Question 1

Is LearningSense only for homeschool co-ops?

Accepted Answer

No. LearningSense is built for homeschool co-ops and for Parents Day Out (also called Mother's Day Out) programs, enrichment communities, academies, and University Model Schools. If you enroll families, collect tuition, and communicate with parents, LearningSense fits.

Question 2

Do I need to enter payment info to sign up?

Accepted Answer

No. Sign up and your 14-day trial of the Grow plan starts right away, with no payment info. You only add a payment method if you choose a paid plan.

Question 3

How long does setup take?

Accepted Answer

Sign up and you're in your dashboard right away, with your trial already running. There is no setup fee.

Question 4

Can I import my existing program data?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Import families from a spreadsheet (CSV or Excel), or the family export from the tool you use today. You match your columns to ours side by side and check a preview before anything is added, and families already in your program are skipped. You can also add families one at a time.

Question 5

Does LearningSense work for University Model Schools?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Grow and Thrive plans fit larger programs, with room for 75 families on Grow and 200 on Thrive. Over 200 families, talk to us about the Network plan.

Question 6

What happens after my 14-day trial?

Accepted Answer

When the trial ends, pick a paid plan, or move to the Free plan if you have 10 or fewer families. We never charge you unless you choose a paid plan and enter payment info.

Question 7

Can I switch plans anytime?

Accepted Answer

Yes, anytime from your billing settings. Changes take effect right away, and Stripe adjusts your bill for the rest of the period. Moving to Free also takes effect right away and needs 10 or fewer families.

Question 8

What is the platform fee and who pays it?

Accepted Answer

LearningSense charges a small platform fee on tuition payments processed through the platform. The fee is automatically deducted from the director's payout: families pay exactly the amount you set. The rate varies by plan: 1.0% on Free, 0.7% on Sprout, 0.5% on Grow and Thrive. Stripe's payment processing fee (0.8%, max $5, for bank payments; 2.9% + $0.30 for card payments) is deducted from the payout at the same time, with no markup. Payments you collect yourself have no platform fee.

Question 9

Is annual billing available?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Annual billing is available on all paid plans at 10 times the monthly price, so you get 2 months free. Switch to annual from your billing settings at any time.

Question 10

How do families pay?

Accepted Answer

Families pay by bank account (ACH) or by card, processed through Stripe, for one-time payments and for autopay. Bank payment is offered first: it is the lowest-cost option for directors (Stripe's fee is 0.8% capped at $5, versus 2.9% + $0.30 by card, plus your plan's platform fee either way) and takes 3 to 5 business days to clear, while card payments confirm right away. Families never pay a fee either way. Programs can also take checks and cash and mark invoices paid.

Question 11

Do I need a Stripe account?

Accepted Answer

Only for online payments. In Offline mode, families pay you directly and you mark their invoices paid. You can open enrollment without connecting Stripe. When you want online payments, you connect a free Stripe Express account, and Stripe handles identity verification, your bank account, and payouts.

Question 12

When do I receive payouts?

Accepted Answer

Online payments go to your program's own Stripe account, and Stripe pays out to your bank account on its standard schedule.

Question 13

What happens if a family disputes a payment?

Accepted Answer

Chargebacks on tuition payments are the director's responsibility, and a lost chargeback may be recovered from the director's payouts. Stripe notifies you of any dispute, and we can help you respond. The Director Agreement covers chargeback liability in detail.

Question 14

Is my program's data secure?

Accepted Answer

All data is stored in a PostgreSQL database with row-level security. Directors only see their own program's data. Families see their own family's records, plus the names of other members so they can message them. Payment data is handled entirely by Stripe, and LearningSense never stores card numbers or bank account details.

Question 15

What data do you store about children?

Accepted Answer

LearningSense stores what your program needs to enroll and care for each child: first and last name, age, grade, date of birth, shirt size, photo permission, enrollment history, and attendance, plus any health and safety details a parent chooses to add, such as allergies, medical conditions, medications, dietary needs, an emergency contact, and authorized pickup people. Parents choose which of those details teachers can see. Parents can request deletion of their child's data at any time by contacting support@learningsense.org.

Question 16

How do you protect children's privacy?

Accepted Answer

LearningSense does not collect data directly from children. A parent gives consent before their child can be enrolled, and we keep a record of it. Parents choose which health and pickup details teachers can see.

Question 17

Can I export my data?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Request an export from your account settings, and we'll email it to you. You can also export your family and child list to CSV at any time.

Question 18

How do I get help?

Accepted Answer

Questions? Email us anytime at support@learningsense.org.

Question 19

Do you offer onboarding help?

Accepted Answer

Email support@learningsense.org with any question while you set up, and Rachel or Josh will answer.

Question 20

What if I find a bug?

Accepted Answer

Email support@learningsense.org with a description of what happened. We take bugs seriously and fix them as quickly as we can.

Frequently asked questions

Getting Started

Pricing and Billing

Payments and Stripe

Data and Security

Support