Fees & Policies
Welcome
At Donna Hinkley Music Tuition, our goal is to create a joyful and inspiring space where every student can grow, explore, and discover the magic of music.
These policies help keep lessons running smoothly and ensure every student can make the most of their musical journey. Please read them carefully - enrolling in lessons means you agree to follow these policies.
2026 Tuition Fees
The studio charges a flat-rate tuition, with fees spread evenly across the year. This means your payment stays the same each month or term, even though the number of lessons in each billing period may vary. Weekly students are allocated 32 lessons per year.
Tuition fees are all-inclusive, incorporating the Victorian Music Teachers’ Association (VMTA) recommended professional rate, as well as the cost of required materials and resources.
There is an annual registration fee of $100, payable at the time of registration. This fee holds your place in the schedule and contributes towards the cost of materials and resources throughout the year, including the student binder and access to student apps.
| 2026 TUITION FEES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 60-Minute Group Lessons | 30-Minute Individual Lessons | 45-Minute Individual Lessons | 60-Minute Individual Lessons |
| $420 per term | $420 per term | $630 per term | $840 per term |
| $161 per month | $161 per month | $242 per month | $322 per month |
Pay by the Term (4 equal instalments per year):
Divided evenly between the 4 school terms and charged each term in advance
Payment for each term is due before the end of the previous term (or approximately 2 weeks before the start of Term 1), with invoices sent around 2 weeks before the due date
Payment is accepted online via Stripe or by bank transfer (online payment preferred)
Term payments include a 5% discount, already applied to the rates above. Full payment by the due date is required to receive the discounted rate
Pay by the Month (11 equal instalments per year):
Divided evenly across 11 months, January to November
Payments are due on the 15th of each month
Monthly payments require automatic payments set up through My Music Staff
A late fee of $30 will be charged if payment is not received within 7 days of the due date.
What Tuition Covers
Tuition fees reflect the full value of your piano education and include everything students need for a rewarding, well-supported learning experience. Your tuition covers:
Your weekly lesson time – reserved exclusively for you in the studio schedule
All required sheet music, books, and resources
Access to digital materials, including downloadable sheet music
Piano Maestro iPad app – with full premium access
Unlimited access to the Practice Space app, where students can:
View practice assignments (videos, PDFs, audio files, and website links)
Track practice times
Communicate with the teacher between lessons
Submit videos for feedback
Optional extras such as exams or external performance opportunities are not included in tuition and will be invoiced separately.
Schedule
Lessons are scheduled at a mutually agreed time when lessons commence, and at the beginning of each school year. Requests to change lesson times during the year will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed.
Weekly students are allocated 32 lessons for the year, which are spread out over the 40 weeks of the Victorian school terms. The remaining weeks within the school terms are considered ‘flex’ weeks, which the studio may use for public holidays, studio breaks, and teacher illness or emergencies. This ensures that students always receive their full allocation of 32 lessons.
There are no lessons on weekends, school holidays, or public holidays, unless otherwise arranged.
Studio Guidelines
Arrival: Please ensure students are dropped off and picked up on time. Students should come to the studio door at their scheduled lesson time and wait quietly until the teacher calls them in. If you arrive early, please wait in your car until your lesson time to avoid disrupting lessons in progress. Please do not knock on the door.
Late arrivals: Students who arrive late will receive the remainder of their scheduled time, but the lesson will not be extended past the scheduled finish time. Please notify the studio if the student is running more than 5 minutes late.
Parking: Street parking is available. Please do not park in or across the driveway, even briefly. When dropping off, wait until the student has entered the studio before driving away.
Safety: For everyone’s safety, students and siblings must not play on the driveway, fences, or retaining walls while waiting. Parents are responsible for supervising children who are not in a lesson.
Hygiene: All students are required to wash their hands in the bathroom as they enter the studio.
Food and drink: Food, drink, and gum are not permitted in the studio. Water bottles may be brought to lessons, but must be kept away from the pianos and other equipment.
Student Absences
Tuition fees are based on enrolment, not attendance. Each student has a weekly lesson time reserved exclusively for them in the studio schedule, whether they attend lessons or not, and this time cannot be given to another student. Student absences will not be credited, refunded, or rescheduled.
If a student is unable to attend, the following options are available:
Online lesson – A Zoom lesson at the student’s regular lesson time (if well enough to participate).
Video feedback – The student sends videos of their work before their scheduled lesson time. During the scheduled time, the teacher watches the videos and provides detailed feedback in Practice Space.
