Discounts, Cancellations & Other Policies
Registration & Tuition
Course enrollments are limited and classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Payment is due at time of registration. You will be contacted only for changes in scheduling, cancellations, or if the class is full. We accept Visa, MasterCard, checks, money orders, or cash. There is a $20 fee for returned checks.
Please register early, as some classes fill early and others may be cancelled if enrollment is too low. To encourage timely registration, we impose a 5% fee for registrations received after one week before a class begins. Late registrations for classes with space available are welcomed depending on permission from the instructor, and in most cases tuition may be pro-rated.
Dropping in on Single Classes
Apart from classes that are specifically drop-in/pay-as-you-go, students are not permitted to drop into classes a session at a time. Please attend the course and section for which you are registered. Crossing to other sections can create recordkeeping problems, crowding, and even safety hazards.
Refunds & Credit
We reserve the right to cancel or discontinue any class, in which case you may choose to receive a refund, register for an alternate course during the same term, or receive tuition credit toward the following term.
If you withdraw more than two weeks before a class begins, we will refund 100% of tuition paid minus a $20 processing fee. We issue no refund if you withdraw less than two weeks before your class begins.
We do not refund tuition for classes students miss due to their own circumstances.
Discounts
A 10% discount is available to:
- any student age 65 or older,
- any additional family member (spouse, sibling, child, grandchild) enrolling in the same class,
- any current Eliot School teacher.
We maintain two giving circles, the Artisan Guild ($350/year) and 1676 Society ($1,676/year):
- Each Artisan Guild member receives 25% off tuition for one class during the year.
- Each 1676 Society member receives 50% off tuition for two classes during the year.
We also offer occasional discounts and special offers as part of surveys or promotional campaigns. Instructions for redeeming them are included in the offers.
Discounts may not overlap. Only one discount is applicable to each enrollment.
Materials fees must be paid in full.
Holidays
We close in observance of New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Most classes are also suspended New Years Eve, the day before Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve. Certain classes also skip other holidays; these are noted in individual class listings or determined by special arrangement between instructors and students.
We occasionally suspend classes to make room for Open Studios, our annual Craft Fair, and other events. See individual class listings for details.
Adverse Weather
If a drivers’ advisory warning has been declared, we will cancel classes. Listen to radio stations WBZ (1030), WHDH (850), or WRKO (680) for school cancellations, and check our Announcements. Make-up sessions will be announced by each individual instructor.
Children & Teens
Parents must pick up their children at the designated ending time of class. Latecomers may be charged for additional staff time.
Parents or guardians must thoroughly complete registration forms, including full contact and emergency contact information.
Teens age 17 and up may register for adult classes.
Materials & Supplies
Students are responsible for providing their own supplies and materials unless otherwise noted. Materials fees must be paid to the instructor at the first class session. Woodshop students are welcome to bring their own tools, but The Eliot School is not responsible for their loss or damage. No tools or supplies belonging to The Eliot School may be removed from the building.
Project Storage
Instructors will show students where their projects may be stored. Our limited storage space is restricted to currently enrolled students, and to one project at a time. Projects and materials must be clearly labeled with the student’s name. All property must be removed the end of the last class unless the student enrolls in the following term and receives permission from school staff. All property must be removed after summer term. Property left without permission after a term ends may be disposed of by staff. The Eliot School is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged property.
Safety First!
Our instructors teach proper safety procedures to all students. Students who fail to follow this advice will be guided to the correct approach to protect themselves and others. It has not happened yet, but we reserve the right to ask a student to leave if proper safety procedures are not observed.