BKCM offers partial tuition assistance to individuals and families who are in need of financial support.
Financial Aid applications are accepted throughout the year. However, the availability of funds varies due to multiple factors including, but not limited to, program capacity, time of year, grantor requirements and the number of applications received.
More financial aid funds are typically available for the beginning of the school year. The application process for fall opens in the spring. Specific dates are in the “Financial Aid Award Cycle” section.
Financial aid awards are determined by the availability of funds and applicants’ income and expenses.Priority is given to individuals and families who qualify as low-income and below according to 2025 NYC Area Median Income guidelines.
*Submitting a financial aid application does not guarantee that financial aid will be awarded.*
Please Note:
- BKCM offers tuition assistance to students and clients with significant financial barriers. However, full tuition coverage is not available.
- BKCM receives some awards that are intended for BIPOC children. If your child identifies as BIPOC, please share that information in the appropriate fields in this form.
- Income verification is a required part of the application process.
- Only applications that have been completed and submitted will be processed.
Application and Review Process
Financial Aid applications must be completed online. The form requires information such as student name(s), parent/guardian name(s) (for youth applicants), program(s) of interest, details about the student’s musical experience and a brief explanation of why the student would like to attend BKCM.
Once submitted, Financial Aid applications are reviewed by the Financial Aid Coordinator within 7 business days. The Financial Aid Coordinator will contact you via email after your application review is completed.
Attendance history is a factor when reviewing applications from previous or current BKCM students who are new to the financial aid program. Students with a history of frequent absences will not be awarded FA.
In some instances, applications may be discussed with program leadership to ensure that there is space in the program and that a potential student will be a good pedagogical fit for the program. Discussions do not include sensitive, personal information disclosed in the applications, such as medical issues or income documents.
Application Form
To apply for financial aid, please complete this form.
**Please be sure to click the Submit button at the end of the application. Otherwise, your application will be incomplete and ineligible for review.**
If you do not receive an email from kris.mandapat@bkcm.org with the subject “Application Received,” your application has not been submitted. Please go back to the application form and click “Resume a previously saved form,” located at the top right side of the page.
For assistance, please contact kris.mandapat@bkcm.org.
Policies
In order to maintain financial aid, students must have consistent attendance and participate fully in all aspects of the program. Two consecutive absences without notice may result in the cancellation of lessons and financial aid.
Financial aid awards do not automatically roll over into subsequent terms (e.g. Fall to Spring, Annual to Summer) or school years. Requests to continue awards must be submitted in writing to the Financial Aid Coordinator at kris.mandapat@bkcm.org.
In the event that a student needs to withdraw, fees will be based on the cost of classes after financial aid has been applied.
Policies for each program must be followed. The full policies can be found at the pages below.
Financial Aid Award Cycles
Please click on the program you are interested in to expand.
Fall Semester
Returning Students
- Applications accepted from January 1 through April 1
- Determination letters sent by May 15
New Students
- Applications accepted from January 1-June 15
- Determination letters sent by July 15.
Spring Semester
New Students
- Applications accepted from June 16-November 1
- Determination letters sent by December 8
Annual Suzuki Instrumental Program
New and Returning Students
- Applications accepted from January 1 through April 15
- Determinations sent by June 3, 2026
Fall SECE/Bridges Classes
New and Returning Students
- Applications accepted from January 1 through August 15
Spring SECE/Bridges Classes
New Students
- Applications accepted from August 16 through January 1
Returning Clients
If you are a returning Music Therapy family applying for financial aid for the following school year, applications are accepted from January 1-May 4.
New Clients
For new Music Therapy clients, applications are accepted throughout the school year. Determinations are based in part on the availability of space and therapists.
Applications for Summer Camp financial aid are accepted from January 1 through June 15
While traditional Financial Aid is not awarded for CMC programming, tuition is priced on a sliding scale. Please go here for information on registration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Applicants are asked to submit various information, such as name, email address, date of birth (for youth students) and their program(s) of interest.
Income documents are also required. We strongly suggest redacting social security numbers before uploading documents to the application. For employment income, we accept 1040 tax returns (the first and second page) from the most recent tax year.
For public benefits, we ask for a recent benefit letter from the awarding agency. For example, Social Security benefits would need to be confirmed by the Social Security Administration.
A maximum of 7 business days.
The Financial Aid Coordinator reviews applications. In some instances, applications may be discussed with program leadership to ensure that there is space in the program and that a potential student will be a good pedagogical fit for the program. *Discussions do not include sensitive, personal information disclosed in the applications, such as medical issues or income documents.
The availability of funds varies due to multiple factors including, but not limited to: program capacity, time of year, grantor requirements, and the number of applications received.
Yes, BKCM offers financial aid for all adult programming. Please note that financial aid funds are extremely limited for adult classes in Community Music School.
Yes. Please see “How much financial aid is available?” for more information.
No, applications must be submitted before classes begin.
No. Students must receive a financial aid award and complete payment with the registrars before a registration can be confirmed. Cycles