Registration and Financial Aid

We make every effort to ensure an excellent placement between students and our professional faculty.

Placements and lesson times are determined by a combination of factors including:

• The student’s interest in a particular instrument or genre
• The student’s age, personality, and learning style
• A faculty member’s availability and the student’s ability to attend lessons during a particular day and time

For private and semi-private lessons, there are 35 lessons in a full school year. Students may enroll at any time during the year, and lessons will be pro-rated based on how many lessons are remaining in the school year.

If you’re interested in music lessons, and you’re curious about how our virtual platform works, we invite you to take a trial lesson. It only takes a few minutes to tell us what you’re looking for using our online form, and we’ll match you with the perfect teacher at a time that’s convenient for you. Request a trial lesson here.

Resources for the 2022-2023 School Year at CMSS

• 2022-2023 Student and Family Handbookopens PDF file
• 2022-2023 CMSS Calendaropens PDF file
• 2022-2023 Online Financial Aid Application for NEW Students
• 2022-2023 Online Financial Aid Application for Currently Enrolled CMSS Students
• 2022-2023 Online Financial Aid Reference Form (for NEW students applying for financial aid)
• opens in a new window2022-2023 Financial Aid Reference Form (download/print)opens PDF file (for NEW students applying for financial aid)
• opens in a new windowWhere To Get Your Musical Suppliesopens PDF file

Financial Aid for the 2022-2023 school year

To be considered for aid in the 2022-2023 school year, applicants must complete all three steps of the financial aid process:

1. Fill out an online application. Currently enrolled CMSS students, opens in a new windowclick here to start. New students, opens in a new windowclick here to start. Adult students, opens in a new windowclick here to start.
2. Submit supplemental financial documentation (EBT card or 2021 tax form 1040). We suggest you email a clear photo or a scanned file of your documentation to info@communitymusicschool.comcreate new email. BLACK OUT SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER BEFORE SUBMITTING. All financial information will be kept secure and confidential.
3. Ask a non-relative adult to fill out a opens in a new windowFinancial Aid Reference Form on your behalf.

Please note that your 2022-2023 application is not complete until your supplemental financial documentation (2021 1040 tax form or EBT Card) and Reference Form have been submitted.

Eligibility:

We are proud to participate in the  opens in a new windowCard to Culture program, a collaboration between  opens in a new windowMass Cultural Council and the  opens in a new windowDepartment of Transitional Assistance,  opens in a new windowMassachusetts Health Connector, and  opens in a new windowWomen, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, by breaking down the financial barriers to cultural programming. All students (including adults) receiving SNAP benefits may apply for a financial aid discount of 30%-40% off lessons & classes by following the instructions above.

Families with a household income UNDER the maximum household income for their household/family size (below) are eligible for financial aid for lessons and classes at CMSS (up to 56% off, depending on household income). If you are not eligible based on this chart but are experiencing additional financial hardships that affect your ability to afford lessons, please share this information with us for consideration.

Important Information for Financial Aid Applicants

Financial aid is awarded based on financial need and availability of funds. Funds are limited and applying for financial aid does not guarantee that it will be awarded. A complete application form and all supplemental documentation (tax form and two letters of reference) must be submitted to CMSS to be eligible for consideration.

Because funding is limited, priority for financial aid is given to current CMSS students. Financial aid for new students, if available, will be granted to qualifying families who complete their application on a rolling basis.

Students who have made less than satisfactory progress according to teacher evaluation, not registered on time, not submitted their financial aid application on time, and/or not paid any owed balance by prescribed deadlines may be placed on probation or denied financial aid funding outright. Funding for subsequent semesters during the year will be contingent upon the student’s ability to meet CMSS standards of good attendance, progress and practice, adherence to CMSS policies and procedures, and availability of funds.

Financial aid awards are given as a specific dollar amount and are valid for the full academic year. Financial aid recipients may receive funding for private lessons on one instrument/voice, class, or ensemble. Families with more than one child may receive financial aid funding for up to two children.

Notification of awards will be emailed, along with a link to accept the award via an online form. If financial aid is granted, the applicant must accept the financial aid award via an online form, complete the CMSS registration process online, follow up with the registration team to schedule lessons, and make a deposit in order to fully register and accept the financial aid award.

How do I register for lessons for the upcoming school year?

Students who would like to reserve a preferred time slot with their instructor may register early (in the spring) and make a deposit, which is the first of ten monthly payments (calculated to include the financial aid award). The remainder of the tuition will be divided into 9 monthly bills dated from September 2022 to May 2023.