Registration and Financial Aid
Now enrolling for private and semi-private lessons and classes in Fall 2020!
Student Placement
The 2020-21 school year starts on August 31, 2020, and we can’t wait to make music with you then!
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.
For group classes and ensembles, there are 35 classes in a full school year. Not all classes are available for late registration. Please speak with a member of our registration team our about pro-rating class tuition.
Resources
- 2020-2021 Student and Family Handbook
- 2020-2021 CMSS Calendar
- Online Financial Aid Application
- Online Financial Aid Reference Form
- Financial Aid Reference Form (download/print)
- Where To Get Your Musical Supplies
- 2019-2020 CMSS Calendar
Tuition Information
2020-2021 Registration Fee for Private Lessons: $50 (per family)
| Length | Price Per Lesson | Semi-Annual Payment (eligible for 5% discount) | Full Year Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes | $40 | $700 | $1,400 |
| 45 minutes | $54 | $945 | $1,890 |
| 60 minutes | $68 | $1,190 | $2,380 |
45-Minute Semi-Private Lessons
We invite students of all ages and abilities to gather their own group of peers (2-4 participants) who share an interest in the same instrument and are approximately the same level of playing ability. CMSS then matches you group with an instructor best suited to meet your musical needs and availability requests. Semi-private lessons are scheduled to take place weekly, tuition is $60 per 45-minute lesson (divided evenly among the 2-4 students in the group), and there is no yearly registration fee for semi-private lessons. Semi-private lessons at CMSS offer students a more affordable way to get started with lessons or continue their musical journey, and they provide a great social context for learning and playing as a group.
We have a number of tuition discounts available for students taking private and semi-private lessons:
- Early Bird Registration – waive registration fee ($50 per family) when you enroll in your private lesson and remit deposit (first month’s tuition) by May 31, 2020
- Pay in Full – save 5% by paying half of private lesson tuition upon registration and the other half in January 2021 (valid only from the rollover period in April 2020 through November 2020)
- Autopay Enrollment – enroll in monthly autobilling to save $50 off your invoice
- Two Lesson Enrollment – families with two private lesson enrollments save $20 off your invoice (cannot be combined with three lesson enrollment discount)
- Three Lesson Enrollment – families with three or more private lesson enrollments save $50 off your invoice (cannot be combined with two lesson enrollment discount)
- Carpool Agreement – commit to carpooling to your lesson with another student (or walk or take the bus to CMSS) and save $50 on private lesson tuition (sign agreement with front desk)
Financial Aid at Community Music School of Springfield
CMSS offers financial aid to students in grades K-12 who are 18 years of age and under. Financial aid is considered a need-based award and therefore is awarded based on financial need, seriousness of purpose and motivation, and consistent attendance and progress.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until August 15, 2020, or until funds are depleted. To be considered for Financial Aid, applicants must complete ALL three steps of the financial aid process:
- Fill out an online Financial Aid Application.
- Submit a copy of a Federal Income Tax Return (1040). Tax documents may be scanned/emailed to [email protected], or mailed to or dropped off at CMSS (127 State Street, Springfield MA 01103). BLACK OUT SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER BEFORE SUBMITTING. All financial information will be kept secure and confidential.
- Ask two non-relative adults (CMSS faculty member, school teacher, coach, religious leader, community leader, etc.) to submit a confidential Financial Aid Reference Form on behalf of the student. Reference forms may be completed online by sending this link to the two people who will fill out the Financial Aid Reference Form. Or, reference forms may be scanned/emailed to [email protected], or mailed to or dropped off at CMSS (127 State Street, Springfield MA 01103). If you would like to hand deliver the Financial Aid Reference Form to the people who will fill out the reference form, click here to download and print the form.
More about Financial Aid at CMSS
Important Information for all Applicants:
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 by the deadline of August 15, 2020 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 by the deadline (August 15, 2020).
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 upon acceptance?
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 2020 to May 2021.