older.
Under 17? You need an approved age waiver, and by law there are three ways to qualify: being in an approved Missouri Option Program for at-risk youth, having withdrawn from school with 16 units of credit and written confirmation from the superintendent, or being homeschooled with a parent’s written permission. Scores don’t expire in Missouri until the exam is replaced or rewritten, so you can take the tests one at a time. And Missouri lets you combine GED and HiSET subtest scores toward one credential, as long as you pay the fees for both exams. The passing score is 145 on each GED subtest. On the HiSET it’s a minimum of 8 on each subtest and an average of 9.
Years from now, when an employer asks for proof, the place to get it is DiplomaSender.com. DESE says all Missouri equivalency certificates, transcripts and verification letters come only from DiplomaSender, and requests sent to DESE are not processed. The state’s plain-language sites are hse.mo.gov for equivalency and ael.mo.gov to find free classes, and DESE’s main line is 573-751-4212.
The tutoring options in detail
St. Louis County Library: Brainfuse HelpNow
A library card is required, and anyone with a valid St. Louis County Library card can use it. Brainfuse connects students in grades K-12 with live tutors for tutoring, homework help and test prep, and it has resources for adult learners, job seekers and veterans too. The Clark Family Branch, which replaced the library’s old headquarters building, sits at 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd. Questions go to 314-994-3300.
St. Louis County Library (Brainfuse HelpNow)
Address: Clark Family Branch, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63131
Phone: 314-994-3300
Website: slcl.org/resources/brainfuse-helpnow
Free with a valid St. Louis County Library card.
St. Louis Public Library: online homework help
The City’s library runs the same Brainfuse HelpNow service for grades K-12 and adult learners. Live tutors are on every day from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m., and video lessons and other resources are there around the clock.
St. Louis Public Library (Central Library)
Address: 1301 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103
Phone: 314-241-2288
Website: slpl.org/resources/online-learning
Free online tutoring; sign-up recommended so a student can track progress.
Gene Slay’s Girls & Boys Club of St. Louis
The Soulard club’s afterschool program is for kids from age 6, once they’ve finished kindergarten, up to age 16. It runs weekday afternoons, 2:30 to 7:30 p.m., and daily homework assistance is part of it, with Missouri-certified educators working as learning specialists. The cost is $200 for the school year, $100 at the start and $100 on January 3. No child is turned away because of money, there is no fee to register, and scholarships are available.
Gene Slay’s Girls & Boys Club of St. Louis (Soulard Campus)
Address: 2524 S 11th Street, St. Louis, MO 63104
Phone: 314-772-5661
Website: gsgbcstl.org
$200 a year; scholarships available.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis
Membership is $25 a year and covers after-school homework assistance and tutoring, along with college and career planning and free dental care. Power Hour, a club-wide study period for ages 6 to 18, offers daily after-school homework help, and one-on-one tutoring for ages 6 to 18 runs during the school year, with special attention on reading. Call the main office to find the club nearest you.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (Admin Offices)
Address: 2901 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63107
Phone: 314-335-8000
Website: bgcstl.org
$25 a year; ask which club serves your neighborhood.
College Bound
College Bound is free. Its own FAQ says all of its programs are completely free to students and families. It isn’t an open tutoring line, though. Students apply, and the To and Through program starts in 9th grade with an application, an interview and a summer orientation. It gives priority to first-generation students with financial need, and it asks for a 2.5 GPA or higher. Tutoring and ACT prep sit inside a larger program that also covers college counseling, mental health services and career development, and tutoring isn’t required of every student.
College Bound
Address: 110 N. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, MO 63103
Phone: 557-223-7890
Website: collegeboundstl.org
Free; application-based.
Where the free prep classes are
Free test preparation comes through Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) programs. DESE says the services are free to anyone at least 17, or 16 if the student has met Missouri’s compulsory school attendance requirements, who lacks a diploma or equivalency, has low basic skills, or is learning English. ael.mo.gov leads to a program near you, and three in this area are below.
Saint Louis Public Schools: Adult Education & Literacy
Saint Louis Public Schools Adult Education & Literacy offers free programs, including HiSET and GED preparation. Day classes run Monday through Thursday and evening classes Tuesday and Thursday, and the office is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. DESE’s program list puts the Adult Education & Literacy Center at 955 Arcade, with its own line at 314-367-5000. The district’s main number is 314-231-3720.
Saint Louis Public Schools Adult Education & Literacy
Address: Adult Education & Literacy Center, 955 Arcade, St. Louis, MO 63112
Phone: 314-367-5000 (district main line: 314-231-3720)
Website: slps.org (search Adult Education and Literacy)
Free HiSET and GED prep.
St. Louis Community College: Fast Track HiSET/GED
Fast Track is an accelerated class for students who score at the ninth-grade level or above in reading and math on the TABE test. Classes are free. They meet Tuesday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., in the West Building, room W317, at 5600 Oakland Ave. For admission, contact Susan Ryffel at 314-951-9432. Students who are 16 or 17 need a letter from the school they last attended, orientation is required, and walk-ins aren’t accepted. One more thing: the college’s page currently says new learners are being placed on a waitlist, and it asks people to email smcentee@stlcc.edu rather than visit a campus. The program contact is Steven McEntee, 314-644-9308.
STLCC Adult Education & Literacy (Fast Track)
Address: West Building, Room W317, 5600 Oakland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
Phone: 314-951-9432 (Susan Ryffel, Fast Track admission)
Website: stlcc.edu (Adult Education and Literacy)
Free; orientation required.
