Fees for Multiple Student Families
Found in: Fees Rates & Cost, Studio Management
Sharyn B.
Do you provide a fees break for families who want to have more than one of their children in lessons? Or if everyone in a household wants to take lessons?
If so, do you use a sliding scale or a percentage discount, etc.?
Darla H. Kansas
Each teacher, of course, sets their own fees and decides whether or not to give any discounts, scholarships, etc, so there are lots of different answers to this question. I would encourage you to start out with less discounts, as it is easier to add them in than to take them away. Here is what I did: I started out with no discounts at all, every family paid the same for each child in their family–I did not have anyone enroll more than two students per family in the first couple of years. This worked fine for me. When families asked for a discount, I said the discount was in the materials fees because students share the same materials–other than a playlist and keypad. Parents were satisfied with this answer and enrolled their students. And this is still my official policy. However, I’ve had a third child from a couple of families begin later, and I did decide to give them a break, because, I know these families well and appreciate their commitment and feel good about the relationship we have. In the last year, I have also had a couple of families who wanted to sign up two of their children, but didn’t feel they could afford to. I have given them huge breaks, because I knew enough about these families that I knew I wanted them to be part of my studio regardless of how much they could pay. They know that what I’m doing for them is a special deal and do not broadcast it to others, so no one feels bad. This has helped me to fill up groups and has been well worth it to me at this point in time–I’ve now been teaching four and a half years. I would NOT have started out this way.
Good luck to you as you begin your SM journey!
Mark M. New York
I offer roughly a 10% discount for the second, third, fourth and so on members from a household. I round the figures so the actual amount can vary a bit across circumstances (e.g., private vs. group).
I know the arguments about how they’re getting the same thing from me so why should I discount, but there is something very much to be said about cultivating loyalty, and a household that is willing to pay for more than one tuition, or who comes back with another students even after a previous one had stopped, is a household exhibiting a high level of loyalty. The discount supports longer-term business success.
Pam M. Canada
I have a family with five children who all take lessons with me. I give them a 10% discount.
Joan H. Canada
I asked this question a few months ago as well. I offer 20% for the second child and 30% for the third.
Shanta R. Minnesota
I know many teachers do many different things. I take off 10% for family members in different lessons.
If I have a family with two children students in the SAME lesson, I take a much steeper discount – more like 40%. I won’t do this discount unless I have at least three families in the lesson total – If one family leaves, I don’t want the lesson to fall apart! My logic is that since I have enough students for the lesson to be worth my time anyway, I can give a family with multiple kids at the same level a break. I’m charging $140/month, so $225/month for two kids is still significant.
Also, there is the inherent discount of families only needing to buy one set of most Student Home Materials (SHM) (except playlists of course).
However, I know that there are many teachers out there who do not offer any discounts or stick to the 10% for additional students in the same family, or have a sliding scale with more gradations for number of students. You need to do something that will work for you and that you feel good about.
Alice W.
I charge a discounted monthly fee for additional family members, regardless of how many ( I’ve never been asked for a price for more than two family members). I take $28.00 from the usual flat monthly fee I charge. Students seem happy with this.
Cheri S. Utah
In general, I’d say start with rates a little higher (and discounts a little lower) than you think you should. As a traditional teacher several years ago, I started with rates too low and discounts too big, and really regretted it. It’s hard to charge more once people have committed. So when I reopened my studio with Simply Music, I gulped and started at rates that seemed high to me. It turns out they’re just right.
I also followed another teacher’s suggestion to build into the studio policies a plan for regular, small rate increases to keep up with inflation and my increasing experience. That has worked really smoothly.
When it comes to setting discounts, if your tuition plan simple, then rates will be easy for you to calculate and easy for parents to remember.
For family rates, take into account your community demographics. In my area, almost everyone has two children in lessons, so I save the family rate for when 3+ students come from the same household. Then it’s $10 less per student per month.
Joan H. Canada
Thanks Cheri, and all of you for your insightful comments on this topic. As I am in my first year of teaching, I could easily reflect that I have started too low and discounted too big, however I have intentionally added a “disclaimer” of sorts regarding my rates and discounts, that these are applicable to “this first year of teaching”. Part of that stemmed from a very in depth conversation from a parent/friend who challenged my suggested rates as a new SM teacher, as they were the same as what she paid for her Suzuki piano teacher (for another child) with years of experience. As well, another traditional teacher I know indicated she had intentionally started out with lower fees in her first year of teaching.
So my current rates of $100/month (and $80/month for some single income homeschooling families) and sibling discounts, I feel may be subject to change for the fall – and I will explain that as related to my added experience after a year of teaching.