Students living or attending school in Hertfordshire may be able to get financial support for instrument or vocal lessons with Hertfordshire Music Service teachers.
Financial Support
Funding for music lessons from Hertfordshire Music Service is funded by Arts Council England, therefore is separate from the funding you may be eligible for from Hertfordshire County Council, such as free school meals or saver cards.
On this page you will find details of the financial support we offer for music tuition; who is eligible and how to apply.
Financial Support Applications for 2024-2025
We regret to inform you that applications for financial support for the 2024-2025 academic year are now closed, as we have reached our funding limit.
Please note that financial support requires a new application each year. The opening date for applications for the 2025-2026 academic year will be announced on our website in due course.
We acknowledge the limitations in our capacity to provide financial support to families and young people in Hertfordshire. If you are interested in music lessons with Hertfordshire Music Service, please consult your school to explore available options for assistance with fees.
Pupils funded in September 2024-July 2025:
If you received financial support during September 2024 and July 2025, please note:
- Your financial support for music lessons does not automatically continue to the next school year (starting September 2025).
- You will need to re-apply to HMS for funding by creating a new application each year for help with fees.
Financial support is offered for tuition with us until the end of the academic year (July), to a maximum of 33 weeks, based on continuing eligibility, satisfactory attendance and progress by the student. Parents/carers will need to sign a Music Learning Agreement before financial support is confirmed.
Financial support cannot be backdated, so please don't start lessons before we confirm financial support as you may not be guaranteed the financial support and still be liable for the lesson fees.
We offer this financial support scheme and we may operate a waiting list if we receive more applications than the available funding allows.
Tuition is free for children in the care of Hertfordshire County Council.
Children Looked After - Carers, case workers and schools can apply for financial support for CLA.
September 2025 - July 2026
More information about help with fees for 2025/26 will be provided soon. Please note that all offers are subject to the availability of funds.
Thank you for your understanding and patience.
The Music Learning Agreement
The parent/carer (or the payer where this is different to the parent/carer) will be asked in their application for help with music fees to agree to the terms of the Music Learning Agreement below before financial support is confirmed by HMS. This agreement includes supporting your child’s good attendance and effort in the lessons.
The Terms and Conditions of all HMS instrumental and ensemble tuition is available on our Terms and Conditions page.
The Agreements Terms - Click to show
1. HMS awards financial support to eligible pupils across the county for music tuition and activities delivered by HMS teachers, on the basis that they show satisfactory attendance and musical progress across the school year.
2. Pupils can take up additional activities and opportunities with us across the county, and we want every child to enjoy their musical journey with us. If you are in receipt of funding, this support can also be applied to HMS music centre ensembles or choirs.
3. HMS will, subject to availability, provide a loan instrument for pupils in receipt of 100% and 50% financial support at fee of £15.00 per term. Please indicate if you require a loan instrument on the confirmation form.
4. HMS expects parents/carers to support their child to make the most of the opportunity HMS financial support offers. Parents/carers do not need to be a musician or have any musical experience to support a child’s learning at home. This support could include:
a. supporting the learning and practice objectives set by the teacher by reminding your child of set work
b. assisting with logistics e.g. making the instrument easily accessible at home and transporting the instrument to and from school
c. creating a quiet space for practice, free from loud noises and distractions
d. listen and praise practice and performances at home
e. inform the teacher of any planned or unplanned absences from lessons
5. HMS expects that all pupils who receive financial support will:
a. play and practice their instrument at home regularly – little and often is best to start with
b. do their best in lessons and ask questions if they don’t understand what or how to practice at home
c. contribute to their wider musical community by joining an ensemble or choir
d. if academic class lessons are missed for an instrumental music lesson, check with the class teacher if any homework has been set
6. The funding available is limited and we are not always able to offer financial support to every pupil who applies. Therefore, HMS will monitor the progress and attendance of pupils who receive financial support.
7. HMS staff will support pupils to continue their learning both in and out of school whilst also working with parents/carers to ensure that expectations for attendance and musical progress is met.
8. The financial support will be withdrawn if 3 or more unauthorised absences are recorded within any one term without a valid reason such as exams, hospital appointments and school trips or continued musical progress is not met. HMS staff will contact parents/carers to discuss the absence reasons before the funding is withdrawn.
9. We must receive 4 weeks notice if you need to cancel a lesson for any reason as per the HMS lesson terms and conditions. If the required notice is not given, the lesson will be charged at the funded rate and not rescheduled.
10. This Music Learning Agreement needs to be confirmed by parents/carers before we can finalise an award of financial support. You may be charged in full for lessons that start before this agreement is authorised.
11. In order to stop lessons at the end of a term, you must inform HMS in writing by the relevant deadline detailed in the terms and conditions.
12. Any determination relating to financial support made by HMS shall be final. Please address any complaints regarding HMS tuition to Ben Stevens, Director of Music.
Please send any questions about the scheme to music.remission@hertfordshire.gov.uk.
Students and families can apply for funding for music with Young Sounds UK
You can apply if:
- Your child is aged between 5 – 17 years old
- Your child is an instrumentalist, composer, producer, singer or song-writer.
- Your family are on a lower income.
- You're eligible if the total income of any parents/carers in your home is less than £30,000 a year.
- You may be eligible if it's between £30,000 - £40,000 a year.
- It's unlikely you'll be eligible if it's above £40,000 a year.
Click here for more information!