At Your Service Mercy
I am such a wimp. I have agreed to tutor one of the undergrads who is having difficulty in the grammar course. She was given my name by the professor; I didn't know her beforehand. I'll be meeting with her for an hour twice a week. The problem is... I can't bring myself to ask about compensation. Did she think I would be doing this for free? I mean, I want to help her out and everything, but my time is valuable (not to mention my expertise as a degree-holding linguist). And it's not like she's a little 19-year-old who wouldn't be able to afford a tutor. She's a returning student in her 40's.
I saw her today and she bought me a coffee since I didn't have any cash on me. I laughed and said, "Ok, we're even," relieved that I didn't have to ask her to pay me. But now I fear I've only delayed the inevitable so that it will be even more awkward when I do have to bring it up. I don't even know what the going rate is for tutoring these days. I wouldn't ask for a lot; I don't want to be cost-prohibitive. Neither do I want to be a doormat. Any suggestions as to how to broach the subject?