St. Charles Community College: Adult Education & Literacy
In St. Charles County, St. Charles Community College runs the Adult Education and Literacy program listed in DESE’s directory, with sites in Cottleville and St. Charles. The state’s eligibility rules above apply. If childcare is the hurdle, see our guide to child care assistance in Missouri.
St. Charles Community College Adult Education & Literacy
Address: 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Dr., LRC 209, Cottleville, MO 63376
Phone: 636-922-8411
Website: stchas.edu/ael
Free adult education classes for eligible Missourians.
Leaving school was one day. Coming back can start with one phone call - and if rent, food or a ride is what’s in the way, St. Louis help for all of it is in one place.
If a teen has already left school
Leaving school early is not a dead end. Two programs pair education with job training for young people.
St. Louis Job Corps Center
Job Corps is a free, residential career training and education program for low-income young adults ages 16 through 24. It covers housing, meals, basic medical care and a living allowance. Students with children are asked to arrange childcare before they begin, so ask about that on the first call.
St. Louis Job Corps Center
Address: 3860 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108
Phone: 1-800-733-5627 (national number)
Website: stlouis.jobcorps.gov
Free for eligible low-income youth ages 16-24.
SLATE Missouri Job Center: youth programs
SLATE, the City’s workforce agency, runs programs for St. Louis City youth ages 17 to 24. The Out-of-School Youth Program serves young people who are at risk of dropping out of school or already have. YouthBuild lets disadvantaged City youth ages 17 to 24 earn pay and help build affordable housing. Summer jobs are open to ages 16 to 24, and a Youth Empowerment Program serves ages 19 to 24. Registering with MoJobs before you visit saves time.
SLATE Missouri Job Center
Address: 1520 Market St., 3rd Floor, St. Louis, MO 63103
Phone: (314) 589-8000
Website: stlouis-mo.gov/slate
Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Wednesdays from 9 a.m.
A few honest words for the young adults reading this. If you are also job hunting or between jobs, our guide to filing for unemployment in Missouri can steady the ground while you study. And if you are rebuilding after time away, including incarceration, our guide to starting over after incarceration in St. Louis walks the road with you. A diploma is not the finish line. It is the door.
Four numbers that may not reach these programs
Older lists, including earlier versions of this guide, carry numbers that don’t lead where they claim. 314-622-4800 shows up as a SLATE number, but the City lists it for City Hall at 1200 Market Street. 314-406-0175 shows up as a youth line, but SLATE’s youth page lists it for the state’s Local Equal Opportunity officer. Charity Navigator still lists 314-361-4441 for College Bound, while the organization’s own contact page prints 557-223-7890. And 314-480-3725 is the number an old local news post gives for UrbanFUTURE, a mentoring and tutoring group that Saint Louis Public Schools lists among its volunteer organizations. I could not confirm that UrbanFUTURE is operating today, so call before you go.
One last thing. Needing free help to learn is not a shortcoming. It is what these programs were built and funded to do. Librarians, tutors and teachers across this region want your student to walk in and log on. The whole St. Louis help and assistance network is behind you.
Frequently asked questions
What are some free classes available in St. Louis?
Free GED and HiSET prep classes are offered through Adult Education and Literacy programs, including those run by Saint Louis Public Schools, St. Louis Community College and St. Charles Community College. DESE says free test preparation is offered to eligible Missourians at AEL programs across the state, and ael.mo.gov leads to one near you. For tutoring, Brainfuse HelpNow is free through both the County and City libraries.
Can I just take the GED test without classes?
DESE’s testing rules ask for a Missouri mailing address and an age of 17 or older, or an approved age waiver. Free prep classes are offered, and you schedule the exam yourself in your GED or HiSET account, because a test center can’t book it for you. Check the current fees at hse.mo.gov before you pay.
How do I show proof of GED?
Order it through DiplomaSender.com. DESE says all Missouri equivalency certificates, transcripts and verification letters are available only there, and requests sent to DESE are not processed. DiplomaSender keeps all of Missouri’s records, including historical ones, so a certificate earned decades ago can still be found. Create an account and order what you need.
How hard is it to pass a GED exam?
Missouri’s passing score is a minimum of 145 on each GED subtest. The HiSET asks for a minimum of 8 on each subtest and an average of 9, plus at least a 2 on the Language Arts Writing essay. Subtest scores don’t expire in Missouri until the exam is replaced or rewritten, so you can take them one at a time after free prep.
How to get GED Missouri?
Create a GED or HiSET account with the test publisher, enter a Missouri mailing address, and schedule your exams there. You must be 17 or older, or approved for an age waiver. At a test center the four GED tests cost $142 and the five HiSET tests cost $120. Free prep classes are listed at ael.mo.gov.
What is required to graduate high school in Missouri?
The state minimum is 24 units of credit, earned across several subject areas, and each unit requires meeting all course requirements and earning a passing grade. Local school boards can add requirements of their own. Ask your school counselor for your district’s exact list, since it can be longer than the state minimum.
What are the differences between the GED and the HiSET?
Both are approved by the Missouri State Board of Education and earn the same certificate from DESE, which doesn’t endorse one over the other. At a test center in Missouri the GED has four tests and costs $142, while the HiSET has five tests and costs $120. Both are available in Spanish, and both can be taken at home with an online proctor.
Can a 16-year-old take the GED in Missouri?
Only with an approved age waiver. The three conditions are being in an approved Missouri Option Program, having withdrawn from school with 16 units of credit and the superintendent’s written confirmation, or being homeschooled with a parent’s written permission. Apply through hse.mo.gov, and if none of the conditions apply, the test waits until age 17.
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