Policies on Tuition Payment and Refunds
PAYMENT RESPONSIBILITY
The adult listed on the enrollment form will be held responsible for tuition being paid each month, regardless of any additional arrangements made among family members (ex: if parents in different households agree to alternate payments of tuition, ONE person must be the responsible party. It is not the studio's responsibility to remember whose turn it is to pay, or to pursue the other party if payment is missed). Please notify the studio in writing if the responsible party changes. Without notification, the studio will continue to bill the original, and this person will be held responsible for all payments and late fees applied before the studio was informed in writing. There can only be ONE primary, responsible party, and the responsible party cannot be changed more than once a year. It is assumed that the adult paying tuition is also the primary contact. Please inform the studio if this is not the case.
Tuition is deducted by auto-pay on the first day of each month, from August to May, through DSP Merchant Services. Payment will be the same amount each month, regardless of the number of classes attended, as long as the course load is understood to remain the same. Parents may notify the director of their students’ desire to add courses at any point as long as the desired classes are still open and the student meets eligibility requirements. See below regarding dropping courses.
If a student opts to pause or delay their attendance, tuition is still due to hold their place in class. Failure to pay tuition will result in the dancer's removal from the class roster until the account is brought current.
Payments not received by the 10th of the month in which they are due are subject to a 10% late fee. Payments not received by the 1st of the following month will result in the dancer's removal from the class roster until the account is brought current.
Male students may enroll in ballet at their appropriate age level free of charge when they also enroll in other styles of dance. All other genres are full price. They must be enrolled in and paying for classes in other styles in order to take ballet at no charge.
DROPPING COURSES
Parents must notify the director of their students’ desire to drop courses BEFORE the next tuition payment falls due. Once the next payment is due, the parent remains responsible for making that payment. Without notification, tuition will continue to be charged regardless of attendance. Class sizes are limited, based on students’ age range and ability. You are paying for a place on a limited roster, which means we cannot offer that place to anyone else, and have probably turned away other students who were interested. So please be courteous when you are considering the possibility of dropping courses. An exception will be made to this policy if the family dropping the course is able to refer another student to take their place (referral discount will be waived in this case).
CHECKS AND CASH
These may be given to the director any time during regular class hours. Please label cash with your dancer’s name and the amount and purpose. Make checks payable to Etudes Ballet School.
CARD PAYMENTS
Card payments can be made online in the parent portal through Dance Studio Pro. All students enrolled in children's classes during the regular season will be required to activate auto-pay. The auto-pay feature means that the studio has a card on file for you, and this can be utilized at any time with your consent. Charges can also be left on your account to be automatically debited on the 1st with tuition.
SEMESTER PRE-PAY
You may pre-pay for the semester or the full year for a discount of 5% off the total. Invoices will be issued July 15 for the fall and December 15 for the spring, with payment due by September 1 and February 1 respectively, to retain the discount. Failure to pay on time will result in your discount being lost. Payments made more than 10 days late will result in late charges being applied. Just like monthly payment options, there are NO refunds on tuition already paid.
FAMILY DISCOUNTS
Families with more than one dancer who have not yet reached the unlimited family rate: Take 20% off the amount of second and subsequent dancer's tuition. The dancer with the higher tuition total will pay full price, and the discount will be applied to the lesser. This discount applies ONLY to family members whose tuition is being paid from the same source. (If grandma is paying for Cousin A and Cousin B, grandma gets a discount. If mom is paying for Cousin A and grandma is paying for Cousin B, no discount is applied. If Sibling A lives with mom and Sibling B lives with dad and each of their tuition is being paid by the parent they reside with, no discount is applied.) Family rate is capped at $387/month for unlimited classes for all family members, as defined above.
NEW STUDENT REFERRALS
Current dance families whose accounts are in good standing may refer new students for a discount of 20% off of the following month's payment for each new student who enrolls at Etudes (those who pay per semester will have the equivalent amount deducted from the following semester's payment, or a credit applied to their account for use in other purchases). This discount may be combined with any others, with no limits on the number of students who may be referred, as long as class sizes can accommodate. The new student may not be a sibling, parent, or child of any current student, live in the same household, have tuition being paid by - or otherwise be financially dependent on - the same person as the referring student. The new student may not be one who has been enrolled with Etudes previously. Both the new student and the current student must notify the director of the referral relationship within two weeks of the new student’s enrollment, or the discount cannot be awarded. (In other words, it is your responsibility to make it known. Kara will not chase you down to ask.) The discount will be applied to the following month, after the referred student has made their first tuition payment.
