Music Conservatory of Illinois

        

POLICY - JANUARY 2023             

Payment Policy:

• Tuition is paid for by session.

  • Most sessions cover 8 weeks of lessons.

  • Summer Session covers 10 weeks of lessons.

• If a teacher’s schedule permits it, new students are able to start lessons in the middle of a session.

  • If so, the student will be billed only for the lessons from their start date till the end of the session.

• Each session’s tuition must be paid prior to the due date to ensure continuation of lessons.

  • A session’s tuition is due the day prior to the new session starting. Please refer to our Session Calendar for specific dates.

• Tardy session payment will result in lessons being paused until payment is provided.

• Students who decide to stop lessons in the middle of a session are still responsible for the full payment of the session.

  • Missed lessons and remaining lessons in the session do not qualify for a refund.

• Session tuition does not cover any materials.

  • A $25 materials fee may be applied upon starting lessons.

  • The cost of any additional materials after starting lessons will be applied on the next invoice(s).

Trial Private Lessons

• Trial private lessons are for when a student would like to try a lesson without the full commitment to a session.

• Trial private lessons are paid, full lessons, for 30, 45, or 60-minutes.

• Payment must be provided prior to the trial lesson for the lesson to occur.

• If a student chooses to continue with a teacher following a trial lesson, the student will be billed for the full remainder of lessons in the session.

Consultations

• A consultation is a free-of-charge, 15-minute meeting between student, family, and teacher.

• Consultations are for a student to meet a teacher, for a teacher to learn of the student’s goals, and to see if the student and teacher are an appropriate match for each other.

• Teachers are not obligated to give consultations and will be contacted first before scheduling a consultation.

Private Lesson Attendance Policy:

• Attendance

  • Weekly attendance is mandatory and expected from all students. 

  • It is the responsibility of both student and parental figure to make it to lessons, and to arrive on-time for lessons.

• Student Absences:

  • Each student is permitted 2 absences per session.

    • Any kind of absence counts towards the total of 2 absences per session.

    • What counts as an excused absence?

      • If administration and teacher are notified at least 24-hours prior to the lesson’s start time, a teacher may choose to offer a make-up lesson, if their schedule permits it.

      • Otherwise, a substitute teacher will be teaching the rescheduled lesson

    • What counts as an unexcused absence?

      • If the student is a no-show.

      • If administration and teacher are notified under 24-hours prior to the lesson’s start time.

      • These lessons cannot be made-up.

  • Make-up Lessons due to Student Absence

    • Make-up Lessons due to student absence can be offered in the form of the following:

      • A substitute teacher teaches the lesson.

      • Teacher teaches lesson (if the schedule permits it).

      • Lesson time being distributed over the course of multiple lessons (if schedule permits it).

    • Lessons missed by the student must be rescheduled during the same session as the originally missed lesson, or up to a week after the final lesson of a session.

• Sickness:

  • If a student is unable to make a lesson due to sickness, please inform administration and the instructor as soon as possible. 

  • Absences due to sickness count towards the maximum of 2 absences per session.

  • The first sickness absence of a session is excused.

  • Sick absences after the first in a session are unexcused.

• Teacher Absences:

  • If a teacher is unable to attend a lesson, the following options will be offered:

    • Substitute teacher taught lesson.

    • Make-up lesson (if teacher’s schedule permits it).

    • Lesson credited towards the next invoice.

• Tardiness:

  • Students who are tardy are not guaranteed the full duration of their lesson.

  • If a teacher is tardy, a student is entitled to the full duration of their lesson.

Pre-Piano/Partner Lesson/Group Class Attendance Policy

• Any kind of class with more than one student is unable to be rescheduled.

  • If all members of a class are from the same household/come to the class together, the class can be made-up in the form of the following:

    • Substitute teacher teaches the lesson.

    • Teacher teaches lesson (if the schedule permits it).

    • Lesson time being distributed over the course of multiple lessons (if schedule permits it).

• Pre-Piano and Group Class instructors can be substitute taught at any time.

• Pre-Piano and Group Class instructors are subject to change at any time.

CANCELLATION FORM - NEW!!

• We have a new procedure for lesson cancellations:

  • You MUST fill out the new Cancellation Form on our website at least 24 hours in advance of your student’s lesson in order for it to be counted as an excused absence.

Dismissal:

• We reserve the right for our teachers to dismiss students from their studio due to the following:

  • Repeated unexcused absences.

  • Inappropriate behavior (Verbal harassment, physical harassment, damage of a teacher’s or the conservatory’s property, etc.).

Practice

• All students are expected to practice to ensure musical growth.

• Practice Rooms:

  • Students of MCIL are able to reserve a room for practice, free-of-charge.

    • Administration must be contacted at least 24-hours prior to room usage.

  • If a room is not reserved in advance, the room is not available for use, even if unoccupied.