Tuition Amount
$860 annually, invoiced at the beginning of the school year. Please wait to make your tuition payment until you receive your invoice.
Tuition Policies
The Youth Symphony is a school-year program. Members are expected to commit to the full school year. Payment (please wait for your invoice) is due at the beginning of the fall set. Parents of students who join mid-year will receive a pro-rated invoice. Please see below for payment options and our refund policy. Payment is non-refundable, except under extenuating circumstances.
How We Operate: Tuition + Volunteers
Tuition for the Youth Symphony goes toward the costs of running the organization, including multiple rentals — rehearsal space, audition space, storage for our music library, and concert hall rentals; liability insurance; compensation for the Music Director and Operations Manager; hiring professional musicians to coach sectionals four times a year; maintenance of our music library; purchasing new music as needed; copying and preparing music booklets for our students in fall, winter, and spring; and the occasional purchase and maintenance of instruments, equipment (such as our new copy machine in 2022), and supplies (such as a full set of music stands in 2019). Board members and families contribute countless hours of their time as well on a volunteer basis to help the orchestra run smoothly.
Discounts
A $100 sibling discount (for the full season) is available for families with more than one musician in the Youth Symphony.
Financial Aid
No musician will be excluded due to financial need. Financial aid is available. Be sure to fill out the Financial Aid section of the Audition/Application Form to be considered for financial aid. Also, the Santa Cruz Symphony offers assistance with tuition and private lessons through its Mueller Scholarship program.
Opt-Out Option
We rely on volunteers to make our organization run smoothly. Parents are expected to volunteer to bring snacks at least once during the season. Other volunteer opportunities include helping with setup and breakdown for rehearsals and concerts, helping transport instruments when needed, assisting the Operations Manager in 2-hour shifts at our annual retreat, managing the bake sale we hold at intermission during our fall and spring concerts, contributing drinks and treats for the bake sale, ushering, helping with publicity, and bringing in ad sales for our concert programs. For those who don’t have time to volunteer, we offer the option to opt out by paying an additional $200 with their tuition. Check the opt-out box when you complete your application and we will bill you accordingly.
Refund Policy
The Youth Symphony is a school-year program. Members are expected to commit to the full school year. If your child needs to leave the orchestra before the end of the school year, please contact our board treasurer, Carol Panofsky. We can recharacterize the balance of your tuition as a donation and send you a letter acknowledging your donation. In cases of hardship, we may be able to refund up to 50% of your remaining pro-rated tuition. No refunds will be given for students who leave after the first two weeks of the spring set.
Payment Options (check or credit card accepted):
Invoices are sent by email in mid-September. Please wait for your invoice before submitting your payment.
If paying by check, please make your check payable to Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony and mail it to:
Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony
PO Box 566
Santa Cruz, CA 95061
If paying by credit card, choose from the drop-downs below, either for a single student, 2 siblings, or 3 siblings, then click the yellow button to proceed: