Thank you for your interest in ESYO Financial Aid!
Students who are enrolled in any of the 2026-27 Season programs are eligible to apply for Financial Aid, and we encourage all current ESYO families families experiencing higher-than-usual pressures or burdens to submit an application. Awards are based on federal income guidelines, and all information you provide will be kept confidential and used only to determine your eligibility.
Financial Assistance Information
Assistance Types:
- Tuition
Musicians at all program levels eligible to apply; assists with costs of program participation - Instrument Rental
Musicians at all program levels eligible to apply; assists with cost of renting an instrument (primarily strings) from ESYO - Private Lesson
Available to Youth Symphony (YS), Junior Orchestra (JO), Little Symphony (LS), and String Academy 2 (SA2) musicians; provides supplemental funds towards private lessons taken with an independent private lesson teacher. Junior Orchestra & Youth Symphony students have the opportunity to increase their award amount through participation in AMP – the Ambassador Musician Program.
Process
Your program’s registration must be open prior to beginning this process.
If you have questions please email the ESYO Team.
- Create an account (if you have not already) and add your student
- [Optional] Add the Ensemble Tuition to your cart (make sure to select the ‘Installments’ payment option), and pay Registration Fee upon check out
- Apply for Financial Aid
Awards will be announced on a rolling basis, with applications considered in the order they are received. Assistance will be awarded to qualified applicants as long as funds are available. Applicants may expect a decision within 2 weeks of their application.
Before You Apply
Please have the following documents ready before you begin your application:
1) Proof of Income
You must submit one of the following:
- The first two pages of your 2025 Federal 1040 Tax Return, with the musician listed as a dependent., or in the event you do NOT have a 1040,
- The two most recent pay stubs for each working member of your household.
2) State Assistance (if applicable)
If you receive state assistance, please also provide one of the following:
- A copy of your statement of benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and/or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
- A copy of a letter for disability income (with the amount shown).
- A copy of a letter stating Social Security income (with the amount shown).
A family only needs to apply once per year per student unless a major change in household income occurs. Please understand that due to the availability of funding, one award does not guarantee the award of another.
Note that Tuition Assistance may be applied only to Tuition Fees; Registration Fees are the responsibility of the families, and not covered by financial aid.
