Pricing & Studio Policies
Tuition and Fees
Current monthly rate for lessons is $120/month for four 30 minute lessons or $240/month for four 60 minute lessons. This monthly fee reserves a weekly time slot which works like rent one would pay for an apartment. These are flat fees to reserve your or your student’s weekly time for lessons, whether you or they choose to attend or not. Fees are charged by the month and are not lowered nor refunded for missed lessons.
Individual lessons (less than 4 per month) are available for $35 per half hour lesson.
Books that are purchased on the student’s behalf should be paid for as soon as possible or with the next tuition payment.
Payment can be made in the following forms:
- Credit Card or Paypal online using the Student Account Portal *Preferred*
- Cash
- Check – Please note: There is a returned check fee of $30.
Late Fees
If a student’s tuition is not received by the 20th of the month, there is an additional $15 late charge. Lessons will not continue into the next month if there is an unpaid balance.
Canceled Lessons & Make-up Lessons
No payment credit will be provided for missed lessons. Make-up lessons are only offered for illness–notification must be given at least 8 hours in advance of the scheduled lesson to be missed. Make-up lessons will be scheduled at the discretion of the teacher. Be sure to choose a lesson time in which you feel confident you will have no other conflicts. Please do not request to alter the schedule to accommodate extracurricular activities. Students who miss lessons due to busy schedules, lack of preparation, or vacation times are not eligible for a rate adjustment.
5 Week Months
Your $120 or $240 flat rate tuition breaks down to 4 lessons per month at $30/half hour lesson or $60/hour lesson. However, there are a few times that you will notice a 5-week lesson month. For calendar months that have 5 weeks, the fifth week covers teacher absences. This allows the teacher flexibility of having a vacation or a sick day. Students will NOT be permitted to use a 5 week month in order to cover their absences for any reason.
Example:
- October – 5 lessons
- November – 3 lessons (I cancel the last week for Thanksgiving break.)
- Total – 8 lessons or 4 each month, just as you pay for.
Contract Cancelation
Cutt Above Music Studio, LC seeks to provide 100% customer satisfaction. Should concerns arise, please contact the owner in writing as soon as possible so he may address and rectify the situation. If concerns cannot be resolved satisfactorily, a student may end his/her relationship with the studio at any time following a month for which tuition was prepaid. A non-emergency breach of the relationship in mid-month will result in forfeiture of the remainder of fees for the prepaid month (“Non-emergency” status determined at the discretion of the owner). Studio ownership expects a formal written request to end the contract for any reason (i.e., email, letter, etc.). This serves to protect both the student and Cutt Above Music Studio, LC.
Fee & Policy Changes/Updates
Fees are subject to change based on market trends and cost of living increases over time. Studio policy is subject to revision from time to time. Students and stakeholders will be provided notice and amended policies to sign when changes occur.
A Final Note
Please keep in mind that these policies are in accordance with recommended professional policies. Tuition fees take into consideration that the owner must provide all retirement, social security and continuing education costs for employees. The owner bears the expense of equipping and maintaining Cutt Above Music Studio, LC, including instruments, lending library and other equipment and supplies. In addition, the owner/teacher spends additional hours outside lesson time planning, scheduling, making phone calls, answering emails, bookkeeping and attending to other studio-related responsibilities. On a personal note, teaching is my profession, my business and my art. I pride myself on building a personal relationship with my students and their families and providing them with a top notch, “Cutt Above” music education.