5 Reasons to Use Cost Sharing for Your Students

At a recent Music Education conference in San Antonio, I had the privilege to sit down with a former student and visit. She told me about her struggles while she was a student, but that she came to school because she loved playing clarinet in band and violin in orchestra. She was a great student and had so many opportunities provided to her BECAUSE of her experiences through music. Music was the release that kept her going during this difficult period in her life. Sadly, the financial obligations that come from being in a fine arts program often deter the very students who need it the most from fully participating. According to a recent consumer spending study, American households on average spend just over $6,000 per month, with just under 2% of their budget going towards education related expenses, and the challenge to free up more funds is getting tougher for families each year.

Are your members struggling to fulfill program pledges and obligations? In my thirty years as a public school music educator, I dealt with many issues in trying to get band fees paid in a timely manner. Being in a lower socio-economic area, students' families often struggled to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, so fees for school activities were not on the top of their priority list. What if there was a way to encourage your member guardians to easily widen their giving circle through Cost Sharing? They say it takes a village to raise a child, and inviting those who cherish your students, like you and they do, to be part of their amazing educational journey might be a life-saver for some of those students who NEED your program but lack the financial resources at home to make it a viable option for their life.

There’s not a single fine arts program in the world that I am aware of that does not have to do some sort of fundraising in order to fund the activities of the program. Many times, individuals within the organization are required to participate in these activities and reach a minimum threshold or pay the rest out of pocket. Most of the time, these students are having to reach out over and over again to their same friends and family that live locally in order for them to be able to “deliver” purchased products and services. But what if instead of continuing to do the same traditional activities for fundraising, students were able to reach out to people outside their location to request help? Once upon a time, people often lived in the same place where they grew up, and most of their family lived close. In the modern day, more and more families are spread around the country and even around the world. With CutTime’s Cost Sharing tool, students are able to send a quick text or email and reach people who have never been able to help before. How great is that?!

1. Lighten Financial Concerns

Being in a fine arts program requires financial commitment. Musical instruments, attire and uniforms, accessories and other gear plus incidentals like meals and transportation costs add up quickly, which can lead to your members feeling overwhelmed, especially for first-year middle and high school participants. That stress resulting from tight financial circumstances can start to negatively impact your student’s overall performance and steal their joy from being part of the program. So when your guardians express concerns about covering an instrument upgrade or an unexpected repair, remind them to lean on their wider giving circle to help shoulder the bigger financial load. Shift their mindset from, “How am I going to cover Robbie’s concert band expenses next month” to, “Who wouldn’t want to have the opportunity to invest in my son Robbie, an amazing up and coming bassoon player?!”

2. Celebrate and Encourage Progress

Robbie made the Honors Band. Maya qualified for Solo & Ensembles. Jaylen and Jada both achieved Level 3 Sight Reading in Orchestra. These are just some of the fantastic milestone moments to share and invite your student’s biggest fans to make a small donation to help keep them progressing! And let me emphasize every little bit helps - $10, $20 here and there from a handful of extended family members, neighbors, and other people who are watching your child grow from near or afar can help keep the educational momentum flowing in the right direction.

3. Open Up Trip Opportunities

Perhaps your program is planning its first trip ever to New York or Washington DC. Or maybe, this is the year you are hoping to take your program abroad for a special cultural learning and performing experience. For many students, your trip will be a pivotal moment in their growth as an artist AND emerging adult. This is where Cost Sharing can be an effective tool to jumpstart your fundraising to help cover a deposit and enlist a wider giving circle beyond your physical community to consider funding additional travel costs.

4. Fuel Summer Camp Participation

Summer camps extend learning and provide a positive environment for student’s to connect with their peers in between the school year. I’ve seen how financial limitations kept some of the most promising kids from attending camp and advancing their skills and confidence. Spring is almost here and it’s the perfect time to prompt your guardians to use Cost Sharing to help fund upcoming summer camp enrollment with more peace of mind.

5. Make Birthdays and Holidays More Amazing

Guardians needn’t wait for a big financial obligation to use Cost Sharing. Birthdays, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, Quinceaneras, Graduations, Easter, Kwanzaa, Christmas, are all opportunities for parents to advocate for gifts that will have lasting impact on their child’s music, theater, and dance dreams. Teachers and Boosters, encourage your guardians to use Cost Sharing around birthdays and holidays to encourage grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other long distance loved ones to make a donation to their child’s program goals rather than buying a random present or gift card. Trust me, Cost Sharing is the perfect antidote to "What should I get / buy so-and-so this year?” Imagine the amazing surprise when your student discovers that Aunt Jill and Uncle Fred helped buy their new bassoon gig bag! Or they now have a cool new collection of spirit wear hoodies, joggers, and a Stanley thanks to Gramzee and PawPaw.

No matter the occasion, a little cost sharing can go a long way to making your student feel the support and encouragement they need to thrive in their fine arts program.