Quality Music Education for All
Thanks to the generosity of our funders over our almost 100-year history, the Community
Music School can offer financial assistance and scholarships to students based on
financial need or artistic merit. In addition, CMS offers discounts for families,
multiple-instrument and endangered-instrument study.
Tuition Assistance
- Need-based tuition assistance based on total household income is available to cover partial tuition expenses for students demonstrating financial need.
- Tuition assistance is awarded for individual lessons, classes, and orchestras/ensembles (ex: YPSO, YPCO). Tuition assistance is not available for summer programs.
- Assistance can be awarded for the Summer, Fall and Spring semesters.
- Tuition assistance is not retroactive; students must pay in full for any lessons or classes scheduled before a financial assistance award is granted.
- If a student accepts tuition assistance, no further discounts apply.
Endangered Instrument Award
- The Endangered Instrument Award is available to pre-college students new to CMS who wish to study viola, double bass, oboe, bassoon, horn, trombone, tuba or harp. This award may be granted for the Summer, Fall or Spring semester. The award can be given for individual lessons, orchestras or summer programs.
- Students who receive the award for individual lessons may receive 50% off the tuition for 30-minute lessons.
- Awarded students must audition for and, if accepted, take part in a CMS orchestra or ensemble.
- Students new to CMS orchestras may receive 50% off orchestra tuition if accepted into an orchestra/ensemble.
- Awarded students may participate in an orchestra only. They are not required to take individual lessons.
Artistic Merit Scholarships
Artistic Merit Scholarships are awarded annually in the spring by audition to exceptional pre-college-age students who have been recommended by their CMS instructor and have taken individual lessons at CMS for at least one semester. Students must be available to audition at any time assigned on the audition date. Scholarship awards are applied to student’s account for the following academic year.
Additional Discounts
- A family discount is available when two or more family members are enrolled in individual lessons. A 10% discount will be applied to lesson tuition for all students in the family except the one with the highest tuition charge.
- A multiple instrument discount is available to students enrolled in individual lessons on more than one instrument. A 10% discount is applied to all but the highest tuition charge.
- An orchestra student discount is available to students enrolled in individual lessons that are accepted into a CMS orchestra or ensemble. A 10% discount is applied to the orchestra/ensemble tuition charge.