The following policies and procedures of the Music School have been established in order to assist quality and continuity of study. All students are required to abide by them.
- General Policies
- Registration
- Missed Lessons
- Tuition
- Payment
- Refunds
- Discounts
- Tuition Assistance
- Endangered Instruments Awards
- Artistic Merit Scholarships
- Establishing Scholarships
General Policies
1. Students enrolling for individual lessons should not be studying with another individual instructor on the same instrument.
2. Students and/or parents have the responsibility of communicating with their teacher if an instructional, scheduling, or other problem arises. If the problem cannot be solved, the student and/or parent should contact the school office.
3. Students taking individual lessons who wish to change teachers must first notify and/or discuss a problem with their current teacher, make an effort to mutually resolve any problems, and receive approval of the Music School Director.
4. Because faculty teaching is tightly scheduled, students must make every effort to be on time for all lessons and classes. In deference to subsequent students and classes, all lessons/classes will end at the scheduled time. Faculty will wait for a student for one-third of the scheduled lesson time; students are asked to do the same in the event of a teacher’s late arrival. Arrival past that time will be considered a missed lesson.
5. To best serve the musical needs of its students, the Music School reserves the right to dismiss any student because of lack of interest or progress, frequent unexcused absences (three or more consecutive lessons), frequent tardiness, disruptive behavior, delinquency in payment of tuition, and/or failure to abide by policies by students or parents.
6. In order to ensure that student performance and audition experiences are positive and educational for each student, the Music School recommends that students registered for individual lessons at the school consult with and receive approval from their individual lesson teacher prior to initiating these activities.
7. Students and parents agree to accept faculty and administrative decisions regarding enrollment, financial aid, scholarships, evaluations, awards, and applications of policies made under the published policies and procedures of the school.
8. The School Director and the Dean of the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts are, respectively, the ultimate authority regarding decisions made under the published policies and procedures of the school, unless the provisions of the specific policy of Webster University delegates authority elsewhere.
9. An appeal for a decision regarding instruction should be directed to the Office of the Director of the Community Music School of Webster University. The appeal will be reviewed by the Director and the Dean of the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts.
The Music School reserves the right to modify or cancel any class, lesson, or course due to insufficient enrollment or instrumentation or extenuating circumstances.
Registration
New Students (Those who weren’t enrolled during the previous semester or at any previous time)
1. Prospective students and/or parents should attend registration where a lesson time will be arranged. (See registration dates, times and locations on the CMS website.) Care is taken in pairing students with instructors. A student’s background, personality, personal motivation and goals, as well as specific needs or requirements are carefully considered before a teacher is suggested. By registering students in person, our staff is able to assess these criteria to better ensure that the student is placed with the most appropriate instructor and will progress and thrive in his or her musical studies.
2. Registration is completed by discussing CMS policies and signifying acceptance of them. Students will leave registration with the teacher’s name; the day, time, and location of the lessons; and a letter containing the student ID number and an authorization code with instructions for setting up the online account.
Returning students:
1. To give returning class/individual lesson students preference on a teacher’s schedule, currently enrolled students will be mailed a re-enrollment form at the end of each session. The form is also available online and must be received by the stated deadline to reserve a place on the teacher’s schedule. Returning students must consult with their teachers about lesson times. Students are not enrolled and teachers are not paid until the process above is completed.
2. Billing statements will be available online prior to the start of the semester.
3. If you have been in class instruction, your teacher will recommend the best class placement for the upcoming semester.
4. Any returning student with an outstanding account balance cannot be registered for the next semester and their place on a teacher’s schedule cannot be guaranteed nor lessons received until the account is paid in full. Students with a history of late or non-payment may be required to pay in full for the next semester before enrollment may continue.
Group/Class Instruction Students may register for class instruction by using the mail-in registration form available on the website, or by attending regular registration times as listed at www.webster.edu/cms. Mail or fax in the registration form to: CMS, 470 E. Lockwood, St. Louis, MO 63119. Students in orchestras and ensembles should refer to the orchestras and ensembles audition information booklet for registration information.
