STUDIO POLICIES

Effective October 1, 2026 • Policy Version 2026.2

Clear expectations help us give every student a consistent, positive experience. Please review the key policies below and the complete Studio Policies before submitting your acknowledgment.

KEY POLICIES AT A GLANCE

  • Tuition reserves your student’s teacher, scheduled time, and place in the program.

  • Tuition is charged automatically on the first of each month. Please communicate with our admin team promptly if financial difficulty affects a payment.

  • Student absences require at least 24 hours’ notice through My Music Staff or by text or email to the admin team. Eligible makeup credits expire after 30 days.

  • Withdrawal requires the official online Withdrawal Form and 30 calendar days’ notice. Any final partial month will be prorated.

  • Tuition is a flat monthly rate. Families are not charged extra when a month includes a fifth lesson. Those additional fifth lessons—typically four to six each year—are applied toward scheduled holidays and breaks, so families are not paying for lessons they do not receive during published closures.

  • Photo and video permission is required as a condition of enrollment. A child’s full name will not be published without separate permission.

1. ENROLLMENT AND TUITION

Enrollment continues month to month. Tuition reserves a recurring lesson time, teacher, and place in the program rather than paying for a specific number of lessons each calendar month. Tuition and fees are nonrefundable except where these policies expressly provide otherwise.

2. AUTOMATIC PAYMENTS

An ACH bank account or credit card must remain on file. Monthly tuition is automatically charged on the first day of each month. Families paying by cash must still keep an online payment method on file and pay the following month’s tuition by the last business day of the current month. If a payment is declined or tuition becomes past due, STXAM may temporarily pause attendance while the balance or a payment arrangement is addressed. These situations will be handled case by case. Families experiencing financial difficulty are encouraged to contact the admin team as early as possible so we can discuss available options. Reasonable processing or returned-payment fees may be charged when incurred.

3. THIRTY-DAY WITHDRAWAL NOTICE

Withdrawal requires the official online Withdrawal Form. Submitting the form begins a 30-calendar-day notice period. Telling a teacher, sending a text or email, or stopping attendance does not complete withdrawal. The student remains enrolled, tuition remains due, and lessons may continue through the confirmed final enrollment date. Any final partial month will be prorated.

4. STUDENT ABSENCES AND MAKEUP CREDITS

Student absences are not refunded or credited. Families may report an absence through My Music Staff or by contacting the admin team by text or email. When notice is received at least 24 hours before class, STXAM will record the cancellation and issue a noncash makeup credit that may be used for an eligible makeup class. Credits expire 30 days after issue, are subject to availability, have no cash value, and cannot be transferred. No makeup credit is issued for notice received less than 24 hours before class or for a no-show.

5. TEACHER ABSENCES AND ACADEMY CLOSURES

If STXAM cancels a lesson because of teacher illness or another academy reason, the academy will provide a substitute, reschedule the lesson, issue a credit, or otherwise make the lesson whole. Emergency or severe-weather decisions will be communicated as promptly as possible.

6. HOLIDAYS AND SCHEDULED BREAKS

Tuition is a flat monthly rate. Families are not charged extra when a month includes a fifth lesson. Those additional fifth lessons—typically four to six each year—are applied toward the academy’s scheduled holidays and breaks. This means families are not paying for lessons they do not receive during published closures; the extra lessons provided during five-week months balance that time off. Because tuition is levelized in this way, it is not reduced separately for scheduled holidays or breaks.

2026–2027 scheduled closures:

  • Labor Day — September 7, 2026

  • Thanksgiving Break — November 23–27, 2026

  • Winter Break — December 21, 2026–January 6, 2027

  • Spring Break — March 15–19, 2027

  • Good Friday — March 26, 2027

  • Memorial Day — May 31, 2027

7. EXTENDED ABSENCES

STXAM does not offer temporary enrollment or tuition pauses. Enrollment and tuition continue during travel, illness, or another extended absence so the student’s reserved place remains available. Families may request a schedule change or discuss tuition assistance, but these conversations do not pause enrollment or replace the withdrawal process. To end enrollment, the family must submit the official online Withdrawal Form and complete the required 30-day notice period.

8. SCHEDULING AND TEACHER ASSIGNMENTS

STXAM may adjust schedules, locations, class formats, or teacher assignments when reasonably necessary. The academy will communicate material changes and work with families toward a practical solution.

9. STUDENT CONDUCT, SUPERVISION, AND SAFETY

Students and families must treat teachers, staff, other students, and academy property respectfully. Parents or guardians are responsible for timely drop-off and pickup. Unsafe, disruptive, or abusive conduct may result in removal from a lesson or termination of enrollment.

10. INSTRUMENTS, BOOKS, AND PROPERTY

Families are responsible for required instruments, books, and supplies unless otherwise stated. Students should care for academy property and may be charged for avoidable damage.

11. PHOTOS AND VIDEO

By enrolling, the parent or guardian gives South Texas Academy of Music permission to photograph and record the student during lessons, rehearsals, performances, camps, and academy events. STXAM may use this content on academy-managed websites, social media, advertising, promotional materials, and student or program highlights without compensation. A child’s full name will not be published without separate permission. Agreement to this photo and video policy is a condition of enrollment.

12. COMMUNICATIONS AND POLICY UPDATES

Families are responsible for keeping contact information current and reviewing academy communications. STXAM may update policies with reasonable advance notice. Material changes will include an effective date and may require a new acknowledgment.

13. ACADEMY-INITIATED TERMINATION

STXAM may end enrollment for unpaid balances, repeated policy violations, unsafe or disruptive conduct, or when the academy determines it cannot appropriately serve the student. Any final account adjustment will follow applicable policy and law.

POLICY ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Please complete the acknowledgment form below. Your submission records the policy version, effective date, and the parent or guardian who agreed to the terms.