Enrollment, Tuition and Payment

For Northwestern Music Academy classes and lessons

Enrollment Top

New families looking to inquire about private lessons or classes at the Academy should fill out the Interest Form (available on our Piano and Strings pages). The respective department coordinator will contact you to set up a student assessment and discuss teacher placement.

Registration

Each fall quarter, continuing students and newly enrolled students (who have completed the assessment and have been assigned to a teacher and a lesson length) are asked to complete an annual Registration Form (available on our Piano and Strings pages).

Registrations are automatically renewed each quarter for the remainder of the academic year (Fall-Winter-Spring-Summer quarters) unless the office is notified otherwise.

Should you need to discontinue lessons/classes, please notify the office (and your teacher) at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the new quarter.

Tuition Top

Community student prices for the 2023-24 academic year are listed below.
Northwestern Affiliates receive a 25% discount on tuition. (See Northwestern Affiliates below)

Tuition Rates

Program

Community

NU Affiliate

30 minute private lesson

$600

$450

45 minute private lesson

$765

$574

60 minute private lesson

$900

$675

Weekly string group

$270

$203

Junior piano class

$420

$315

Adult piano class

$420

$315

Adult partner lesson

$500

$375

Private Lessons and Classes follow the 11-week quarterly calendar (3 quarters per year: Fall, Winter and Spring). Summer quarter prices will vary.

See Piano and Strings pages for class descriptions.

Northwestern Affiliates

Northwestern Affiliates receive a 25% discount on their tuition as part of their benefits package.

Eligible Northwestern Affiliates include:

  • Full-time benefits-eligible Northwestern employee (faculty or staff)

  • Spouse and dependents of full-time benefits-eligible employees

  • Full-time Northwestern students

Note that visiting scholars and Northwestern hospital employees are not eligible for tuition benefits in the Academy. Please check with HR Benefits if you are unsure of your eligibility.

Payment Top

Tuition Payment Policy

All tuition and fees are due to the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music.

  • Tuition for the 11-week quarter (Fall, Winter and Spring) is billed quarterly and paid in full at the beginning of each term. Summer quarter is a la carte and tuition will be billed according to the schedule and arrangement with your teacher.

  • The billing administrator will email billing notices a few weeks prior to the start of each quarter. Billing notices will contain payment links and pertinent deadlines.

  • Credit/debit card payments (Visa/Mastercard/Discover/AmEx) are accepted on the Academy’s payment webpages. There are no convenience fees for credit/debit card transactions.

  • Checks are no longer accepted.

  • Music Academy tuition is non-refundable.

Late or Missed Payments

  • If payment is not received by the end of the third week of the quarter, lessons will be suspended until tuition has been paid. If tuition cannot be resolved, students will be responsible for payment of any lessons taken during those first three weeks.

  • Chronic late payers (two or more quarters of late payments) may be prohibited from future registration.