Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Had my first complaint about re-enrollment policy

I also do not agree with a re-enrollment fee. Students need to take 6 summer lessons with me in order to get priority scheduling in the Fall. Those that take those lessons get to be scheduled first, getting their pick of times. I do this as an encouragement to the student to continue their progress. If they take the whole summer off from lessons, they lose so much that they learned the previous year. It is a huge setback.

I do not see the value of penalizing students for this, especially when you put it in to deter certain students from taking off December. Why not have the re-enrollment fee apply for breaks during the school year, and have a requirement for summer lessons but no re-enrollment fee? Taking 6 months off for lessons is huge, but you can let them know that you will try to fit them in when they return, but cannot hold their lesson time. I forget if you charge an enrollment fee or not, but it would certainly make sense that they would have to pay that at least when they return.

It might be a good idea to review why have an enrollment fee, what is it's purpose, etc.

Through the teaching year, there are a lot of minor expenses which the typical teacher funds out of his or her pocket. In the USA, at least, most of the public realizes and accepts that this isn't fair. The employer should cover all expenses related to teaching the student.

For the private teacher, this may be something as simple as covering part of the cost of recital hall rental, the monthly student magazine, etc.,

Piano is unique among the musical arts in that the student cannot reasonably bring her or his instrument to the lesson, so the teaching studio must provide an instrument for the student to learn on. The wear and tear on this instrument is microscopic at an individual lesson, but 20 to 40 hours a week playing on this instrument does create noticeable wear and degeneration. The studio must factor this cost in. And the instrument needs tuning, which is an additional overhead expense.

Many teachers supply notebooks, handouts, etc., to students. Other teachers take students to auditions, performances, etc. These are "out of pocket" expenses the parent overlooks.

The enrollment fee is one way to cover these odds and ends expenses. What's nice about it is that I don't have to nickel and dime my families through the year with this expense and that expense. By billing it in May or June, they have a couple of months to get it paid, and it serves as a deposit on holding their preferred lesson time. Finally, it indicates a degree of commitment which can be lacking sans some kind of enrollment fee.

It might also be appropriate to review policies concerning long term absences.

As several posters have noted, these are not good for the student's learning, and additionally, they create havoc for the teaching studio. They are lose-lose propositions.

My policy, while some feel it's extreme, is simple. You've subscribed to a service. Pay for that service whether you use it or not, otherwise, you're permanently dropped from the studio rolls.

The benefit to the student is that their time is available when they are ready to return, the studio isn't roiled with absenteeism, and the only loser is the client who has missed instruction, advancement and of course, a month or two of fees. However, if the studio doesn't hold the slot, there is no guarantee that the slot will be available for the student later on, and that usually means the student will be changing teachers, and again, less learning, less progress, inconsistency in lessons, missed subject matter, etc., etc.

I have seen these students and their piano playing is abysmal. You want to take them back to day one and start them over, but you realize that they will not practice properly, because they are "too advanced" to go back over that "baby stuff." As a teacher, you realize that the student is most likely a lost cause, and the fault lies primarily with the parent.

Parents, if you need to be absent for several months, consider the tuition as part of the cost of travel. Pay your teacher. They will be thrilled, will bend over backwards to favor your student, will most likely give them extra time and lessons as a thank you for your consideration. And you'll have the preferred lesson time when you come home.

The way my studio is set up I teach a 36-lesson year (September-June). When parents sign their kids up for lessons they are paying a yearly fee, broken into 10 equal monthly payments. I figure in 5 weeks that I won't be teaching. Two of those weeks are in December, yet tuition remains the same.

Sometimes I'll have parents of new students forget about the written studio policy that's been handed out and that they've signed. They'll look at December, see that they're paying the same amount, and decide they'd rather just skip a month and come back in January. 99% of the time it's COMPLETELY about their perception that they're only getting 2 lessons, yet paying the same tuition.

The only reason I instituted a re-enrollment fee was for these very specific situations, which are now extremely rare in my studio. In the past I might have had a half dozen or so students 'skip' December. That's a lot of money lost in one month; in fact it equals to half the rent I pay on my studio space.

The bottom line is that I expect students to take lessons continuously until they quit. So if they stop and start there is a small penalty. It also could weed out the ones that find it unfair and who are really not prepared to commit to weekly lessons. I have a 2 week break in December and those lessons have already been taught in the extra lessons that crop up when there are 5 lessons per month.

I teach year round, but so far have decided to be flexible with June and July since so many travel at that time. I'm finding the ones who want to skip December are also the ones who want longer than 2 month summer break. I am clear in my policies about the teaching schedule and the 4 weeks in which there will be no classes.

I like the idea of requiring 6 lessons in June/July in order to get priority scheduling for fall. For now I'm letting summer be flexible. So far it is working out alright with each student keeping their original lesson time when they return in fall, and letting me know if they are hoping for a different time.

Ann:

If the parent disagrees with your policy, you don't have to accept her child as your student. I think your idea of a re-enrollment fee is a great idea. I have a similar "place-holding" policy in my contract, so I don't think your idea is out of line in any way.

Best of luck!

Canonie - In my studio, I raise tuition fees for new students every year. But I guarantee the amount for 3 years, assuming that the school year is paid in full each year. (Summers are optional.) If a student takes off for any period of time they have a choice of paying for the missed time, or starting over at the higher rate. It is usually enough to keep kids coming, even when they are too busy to practice much. Parents figure that if they have to pay, they may as well come.

It makes my bookkeeping interesting, but it is easy enough to jot down each student's tuition amount next to their name. (At the end of three years, they pay the current rate. But this is the point where I begin nudging them out the door to a higher level of study.)

My fee was configured to cover incidental expenses (which are tax-deductible) so I don't need to charge parents "enrollment fees" for little things, although I have no problem with the concept. They do reimburse me for books, and my policy states that students will share recital fees. However, that hasn't been needed because we have a local church that lets us hold recitals without charge.

Thanks to all for the ideas. AZN, I like the phrase you used: "place-holding" policy.

For now this parent is OK with the policy. She will be the first one to pay the re-enrollment fee. I feel OK about it especially because this parent did not give any notice when they left the studio, and I ask for a 30 day notice.

I learned to be more careful at the initial meeting to explain what my policies are, so that next time it happens I will ask for payment for the following month if they don't give a month's notice.

I didn't know they didn't give you notice according to your policy. It's good they are OK with it, and if not, they won't return. I'm sure by then you will have filled their spot anyways.

As far as students canceling in December, I have never had anyone do that. Even when I switched from monthly lesson payments to semester with monthly installments. Perhaps it was how I transitioned students from paying monthly to semester or monthly installments towards a semester tuition. I first went to semester payments and if they wanted to pay monthly, I divided the semester payment by 4, even though the semester would run from Sept through mid-Jan, and mid-Jan. through May (4.5 months each). I told them they woudl pay Sept.-Dec. the same amount, and have no payment in Jan. Caused a little confusion, but no one complained. Then when I switched to spreading out the monthly payments over a 9-months school year, that lowered the monthly installment amount in spite of increasing my rates.

Now, I do not have students that are tempted to quit for the month of Dec. and return in Jan. If they did, of course, I'd give their time away to a new student or rearrange the schedule if that leaves an empty slot in the middle of the day. And they'd have to cancel according to my cancellation policy, otherwise I'd give pause when considering teaching them again.

Well, I do take the summer off, and some of my students go elsewhere and take summer lessons with other piano teachers, or conservatories, which is fine with me. So I suppose they could make up a policy up for me! But as AZNpiano said, you don't have to take a student if it is getting ridiculous for you!

Only had a ridiculous situation once. The parent was making up all kinds of strange things up for me. Let's just call it, Her Policy". So one day I happen to phone her back and the husband answer! She wasn't home, so I explained all the things to him! He nearly hit the roof! I got paid the very next day! (that's another part of the story) But sometimes you can just decide that it is just a situation that is too complicated and not take that student the next year.

Was on the way to taking this parent to "Small Claims Court"! Luckily for me, all it took was a decent father!

Sometimes enough is enough!

EDIT: Spelling: changed "small claims coutr" ot "Small Claims' Court"!

I find that those who balk at my registration/materials fee typically don't last long...and having one is one of the best things I have done to increase student's length of study. Many of my students have been with me for at least 2 years, and one is at 5 years this week. It covers a lot of the incidental fees, I set it to $125 per student. And it avoids the problem of students not paying for materials.

Here skipping December is not really an option, especially with students who have exams in January. That's a reason I require almost all (with very rare exceptions) of my students to do them.

Meri