Updated assignments – If no online lesson is requested and no videos are submitted, the teacher will use the scheduled lesson time to prepare updated assignments for the student, which are uploaded to Practice Space.
Each option ensures that the student’s reserved lesson time is used productively and represents one of their 32 allocated lessons for the year.
Teacher Absences
The studio has planned for illness, emergencies, and public holidays by scheduling additional weeks across the school year. Yearly tuition fees include a total of 32 lessons, delivered within the 40 weeks of the Victorian school terms.
If the teacher needs to cancel a lesson, one of the flex weeks will be used. These cancellations do not reduce the total number of allocated lessons for the year and are not rescheduled, credited, or refunded, as they have not been paid for.
If the teacher is unable to provide the full 32 allocated lessons, the missed lesson will either be rescheduled or credited on the next invoice.
Illness
Please do not attend in-person lessons if you are unwell. Students who have been kept home from school, or sent home from school early, should not come to piano lessons. If a student is unable to attend due to illness, the options outlined in the Student Absences section will apply.
The studio reserves the right to send a student home if they appear to be unwell. In this case, the student forfeits their lesson. No rescheduling, credit, refund or video lesson will be available.
If the teacher is unwell, but able to teach, lessons will be conducted online via Zoom. If the teacher is unable to teach, the Teacher Absences policy will apply.
Online Lessons
Online lessons follow the same attendance and payment policies as in-person lessons. To ensure a successful online learning experience, the studio will email guidelines outlining the ideal setup for online lessons. To make the most of their lesson time, students should ensure they are prepared and set up before their scheduled lesson time.
If internet or technical issues arise during an online lesson, and continuing with the lesson is not possible, the remainder of the lesson will be completed by telephone or by video exchange.
Discontinuing Lessons
Please provide two weeks’ written notice before the end of the current term if you wish to discontinue lessons. Students will continue to receive any lessons already paid for until the end of their billing cycle, or they may choose to forfeit remaining lessons.
Tuition fees are charged at a flat rate, spread equally across the year. Students will not receive credits, refunds, or rescheduled lessons if they choose to withdraw before the end of the year.
The teacher reserves the right to discontinue lessons at any time for any reason. This may include unpaid fees, failure to follow studio policies, frequent absences, behavioural issues, lack of practice, and destruction or damage of studio property.
Practice Expectations
All students are required to have access to a suitable instrument at home to support consistent progress in their musical journey. Students are expected to commit to a regular practice routine and should aim to practice 5 days each week.
The studio uses the Practice Space app to communicate assignments and track progress. All students are required to set up an account and check it regularly for lesson notes, practice goals, and communication from the teacher.
Communication
Parents and adult students are required to check text messages and emails regularly to avoid missing important studio updates.
To make sure nothing gets missed, please use the following methods of communication:
Practice Space – for questions and communication related to music and practice. This includes asking about assignments, sharing practice updates, sending videos, or simply saying hello. These messages are always welcome, but they may not be seen immediately.
Text or Email – for lesson attendance (e.g. unable to attend, requesting an online lesson) and other administrative enquiries. Text is the preferred method for notifying the studio about same-day absences or requests for an online lesson, as email and voicemail are not checked during teaching hours.
Phone calls are not answered during lessons and will go to voicemail.
The studio is closed on weekends and public holidays. Any emails or messages received during this time will be addressed on the next business day.
Studio Licensing & Copyright
The studio offers an extensive library of studio-licensed materials, including sheet music, games, and various resources - all available exclusively to our currently enrolled students. We also provide legally purchased copies of sheet music, along with videos and other educational tools created by the studio.
All resources, whether studio-licensed or studio-created, such as printed music, music games, videos, PDFs, audio recordings, access to apps, and website links, are intended solely for the use of our currently enrolled students. Sharing these materials with individuals outside our studio violates copyright law and breaches our licensing agreements with composers and creators.
To maintain compliance with copyright regulations, the studio does not accept or distribute photocopies or unlicensed copies of copyrighted music. All students are required to use legally obtained copies of music during their lessons.
Media Release
The studio enjoys celebrating student learning and achievements by capturing photos, videos, or audio recordings of students and their musical projects or performances. These may be used for educational and promotional purposes. Identifying information will be excluded or limited to first names only.
Participation in media sharing is optional. Families indicate their preference on the sign-up form. This preference remains in effect until the studio is notified of a change in writing.
Additional Information
For more detailed information on studio safety, insurance, and media usage, please refer to the following policies:
The commencement of lessons is deemed acceptance of these terms.