financial aid program

The Financial Aid Program was established over twenty years ago to offer all of HYS’s young musicians an equal opportunity to participate in every aspect of the HYS program regardless of financial conditions.  With state, corporate, and private donations, all HYS students receive "financial aid" of sorts.  Registration fees are only a fraction of the cost of running HYS programs, which currently averages more than $1,200 per student.  However, HYS realizes there are families who still may find it difficult to cover the non-subsidized portion of the fee.  The Financial Aid Program insures that all students will be able to benefit from our program. 
                                                                                            
What expenses do these funds cover?
The financial aid program will subsidize financially deserving students on a reimbursement basis in one or more of the following ways:

1.  Partial aid for private lessons: up to 15 lessons per semester up to $15 per      lesson.
2.  Partial aid for registration fees: up to $230 per person.
3.  Partial aid for instrument rental fees: up to $90 per season (only for instruments      rented from HYS).

On what factors are awards based?
Awards are based on financial need, not on the musical ability of the applicant.  Consideration is given to each student's attitude and evidence of responsibility.  Families receiving financial aid are asked to support HYS through non-financial means such as frequent volunteer service. The majority of recipients make the most of what the Financial Aid Program can offer, as reflected by teacher evaluations. Most take their instruction seriously, practice daily, and make rapid progress.  Out of hundreds of recipients, there have been only a few students in recent years whose subsidies have not continued at the recommendation of their music teachers because of poor preparation, tardiness and/or poor attitude.  In these cases, the amounts allocated were given to an alternate applicant. 

How do I apply for Financial Aid?
Complete the Financial Aid Application and return it to the office, with a copy of the first two pages of the previous year's tax return by September 25. If September 25 falls on a weekend, applications are due the following Monday in the HYS office.