Waiting List Students
1. If it is not possible to place students with an appropriate teacher/class during registration, students may elect to place their names on the waiting list for that instrument or class. Only those who attend registration and attempt to enroll in individual instruction may be placed on the waiting list. Those who mail in class registration forms will also be placed on a waiting list pending minimum enrollment.
2. If an opening occurs for that instrument or the minimum enrollment for a class is obtained, students on the waiting list will be called to determine their interest in completing registration.
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Missed Lessons
1. Students are enrolled and charged for the entire semester or session. Students who register after the beginning of the semester are enrolled and charged for the remaining weeks in the semester. Regular attendance at all lessons, classes, and rehearsals for the semester is expected. Students are charged for all lessons, classes and ensembles, including those missed due to student absence.
2. As a courtesy to your teacher/instructor, please notify your location office in advance of any absence.
3. For individual lessons:
a. Since an individual instructor has reserved a weekly teaching time, any missed lesson due to student absence will not be made up, credited, or refunded.
b. Exceptions to this policy are made only due to student absence for religious observances. In these cases, only one lesson per semester will be made up, and notification must be given to the teacher at least one week in advance.
4. For classes/rehearsals: Classes or rehearsals missed due to student absence will not be rescheduled and there will be no refund/credit of tuition.
5. Students who are unable to attend lessons or classes due to a long-term (3 or more consecutive weeks) medical issue will receive a credit or refund for lessons or classes missed. A physician’s note is required to receive this credit and notification must be made in writing to the Music School.
6. In the event the instructor cancels a lesson or class, a make-up lesson will be offered at a mutually convenient time. An individual lesson teacher is required to offer two reasonable make-up date alternatives.
7. If a student cancels an agreed-upon make-up lesson, it will not be rescheduled.
8. If lessons/classes/ensembles have been suspended because tuition payment is delinquent, no make-up lessons will be given.
9. When inclement weather or any other unforeseeable circumstances force the closing of the school for safety considerations, classes, lessons and rehearsals will not be made up and no reimbursement will be made.
Tuition
1. All students are charged a $30 non-refundable registration fee once every academic year, due each Fall Semester thereafter.
2. Tuition rates for the 2012-2013 school year:
(amounts for Fall and Spring are per each semester)
| Fall & Spring (18 wks) |
Traditional | Suzuki |
| 30 minutes | $558 | $702 |
| 45 minutes | $846 | $990 |
| 60 minutes | $1098 | $1242 |
| Summer (6 wks) | Traditional | Suzuki |
| 30 minutes | $186 | $186 |
| 45 minutes | $282 | $282 |
| 60 minutes | $366 | $366 |
3. Students who register after the start of the semester/session will pay tuition pro-rated for the number of lessons remaining that term.
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Payment
1. Students will receive e-mail notifications each time a new billing statement is available. Parents, employers, or other individuals can be authorized to receive an e-mail notification for billing statements, as well as pay electronically. A computer is available at the CMS Center for checking and printing account statements. Payments are due on or before the dates shown.
| Fall 2012 | Online | Due Date* |
| August | 8/12 | 8/30 |
| September | 9/12 | 9/30 |
| October | 10/12 | 10/30 |
| November | 11/12 | 11/30** |
| Spring 2013 | ||
| January | 1/12 | 1/30 |
| February | 2/12 | 2/28 |
| March | 3/12 | 3/30 |
| April | 4/12 | 4/30** |
| Summer 2013 | ||
| June | 6/12 | 6/30 |
| July | 7/12 | 7/30** |
**Account balances must be paid in full by these dates for continuous enrollment.
2. Account balances may be paid online one of two ways (for each option you will need your student's ID number):
1) Online by credit card or bank transfer through the student's Connection account.
2) Through the mail by sending a check or money order to Webster University/PO Box 191165/St. Louis, MO 63119-7165.
