Enrollment, Tuition and Payment

Northwestern Music Academy offers lessons and classes in three 11-week quarters of the Academy year (Fall, Winter and Spring) plus a summer session. Open enrollment happens year-round, and new students are accepted if space is available.

Interest Forms

New students interested in private lessons or group classes at the Academy should fill out the Interest Form. You will be contacted by the respective coordinator of your instrument group to set up a placement interview/assessment.

• Piano Coordinator, Annie Hsiao: for private piano lessons, adult piano classes, and Junior Piano Class

• Strings Coordinator, Stacia Spencer: for private violin, viola, cello and guitar lessons and Weekly String Group

Child Interest Form Adult Interest Form

Registration for the 2026-27 Academic Year 

Registration for the 2026-27 academic year (beginning Fall 2026) is now open. 

Please complete the appropriate registration form if you are: 

• A new student who has completed an assessment and received a teacher placement from a piano or string department coordinator 
• A returning student renewing their enrollment for the 2026–27 academic year 

After submitting your form, click the payment link on the confirmation page to submit your tuition payment and complete your enrollment. 

Child Registration Form Adult Registration Form

The registration form is required only once per academic year. Enrollment will automatically renew each subsequent quarter (Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer) unless we are notified otherwise. 

Tuition is billed on a quarterly basis and paid in full each term. You will receive an e-billing notice with a direct payment link a few weeks prior to the start of each subsequent quarter.

See Piano and Strings pages for program calendars and important dates. 

Contact: Registration and Billing Coordinator Jia-Yee Tang

Tuition for the 2026-27 academic year is listed per 11-week quarter. 

Northwestern Discount Update  

Effective Summer 2026, Northwestern University discontinued the Music Academy tuition benefit. As a result, Northwestern affiliates (faculty, staff, students and their spouses) are no longer eligible for discounted Music Academy tuition. 

We are grateful to the many Northwestern families who have been part of the Music Academy community and look forward to continuing to serve the Northwestern and surrounding communities through high-quality music instruction.

Tuition Payment Policy

All tuition and fees are payable 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 number of weeks enrolled. 
• Billing notices are emailed several weeks prior to the start of each quarter and include a direct payment link and payment deadline. 
• 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 not accepted. 
• Music Academy tuition is non-refundable. 

Late or Missed Payments

• If tuition is not received by the applicable payment deadline, lessons may be suspended until payment is received. 

• Students are financially responsible for payment of all lessons or classes provided or scheduled. 

• Students with a history of chronic late payment (two or more quarters of late payments) may be ineligible to register for future quarters.