REFUNDS
There are NO refunds given on tuition already paid. Dance and other related performing arts require a certain level of commitment from the student and the student’s family in order for the student to be successful. Missed classes are not eligible for pro-rating or refunds. This includes classes missed when the dancer is injured but ambulatory. Observation of regular class is encouraged under these circumstances. Missed classes can be made up within two weeks by attending another class of the same or similar level, as recommended by the director. Classes missed during a long-term injury can be made up over a longer period once the dancer has been cleared to return to physical activity, to be discussed by the director, dancer, and parent. Please notify the director of your desire to make up missed classes.
NO refunds are given if a student is suspended or dismissed from a course or from the school for behavior or other problems.
Tuition paid may NOT be transferred to another student whose tuition is not being paid from the same source (please see requirements for family discount eligibility).
There are NO refunds given on fees already paid for workshops, master classes, summer courses, and special events for missed attendance. In the event a course, workshop, master class, or summer course must be canceled by the studio, whether due to low attendance or other circumstances, compensation will be offered first in the form of credit toward future courses or master classes. If circumstances do not allow for the student to attend future courses (ie: the student is only in town for a brief period of time, will be relocating, or will not be available for the next desired course or class), a refund may be issued at the sole discretion of the director. This may happen ONE time only. If the student attempts to return after claiming to be unable to do so, their enrollment will be declined.
COSTUMES AND PERFORMANCE UNIFORMS
For regular, inclusive performances like recitals and community appearances, Etudes utilizes a standard concert uniform. We retain these items at the studio and issue each student the requisite pieces each year for their use as needed. New students will pay a fee of $50 for the studio to obtain the necessary pieces. Returning students will pay a fee of $25 for rental and maintenance of these pieces. These fees will be collected with October tuition. All of these items are labeled and marked and a record will be kept of which pieces are issued to each student. The student is responsible for the welfare of all items issued to them. These items must be returned to the studio at the end of the season. Students who do not return their items, or return them in a damaged state that renders them unusable, will be charged an additional $50 fee for their replacement.
We do utilize traditional costuming for The Nutcracker and for our competition team. These items are also owned and maintained by the studio and are expected to be returned within two weeks of the conclusion of their use. Students will pay a flat fee of $100 for rental and maintenance of Nutcracker costumes and $50 per costume for use and maintenance of competition costumes. Fees for Nutcracker participation will be collected in August. Competition costume use fees will be included in the total you are given for your dancer's involvement. All of these items are labeled and marked and a record will be kept of which pieces are issued to each student. The student is responsible for the welfare of all items issued to them. Replacement fees for lost or damaged items will be no less than $100 and will depend on the actual cost of replacement.
The adult listed on the enrollment form will be held responsible for tuition being paid each month, regardless of any additional arrangements made among family members (ex: if parents in different households agree to alternate payments of tuition, ONE person must be the responsible party. It is not the studio's responsibility to remember whose turn it is to pay, or to pursue the other party if payment is missed). Please notify the studio in writing if the responsible party changes. Without notification, the studio will continue to bill the original, and this person will be held responsible for all payments and late fees applied before the studio was informed in writing. There can only be ONE primary, responsible party, and the responsible party cannot be changed more than once a year. It is assumed that the adult paying tuition is also the primary contact. Please inform the studio if this is not the case.
Tuition is deducted by auto-pay on the first day of each month, from August to May, through DSP Merchant Services. Payment will be the same amount each month, regardless of the number of classes attended, as long as the course load is understood to remain the same. Parents may notify the director of their students’ desire to add courses at any point as long as the desired classes are still open and the student meets eligibility requirements. See below regarding dropping courses.
If a student opts to pause or delay their attendance, tuition is still due to hold their place in class. Failure to pay tuition will result in the dancer's removal from the class roster until the account is brought current.
Payments not received by the 10th of the month in which they are due are subject to a 10% late fee. Payments not received by the 1st of the following month will result in the dancer's removal from the class roster until the account is brought current.
Male students may enroll in ballet at their appropriate age level free of charge when they also enroll in other styles of dance. All other genres are full price. They must be enrolled in and paying for classes in other styles in order to take ballet at no charge.
DROPPING COURSES
Parents must notify the director of their students’ desire to drop courses BEFORE the next tuition payment falls due. Once the next payment is due, the parent remains responsible for making that payment. Without notification, tuition will continue to be charged regardless of attendance. Class sizes are limited, based on students’ age range and ability. You are paying for a place on a limited roster, which means we cannot offer that place to anyone else, and have probably turned away other students who were interested. So please be courteous when you are considering the possibility of dropping courses. An exception will be made to this policy if the family dropping the course is able to refer another student to take their place (referral discount will be waived in this case).
CHECKS AND CASH
These may be given to the director any time during regular class hours. Please label cash with your dancer’s name and the amount and purpose. Make checks payable to Etudes Ballet School.
