Higher education was built for a different time. A time when students lived on campus, attended classes in person, and had schedules built around a traditional college experience. But today’s students are anything but traditional. Many juggle jobs, family responsibilities, and commutes that make accessing support services difficult. If colleges and universities want to help every student succeed, they need to rethink how academic support is delivered.
Rigid, one-size-fits-all support models no longer work. To truly reach students—especially those most at risk of falling behind—institutions must make academic support as flexible, accessible, and student-centered as possible. That means offering options that students can access anytime, anywhere.
Why Access Matters More Than Ever
Too often, students struggle not because they lack the ability, but because they lack the right support at the right time. Maybe they’re working late shifts and can’t make it to the tutoring center before it closes. Maybe they’re caring for family members and don’t have the flexibility to attend scheduled study sessions. Or maybe they simply don’t feel comfortable walking into an unfamiliar space and admitting they need help.
For these students, academic support isn’t truly available unless it’s designed with their reality in mind. When support is only offered at fixed times and places, students who need it most are often the ones who can’t access it. Institutions that want to improve student outcomes have to move beyond offering support and start ensuring it’s actually usable.
Flexible, On-Demand Support: What It Looks Like
Building a more accessible academic support system doesn’t mean overhauling everything. It means expanding what’s already working and removing barriers that keep students from engaging. Some key strategies include:
- Peer Tutoring That Fits Students' Schedules: Traditional tutoring centers serve a purpose, but they shouldn’t be the only option. Offering peer tutoring that’s available online, asynchronously, or at non-traditional hours ensures students can access help when they need it—not just when it’s convenient for the institution.
- Technology That Expands Access: Virtual tutoring, chat-based study support, and AI-driven academic resources can supplement in-person support and ensure students have options that fit their learning preferences.
- Faculty and Staff as Advocates: Students engage with support services when they trust them. Faculty who normalize seeking help, recommend peer tutors, and integrate academic resources into their syllabi make it more likely that students will take advantage of these options.
Removing Barriers, Not Just Offering Services
Simply making support available isn’t enough—institutions must actively remove barriers to access. That means:
- Eliminating Stigma: When tutoring and academic support are positioned as something “struggling students” use, many students will avoid them. Institutions should frame academic support as something all students can benefit from, just like office hours or study groups.
- Reducing Steps to Get Help: If accessing support requires multiple logins, approvals, or complicated scheduling, students are less likely to follow through. Support should be as easy to access as possible.
- Making Support Free: If students have to pay out-of-pocket for tutoring, many simply won’t use it. Prioritizing free support services ensures that cost isn’t a barrier.
The Future of Academic Support Is Student-Centered
Higher education is changing, and academic support has to evolve with it. Institutions that embrace flexible, accessible, and student-first support models will not only see improved academic outcomes but also stronger student engagement and retention.
The question isn’t whether students need academic support—it’s whether they can actually use it. Colleges and universities that meet students where they are, rather than expecting students to fit into outdated models, will be the ones that truly make a difference.
Want to make academic support more accessible at your institution? Knack helps colleges and universities offer flexible, scalable peer tutoring that fits students’ needs. Let’s talk.
