Equitable Tuition Program
We believe that music education should be available to all families, regardless of income. In commitment to our values, we have structured tuition based on an equitable sharing of resources. When you pay tuition to Oak Park String Academy, you are not simply paying for your child’s music education. Your tuition is pooled with what each family can offer in order to keep the work of our Suzuki community going and growing. We all benefit from a school that reflects and serves those in and around our community.
We depend on this equitable distribution to continue our school’s mission, pay for our lesson and class spaces, and provide fair pay to our amazing and highly qualified teachers.
We make every effort to use our tuition funds with integrity, work within a modest budget, and provide the best opportunities for our OPSA community.
Symphony Level "Tier A"
Suggested Income: $400,000+
Approximately 40 Private lessons/year and 36 Group classes/year.
| 2021 Tiered Tuition Program | Lesson Length | Tier A “Symphony” Income: $400,000 or more |
| Private lesson | 60 min | $130 |
| Private lesson | 45 min | $100 |
| Private lesson | 30 min | $80 |
| Group Classes | 60 min | $52 |
| Group Classes | 45 min | $42 |
| Group Classes | 30 min | $32 |
| Dalcroze General Music Class | 30 minutes | $32 |
Orchestra Level "Tier B"
Suggested Income: $250,000-$399,000
Approximately 40 Private lessons/year and 36 Group classes/year.
| 2021 Tiered Tuition Program | Lesson Length |
Tier B “Orchestra” Income: $250,000 – $399,000
|
| Private lesson | 60 min | $110 |
| Private lesson | 45 min | $86 |
| Private lesson | 30 min | $60 |
| Group Classes | 60 min | $44 |
| Group Classes | 45 min | $34 |
| Group Classes | 30 min | $24 |
| Dalroze General Music Class | 30 minutes | $28 |
Ensemble Level "Tier C"
Suggested Income: $90,000-$249,000
Approximately 40 Private lessons/year and 36 Group classes/year.
| 2021 Tiered Tuition Program | Lesson Length |
Tier C “Ensemble” Income: $90,000 – $249,000
|
| Private lesson | 60 min | $90 |
| Private lesson | 45 min | $70 |
| Private lesson | 30 min | $49 |
| Group Classes | 60 min | $36 |
| Group Classes | 45 min | $26 |
| Group Classes | 30 min | $20 |
| Dalcroze General Music Class | 30 minutes | $20 |
Chamber Level "Tier D"
Suggested Income: $89,000 or less
Approximately 40 Private lessons/year and 36 Group classes/year.
| 2021 Tiered Tuition Program | Lesson Length |
Tier D “Chamber” Income: $89,000 or less
|
| Private lesson | 60 min | $60 |
| Private lesson | 45 min | $45.00 |
| Private lesson | 30 min | $32 |
| Group Classes | 60 min | $26 |
| Group Classes | 45 min | $19 |
| Group Classes | 30 min | $12.50 |
| Dalcroze General Music Class | 30 minutes | $12.00 |
Why does OPSA have an equitable tuition system?
Equitable tuition puts our commitment to accessibility and diversity upfront, with transparency and clarity. It allows us to maintain a socio-economically diverse student population and has created a school culture that embraces the understanding that some families pay more while others pay less so that EVERYONE can access an exceptional musical education.