CARD PAYMENTS
Card payments can be made online in the parent portal through Dance Studio Pro. All students enrolled in children's classes during the regular season will be required to activate auto-pay. The auto-pay feature means that the studio has a card on file for you, and this can be utilized at any time with your consent. Charges can also be left on your account to be automatically debited on the 1st with tuition.
SEMESTER PRE-PAY
You may pre-pay for the semester or the full year for a discount of 5% off the total. Invoices will be issued July 15 for the fall and December 15 for the spring, with payment due by September 1 and February 1 respectively, to retain the discount. Failure to pay on time will result in your discount being lost. Payments made more than 10 days late will result in late charges being applied. Just like monthly payment options, there are NO refunds on tuition already paid.
FAMILY DISCOUNTS
Families with more than one dancer who have not yet reached the unlimited family rate: Take 20% off the amount of second and subsequent dancer's tuition. The dancer with the higher tuition total will pay full price, and the discount will be applied to the lesser. This discount applies ONLY to family members whose tuition is being paid from the same source. (If grandma is paying for Cousin A and Cousin B, grandma gets a discount. If mom is paying for Cousin A and grandma is paying for Cousin B, no discount is applied. If Sibling A lives with mom and Sibling B lives with dad and each of their tuition is being paid by the parent they reside with, no discount is applied.) Family rate is capped at $387/month for unlimited classes for all family members, as defined above.
NEW STUDENT REFERRALS
Current dance families whose accounts are in good standing may refer new students for a discount of 20% off of the following month's payment for each new student who enrolls at Etudes (those who pay per semester will have the equivalent amount deducted from the following semester's payment, or a credit applied to their account for use in other purchases). This discount may be combined with any others, with no limits on the number of students who may be referred, as long as class sizes can accommodate. The new student may not be a sibling, parent, or child of any current student, live in the same household, have tuition being paid by - or otherwise be financially dependent on - the same person as the referring student. The new student may not be one who has been enrolled with Etudes previously. Both the new student and the current student must notify the director of the referral relationship within two weeks of the new student’s enrollment, or the discount cannot be awarded. (In other words, it is your responsibility to make it known. Kara will not chase you down to ask.) The discount will be applied to the following month, after the referred student has made their first tuition payment.
REFUNDS
There are NO refunds given on tuition already paid. Dance and other related performing arts require a certain level of commitment from the student and the student’s family in order for the student to be successful. Missed classes are not eligible for pro-rating or refunds. This includes classes missed when the dancer is injured but ambulatory. Observation of regular class is encouraged under these circumstances. Missed classes can be made up within two weeks by attending another class of the same or similar level, as recommended by the director. Classes missed during a long-term injury can be made up over a longer period once the dancer has been cleared to return to physical activity, to be discussed by the director, dancer, and parent. Please notify the director of your desire to make up missed classes.
NO refunds are given if a student is suspended or dismissed from a course or from the school for behavior or other problems.
Tuition paid may NOT be transferred to another student whose tuition is not being paid from the same source (please see requirements for family discount eligibility).
There are NO refunds given on fees already paid for workshops, master classes, summer courses, and special events for missed attendance. In the event a course, workshop, master class, or summer course must be canceled by the studio, whether due to low attendance or other circumstances, compensation will be offered first in the form of credit toward future courses or master classes. If circumstances do not allow for the student to attend future courses (ie: the student is only in town for a brief period of time, will be relocating, or will not be available for the next desired course or class), a refund may be issued at the sole discretion of the director. This may happen ONE time only. If the student attempts to return after claiming to be unable to do so, their enrollment will be declined.
COSTUMES AND PERFORMANCE UNIFORMS
For regular, inclusive performances like recitals and community appearances, Etudes utilizes a standard concert uniform. We retain these items at the studio and issue each student the requisite pieces each year for their use as needed. New students will pay a fee of $50 for the studio to obtain the necessary pieces. Returning students will pay a fee of $25 for rental and maintenance of these pieces. These fees will be collected with October tuition. All of these items are labeled and marked and a record will be kept of which pieces are issued to each student. The student is responsible for the welfare of all items issued to them. These items must be returned to the studio at the end of the season. Students who do not return their items, or return them in a damaged state that renders them unusable, will be charged an additional $50 fee for their replacement.
We do utilize traditional costuming for The Nutcracker and for our competition team. These items are also owned and maintained by the studio and are expected to be returned within two weeks of the conclusion of their use. Students will pay a flat fee of $100 for rental and maintenance of Nutcracker costumes and $50 per costume for use and maintenance of competition costumes. Fees for Nutcracker participation will be collected in August. Competition costume use fees will be included in the total you are given for your dancer's involvement. All of these items are labeled and marked and a record will be kept of which pieces are issued to each student. The student is responsible for the welfare of all items issued to them. Replacement fees for lost or damaged items will be no less than $100 and will depend on the actual cost of replacement.