Financial support for music

Remission of fees can be applied to all Suffolk County Music Service activities including (but not exclusively):

• County Music Groups (CMG) - 50% reduction
• Suffolk Youth Music (SYM) Ensembles - 50% reduction
• Instrumental & vocal tuition in music centres - 50% reduction
• Instrument hire - 100% reduction
• Instrumental & vocal tuition in schools (direct billing to parents contract only) - 50% reduction.

Eligibility

Remissions can be applied to Suffolk County Music Service fees if one of the criteria from 1-10 listed below is met. Suffolk County Music Service will ask you to provide documentary evidence to support how you meet the remission criteria 1-10.

On receipt of appropriate evidence to support the following (points 1-10) Suffolk County Music Service will confirm remissions at 50%/100%.

1. Evidence of child in receipt of free school meals
2. Income support
3. Income based job seeker’s allowance
4. Income related employment and support allowance
5. Guarantee element of state pension credit
6. Child Tax Credit but no element of Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenues & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
7. If you are supported under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
8. Working Tax Credit during the four-week period immediately after your employment finishes or after you start to work less hours per week
9. Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400 (£616.67 per month), as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods).
10. Children in Care (LAC) and Previously Looked After Children (PLAC) will receive remissions for all SCMS activities at 100%.
11. Discretionary.

If you do not meet the criteria set out in points 1-10 you are still able to apply for remission of fees under point 11.

To do this, you must include on the remissions application form details of why you would like to be considered for remissions in the free text box.

All remissions requests under point 11 will be referred to a SCMS remission panel to consider. The remission will be added to the next available panel but will be considered no longer than 28 days from receipt of the request.

Families wishing to apply for remissions are requested to complete our online remissions application form.

If you are not able to complete our online form, we can send you a paper application. Please phone the SCMS team on 01473 263400 and request a remissions application form.

When SCMS has agreed remission eligibility the remission applicable to fees will be valid for the academic year in which the remissions has been applied for.