3. Monthly Payment Plan: Students may make monthly payments of their semester charges. Those who select this option will be charged a monthly interest rate of 1.5% on the balance remaining after each payment due date. Failure to maintain the scheduled monthly payments may result in cancellation of lessons/classes/rehearsals.
4. There is a $25.00 fee for each returned check. If a check is returned, reimbursement must be made by money order or cash.
5. Tuition must be paid in full before students may register for the following semester. Members of orchestras or ensembles with unpaid tuition balances from previous academic years must pay in full by the first rehearsal or will not be able to participate in the orchestra/ensemble.
6. The Community Music School reserves the right to require those students with a history of delinquent payments to go into a “pre-payment” status, in which the student must pay IN FULL for the entire semester and any past due balances before enrollment may continue.
Refunds
Individual instruction:
1. If the student withdraws 24 hours or more before the first lesson/class, he will be billed only for the $30 registration fee. If the student does not give 24 hours or more of notice, they will be billed the $30 registration fee and a $125 penalty fee.
2. To cancel your registration before the first lesson, please call the Cancellation Hotline: 314-968-5958.
3. If a student withdraws between the day of the first lesson and the end of the sixth week of the CMS semester, they will be billed for the lessons from the time of enrollment, the $30 registration fee, and a $125 penalty fee.
4. To cancel your registration after the first day of lessons, please send an email to cms@webster.edu.
5. There are no refunds after the sixth week of the semester, and students will be charged and responsible for the full semester tuition and any applicable fees and interest charges.
6. Summer Session: Withdrawals between the day of the first class/lesson and the end of the second week of the session will be billed for the lessons from the time of enrollment, the $30 registration fee, and a $50 penalty fee. There are no refunds after the second week of the summer session.
Group instruction (including Young Years classes): Tuition for group classes is not refundable unless classes are cancelled due to insufficient enrollment.
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Discounts
1. When two or more from the same immediate family (brother, sister, mother, father) register for individual lessons in the same semester, a family discount is available. A discount of 10% is applied to all individual lessons except the one with the highest tuition charge.
2. When an individual student registers for individual instruction for more than one instrument during a semester, a 10% second instrument discount is applied to all but the highest tuition charge.
Tuition Assistance
1. Tuition Assistance is available to cover partial tuition expense for students demonstrating financial need. To receive assistance, students or their parents must complete a Tuition Assistance application and submit current proof of income (as specified on form).2. Tuition Assistance is not retroactive; students must pay in full for any lessons or classes scheduled before a financial assistance award is granted.
3. Students/families who qualify for Tuition Assistance and who are also awarded a scholarship must choose between the two. Also, no further discounts may apply.
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Endangered Instrument Awards
A limited number of financial awards will be given to pre-college students new to the Community Music School who wish to study viola, double bass, oboe, bassoon, horn, trombone and tuba. The award is for a total of two semesters, and only for fall and spring semesters. To apply for the Endangered Instrument Award, download the application online, or request an application at one of our locations, or by calling 314-968-5939.
• Students who receive the award for private instruction may receive 67% of individual lesson tuition costs for 30-minute lessons. Awarded students must audition for and, if accepted, take part in one of our ensembles.
• Students new to CMS ensembles may receive 67% of ensemble tuition if accepted into an orchestra/ensemble. Students may participate in orchestras/ensembles only, without taking private instruction.
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Artistic Merit Scholarships
The Music School is proud to support many of its most talented students taking individual lessons through talent-based scholarships. Auditions are held annually in late Spring for exceptional students who are recommended by their teachers and who have taken individual lessons at the Music School for at least the complete semester prior to audition. Students must be available to audition at any time assigned on the audition date.
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Establishing Scholarships
Artistic merit scholarship assistance allows some our most talented students to realize their musical potential. By supporting scholarships you can play an important role in the musical education of a gifted student, and help further the efforts of those who will create the music we enjoy in the future. To learn more about sponsoring an annual or endowed scholarship, please contact the Development Office at (314) 968-6955.Back to Top.
470 East Lockwood Avenue