We know there's a lot to take in when starting or continuing your journey at West Chester Academy. That's why we've created this reference guide — to keep all the important policies, procedures, and expectations in one easy-to-find place. It's here to support you whenever questions come up about things like tuition, scheduling, or changes to your lessons. Clear communication helps everyone stay on the same page, so your family can enjoy a smooth and rewarding experience at WCA.
WCA is open year-round and guided by a deep sense of community. We make it easy for families to explore new interests, switch paths, or combine disciplines, allowing students to follow an artistic journey tailored just for them.
Our very knowledgeable and helpful Customer Care Team is qualified and eager to help students find their niche in the arts. They are first-class schedulers, often able to coordinate siblings at the same time, get multiple classes back to back, and more.
Many of the policies and procedures at West Chester Academy are consistent across all programs. However, because each discipline has its own unique structure and needs, some details vary depending on the type of class. This guide includes both:
West Chester Academy offers a variety of session types with distinct formats and enrollment periods to meet the diverse needs of our students and families. Some programs run year-round with continuous enrollment; others operate in defined sessions that require re-registration. While most programs allow students to start at any time, others close enrollment to new students approaching performance dates.
All programs include scheduled break weeks, typically aligned with major holidays. See the WCA Calendar.
Enrollment continues until a withdrawal form is submitted.
These programs require re-registration annually.
Fun, short-term classes offered in specific seasons. These require separate registration for each session. There is a special parent demo during the final class.
At West Chester Academy, we understand that families are busy and absences happen. While tuition is not refunded or credited for missed lessons or classes — whether canceled by the student or the Academy — we do our best to provide options for staying on track. Opportunities to reschedule or recover missed material are not always guaranteed and vary by program and season. All communication about absences or rescheduling should be directed to the Customer Care team, not individual instructors.
During the summer, students in private music, gymnastics, and instructional dance may reschedule an unlimited number of lessons or classes with a 24-hour notice. Private music students may choose between rescheduling in-person or receiving a Missed Lesson Assignment through their Practice Space App. Dance students may choose to reschedule into level appropriate gymnastics classes in addition to dance classes. This allows families to travel and still remain engaged in their programs.
Some programs allow withdrawal with 1-month notice, while others require a commitment through the full session. To withdraw from lessons or classes, a parent, guardian, or adult student must complete and sign a withdrawal form, available from our front desk. Tuition remains due for any lessons or classes scheduled during the applicable withdrawal notice period, as outlined below. This allows us to manage instructor schedules and offer openings to other students in a timely and respectful way.
If you're ever unsure about your program's format, missed lesson policy, or withdrawal timeline, our team is happy to assist you. Our goal is to make transitions smooth for both students and instructors, while honoring the commitments made at enrollment.
Tuition is paid in equal monthly installments for your convenience, regardless of how many classes occur in a given month. The number of classes may vary based on how the calendar falls, but the total tuition is evenly divided across the year. The first and final months of enrollment are prorated based on the student's start and end dates.
All families are required to set up a pre-authorized debit or credit card at the time of registration. Tuition will be automatically charged on the 1st day of each month. Charges will appear on your statement as “West Chester Academy.” Please ensure your payment method is up to date to avoid processing delays.
Tuition rates are reviewed annually and may be adjusted in August. The amount charged each month reflects the current tuition rate listed on our Tuition & Fees page.
WCA offers a generous multi-group class discount to support families with active, engaged students. A second class for the same student receives a 20% discount, a third class receives 30%, and the fourth and beyond receive a 40% discount.
Individual programs may have additional fees associated with participation. These are outlined and explained on the respective registration forms. For example, music students will need to purchase music books, dance students will have attire and recital-related costs. All fees will be communicated in advance.
A non-refundable Annual Membership Fee is due upon initial enrollment and again each year on the anniversary of enrollment, as long as the student remains actively enrolled. This fee is billed at the current rate posted on our Tuition & Fees page and is reviewed annually.
Families only pay this fee once per student per year as long as the student remains enrolled no matter how many programs or classes they take. For example, a student taking both music and dance classes will only pay a single annual membership fee. This modest fee helps support behind-the-scenes operations such as billing, scheduling, registration, and communication systems.
The Academy reserves the right to assign a qualified guest instructor when the regularly scheduled instructor is unavailable. In the event that an instructor is no longer with the Academy or unable to continue with a student's scheduled time, the Academy will work to provide a permanent replacement instructor. We understand that continuity in teaching is important, and we make every effort to ensure a smooth and supportive transition for students and families.
Information is distributed in several ways:
The Academy reserves the right to cancel classes in the event that they are not able to be conducted for any reason including, but not limited to: weather, power outage, or governmental advisory. No refunds will be given for lessons that could not be held for unavoidable circumstances. Announcements of academy closings will be placed at the very top of the home page of this website (www.westchesteracademy.com) by 8am for morning classes and 1 pm for afternoon/evening classes. Please check the website before heading to WCA for class in case there are any late-breaking changes. Please be aware that because we enroll students from many surrounding communities and school districts, the decision regarding closures/schedule changes will be independent from any particular school district.
A $29 fee is applied for any non-sufficient funds (NSF) payments. A $10 fee applies to declined credit or debit card payments.
The Academy may make changes to policies and procedures at their discretion. Our decisions are always centered around the best interests of our student base. Students will be given 30 days' advance notice of any changes. Except as may be modified by the Academy, these Policies and Procedures shall be applicable so long as the student is enrolled at the Academy.
The academy is hereby granted permission to take photographs of the students to use in brochures, websites, posters, advertisements and other promotional materials the academy creates. If you prefer to opt out, please notify the Customer Care team.
Parents, legal guardians, students, siblings, and guests on behalf of themselves and their minor children (collectively, the "Indemnitees"), hold harmless and indemnify the Academy, its members, managers, employees, agents, successors and assigns, and waive any claims, judgments, liabilities, losses or damages incurred against the same with respect to (a) any injury or illness to any Indemnitee or any third party; (b) any breach by any Indemnitee hereunder; (c) any act or omission of any Indemnitee; or (d) any costs or expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred in connection with any of the foregoing. A waiver must be signed per student prior to participation in programs at WCA.
Our team is always happy to help. Email us at info@westchesteracademy.com, give us a call or text at 513-829-2345, or stop by the front desk. We’re honored to partner with you in your family’s artistic journey. Thank you for being a part of the WCA community!
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