Tuition Payment

Monthly payments are processed on the 1st of the month for the number of weeks in the upcoming month, along with a $5 monthly fee that covers the cost of the student’s recitals, as well as additional performance opportunities throughout the year. This fee is not dependent on participation.

The monthly performance fee is charged to all students beginning in the first full month of enrollment, and for all months a student is actively enrolled.

Monthly payments are automatically charged on the 1st of each month in the amount owed for the number of weekly lessons offered. Monthly charges will continue until a Withdrawal Form is submitted (see Withdrawal Policy for additional information).

Tuition cost per lesson: we follow a tiered tuition structure, depending on the education and experience of the instructor. Your tuition is discussed at time of registration and you can check the amount any time by logging into your CFMA account. 

Missed Lesson and Makeup Policy

Once tuition is paid for the month, the school is committed to paying your instructor for all lessons booked within that calendar month. This includes any lessons that you do not attend for any reason, including but not limited to: planned vacations, illness, holidays when the school is open, etc.

Tuition for missed or canceled lessons by the student are not credited, refunded or carried forward into future months, regardless of reason or advanced notice.

Makeup Lessons

• How to cancel and schedule makeup lessons from your online portal
• In order to be eligible for a rescheduled lesson, any lesson the student must miss when the school is open must be canceled through your online student portal no later than 10 minutes prior to the start time of the scheduled lesson. Your instructor is still paid for your canceled lesson. You may schedule a makeup lesson through your online student portal into other student’s canceled lesson times. 
• Makeup lessons are subject to availability. Makeup lessons have no monetary value and cannot be used in place of regular tuition for future lessons. We cannot guarantee that all missed lessons can or will be made up, and there is no monetary credit or refund for unused makeup credits.
• Lessons that are not canceled 10 minutes prior to the start time of the lesson are ineligible for rescheduling.
• You may schedule up to 4 makeup lessons for every 30 days, for a total of 48 lessons per year.
• Makeup lessons cannot be scheduled past the date of your final paid lesson. Any makeup credits in excess of 2 expire after 12 months of de-enrollment. A student must be actively enrolled in lessons in order to access the makeup lessons on their account.
• Makeup lessons may be scheduled up to 7 days in advance.
• There is a deduction of one makeup credit in the event of a no-show.  The makeup credit balance may become negative if there are more no-shows than cancellations.
• In the event of closure or ownership transition of the school, all unused makeup credits will expire.

Lessons Canceled by the School

In the event that a teacher is out sick or on vacation, we will likely have another instructor from our staff covering the lessons. Lessons taught by guest instructors are treated as regular lessons and may be held in-person or virtually, depending on the guest instructor.

If you prefer to not take a lesson with a guest instructor, we will try to reschedule your lesson with your primary instructor, subject to availability, however there is no monetary credit for lessons canceled when a guest instructor is provided.

In the event we are unable to provide a guest instructor, tuition for the canceled lesson will be placed on your account and deducted from the following month’s tuition.

Online Lessons

If lessons must be canceled due to inclement weather, a teacher is unable to attend in-person, or other reasons we may not be able to hold lessons in-person, we may move lessons online or schedule makeup lessons. Tuition is not credited in these instances.

School Holidays

We are closed, and tuition is not charged, on the following holidays only: New Year’s Day (January 1), Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, December 24, 25 and 31.

Recital Policies

CFMA offers two recital per year to our students (in January and June) and we encourage our students to participate in them.  These recitals are informal in nature, in which students may perform any song of their choosing subject only to having appropriate lyrics.  Participation in recitals optional, however there is no adjustment of tuition for recitals in which a student does not participate.

Stopping Lessons

Private lessons at CFMA are offered year-round. For private lesson students, a Withdrawal Form must be submitted to our office at least 7 days before the end of your last month (before the next billing day, which always occurs on the 1st of each month).

However, if a student is participating in a recital, lessons must continue until the recital date.