Newton - NeedhamPlease carefully review the information below. Your signed registration form indicates acceptance of Newton Music Academy’s policies and procedures:
Payments
Refunds
Late Payments, Delinquent Accounts, Returned Checks
Absences, Cancellations and Tardiness
Snow Policy
Photo/Video Policy
Online Distance Lessons Policy
Payments
Payments for the session must be made in full or by submitting two checks as described in Payment Plan form #6 at least one week in advance of the first lesson of each session. Payments can be made by mail or in person.
Payments for Priority Registration for continuing students are due by the date stated on the academic calendar and non-refundable.
If the student does not complete registration and pays by the appropriate date, her/his lesson time will be offered to others.
Incomplete payments do not secure lesson spots. Spots are held temporarily and may be offered to other students if payment is not completed. Should this occur, the original student has the option of a refund or an alternative lesson time. If the spot remains unbooked, it is retained, but only the lessons covered by the paid tuition will be provided. No refunds are issued for incomplete payments unless the spot is subsequently booked by another student.
It is the student’s responsibility to verify the correct amount of payment and to keep track of their payment times.
Refunds
The registration fee is non-refundable if a student cancels classes.
Private Instruction
For new students only: Pro-rated refunds for private lessons may be requested only within the first three lessons of the trial period. Failure to attend lessons after the third lesson without notification does not release students from the obligation to pay for the semester.
For continuing students: There are no refunds for paid sessions. Once you have paid, your spot is booked and can not be refunded.
Group classes, workshops, ensembles: NO refunds.
Once you have paid, your spot is booked and can not be refunded.
If a course is cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, full tuition and registration fee (if applicable) will be refunded.
Adequate course enrollment is determined by NMA two weeks prior to first day of the course. Requests for adequate enrollment confirmation earlier then two weeks prior to the first day of the course will not be considered as a valid reason for issuing a refund.
Recital Fee
The recital fee is non-refundable, cannot be credited towards future payments, and does not roll over to subsequent recitals. If a student cancels a recital, the fee for that event is forfeited. Please ensure commitment to perform before paying the recital fee.
Late Payments, Incomplete payments, Delinquent Accounts, Returned Checks
Full payment or payment plan is due before the first lesson of each semester. Any bill not paid in full at time that lessons/classes begin will automatically be assessed a $25 late fee. An additional $25 charge will be added to bills that are 60 days overdue. Delinquent accounts referred for collection will be liable for all collection fees and costs. NMA reserves the right to stop a student’s instructional activities without a refund if there is an unpaid account balance.
The office will notify you if your check is returned for any reason (e.g., insufficient funds, stop payment, or account closed). You must pay in cash or with certified funds the original check amount plus a $25 returned check charge.
Failure to complete the payment or paying less than then invoiced amount will result in forfeiture of any lessons that are not fully covered by submitted tuition.
Absences, Cancellations, Tardiness
PRIVATE LESSONS:
- Regular attendance is expected. Make-up lessons cannot be guaranteed if absence is incurred by the student.
- One excused absence can be made up if your availability matches teacher’s openings, or your teacher may set a designated make-up date at the end of the term.
- All cancellations to be emailed directly to your teacher even if you have already written cancelled dates on your registration form. Verbal cancellation will not be accepted. For lessons scheduled at or after 3:00pm, an absence is excused if the teacher is notified by email no later then 10:00am on the day of the missed lesson. For lessons scheduled before 3:00pm, the teacher must be notified by email by 7:00pm the previous night.
- If the student is unable to attend the designated make-up date or does not respond to the teacher’s rescheduling request in a timely manner, the make-up will be forfeited. Make-up lessons cannot be rescheduled. Make-up lessons must be completed within the same session and cannot be carried over into the next session.
- In addition, one snow day per term will be made up on a designated make-up date.
- All private lesson teacher absences will be made up or a substitute teacher will be provided by NMA without notice. Please notify the office during registration if you prefer to cancel and schedule a make-up with your regular teacher.
- Private lessons missed during NMA holidays dates listed in our Academic Calendar can be made up or used as a credit toward the payment for the next session if the cancellation was emailed to your teacher no later than 7 days before the 1st day of vacation. Verbal cancellation will not be accepted. There is also an option to cancel ALL the NMA holidays at the time of registration. You still need to email cancelled dates directly to your teacher even if you wrote them on your registration form.
- There are no refunds for cancelled lessons.
- Your teacher may elect to offer occasional exceptions to this policy, subject to teacher’s discretion and availability.
- Because of teachers’ full schedules, students who are late for a lesson cannot be guaranteed their full lesson time. Faculty will wait ten minutes for a student, after which it becomes an unexcused absence.
GROUP CLASSES:
- Group classes, workshops, ensemble absences: no make-ups are guaranteed and are subject to the space availability
Snow Policy
There is one annual make-up day for one class or private lesson canceled due to weather or emergency, and only when lessons are cancelled by NMA. Your teacher will email you if lessons are cancelled.
Photo/Video Policy
Newton Music Academy may photograph/videotape students, classes or events for publications for publicity purposes and to illustrate Newton Music Academy programs. These images will not be distributed, sold, or used beyond Newton Music Academy’s promotional activities.If you do not wish your child or yourself to be photographed or videotaped, please email the office.
Online Distance Video Lessons Policies
In order to provide learning continuity and allow access to music lessons during times when lessons in person are not possible, NMA offers online music lessons with our instructors through Zoom, Facetime and other third-party platforms.
All users must share the responsibility for seeing that the lessons are used in an ethical and lawful manner. All parents/guardians, students, and faculty are responsible for adhering to the following guidelines:
• For the general safety of our students, NMA kindly requests to never leave your child unattended during remote online instruction. Unlike in-person studio instruction, the online Instructor is not able to supervise your child, prevent unsafe behaviors or quickly respond to emergency as effectively as adult within the child’s home
• Users will observe proper online learning etiquette and display appropriate conduct.
• Users will respect the rights and privacy of others and not gain unauthorized access to resources of others or vandalize the data of another person or entity.
• E-mail/text messages sent to others must be signed by the sender and cannot contain abusive, profane or offensive language, or used to distribute hate mail, contain discriminatory remarks or exhibit antisocial behavior.
• Online lessons will be used for support of music education and for assessing, saving, or using only appropriate language, graphics or text. Users agree not to access/transmit materials, which are obscene/sexual in nature, or considered offensive.
• Online lessons will be used only for lawful and music education related
purposes. Use of the Online lessons through the Newton Music Academy for illegal activities, commercial purposes, posting anonymous messages or advertising is strictly prohibited.
• Thank you for helping us take these important safeguards in this remote learning environment