Policies

Withdrawal Fees and Deadlines

All Withdrawal/Transfer requests will follow the refund policies listed below by program. Transfers which adhere to the below deadlines are permitted at no charge.

Please submit withdrawal and transfer requests in writing. Non-attendance or non-payment of outstanding fees does not constitute a formal withdrawal. Requests may be emailed to registration@artsumbrella.com.

In all programs, a pro-rated refund will be issued for a withdrawal if a doctor’s note is provided.

Fall/Winter/Spring Sessional Classes

As of June 1, 2020, withdrawal requests must be received in person, by phone, or in writing within 48 hours after the 2nd class of the session. Withdrawal requests within this period will be refunded less 10% of the tuition fee.

Yearlong Programs (Art & Design, Dance, Theatre)

Withdrawal requests must be received in person, by phone, or in writing 2 weeks before the first class. Withdrawal requests within this period will be refunded less the $100.00 deposit. After this period, late withdrawals will be refunded with the following deductions:

  • 30% deduction before September 30
  • 50% deduction up to, and including December 1
  • No refund after December 1
Spring Break/Summer Programs

As of June 1, 2020, withdrawal requests must be received in person, by phone, or in writing 2 weeks before the first class. Withdrawal requests within this period will be refunded less the 10% of the tuition fee. After this period, no refund will be provided upon withdrawal.

International Summer Dance Intensive

Withdrawal requests must be received in person, by phone, or in writing 4 weeks before the first class. Withdrawal requests within this period will be refunded less the 10% non-refundable deposit.

Post-Secondary Dance Program*

Arts Umbrella follows the VCC policy and will refund program fees to students who withdraw (voluntarily or involuntarily) as follows:

  • Prior to the start day of the program: 100% refund (less $100 administrative fee and non-refundable portion of the tuition deposit)
  • Up to and including the fifth (5th) business day from the start of the program: 50% refund of tuition
  • After the fifth (5th) business day of the program: No refund of tuition

*students registered for the program through VCC please refer to VCC’s website for refund policy and procedures.

Program Changes

Instructors or program content may change at Arts Umbrella’s discretion, without notice. Information on our online registration system should be considered the most up-to-date. Some programs and classes may have specific requirements and policies. Please contact Student Services for details.

Fees

Applicable program fees must be paid in full upon registration. A charge of $25 will apply to returned cheques. Payment can be made by cheque, cash, VISA, American Express, or MasterCard.

Instructors

Instructors are subject to change without notice. Arts Umbrella will strive to provide a substitute rather than cancel a class in the event of instructor illness. In the case of such a cancellation, a replacement attendance date will be scheduled. If it is not possible for Arts Umbrella to schedule a replacement attendance date, a pro-rated refund will be supplied to all affected students. No refund or make up is eligible for students who miss class.

Class Cancellations

Arts Umbrella reserves the right to cancel classes that do not meet minimum enrolment and will cancel classes with insufficient enrolment. Minimum enrolment numbers depend on studio capacity and availability of materials. Cancellations may be expected happen one to two weeks prior to the start date. For classes with close to minimum enrollments, classes will run for up to two weeks plus two days before a cancellation decision. Families will be notified via phone and email. Students from cancelled classes may be transferred to another class or withdraw from the class and receive a pro-rated refund with no 10% withdrawal fee deducted.

Natural disasters and severe weather events

Amounts paid for classes or class attendance dates cancelled due to circumstances out of Arts Umbrella’s control, such as natural disasters and severe weather events, are not reimbursed.

Removal for Conduct

Arts Umbrella reserves the right to remove any student who fails to comply with its rules and regulations or who engages in any activity the Directors deem contrary to the fulfillment of Arts Umbrella’s objectives and Student Code of Conduct. In such an event, Arts Umbrella will be owed the fees for the complete session or school year. Bursary recipients will be asked to reimburse the full value of any bursaries used toward their current registration.

Refund for Illness

Refunds will not be provided for missed classes unless withdrawal is recommended by a medical practitioner, in which case a pro-rated refund will be provided upon receipt of a doctor’s note.

Reference Letters

Requests for reference letters must be submitted in writing and accompanied by a completed Reference Request Form a minimum of three weeks in advance of the date the letter is needed. An administrative fee of $50 will be applied (fee waived for bursary students). A reference request does not guarantee a reference letter. Click here to download the Request Form.

Age

Students enrolled in session-based programs must be the age of the specific class by session start date. Students enrolled in year-long programs must be the age of the class as of December 31. Arts Umbrella reserves the right to withdraw students who have been registered in an incorrect age category.

Diapers

For the courtesy of our faculty and other students, we can only accept students who are potty-trained. Pull up diapers not allowed.

Attendance

Every child who attends a class at Arts Umbrella must be registered. Instructors do not have the ability to register students. Attendance is taken at the beginning of each class and unregistered students will be directed to Student Services.

Parent Pick-up

Arts Umbrella is not responsible for students before or after class time. Repeated lateness may lead to discharge from the class with no refund.

Field Trips

Instructors may lead supervised excursions during class time. Parental permission for these excursions is required at time of registration. Student Services staff are informed as to location and times of all excursions by instructors before leaving the building.

Language

For safety reasons, we ask that your child has a working understanding of English before attending classes. For students who do not have a working understanding of English, please contact Student Services in advance of the class start date, so we can make the appropriate accommodations for your child.

Accessibility and Medical/Learning Needs

In order to ensure our programs are accessible to all students, parents/guardians are required to inform Arts Umbrella at the time of registration of any allergies, or physical, emotional, or learning needs their children may have. Student Services will contact those who indicate such needs to ensure the appropriate accommodations are made for your student to have a positive classroom experience. We welcome any questions and feedback regarding accessibility and any other support for Arts Umbrella students. For more information regarding accessibility, please visit our Accessibility and Learning Supports page.

Advertising and Publicity

Arts Umbrella reserves the right to photograph and film students and their work for advertising and publicity purposes. Arts Umbrella reserves the right to use student artwork for exhibition at no charge. Parental permission is requested at time of registration.

Mask Policy

In accordance with current direction from the Provincial Health Officer, masks are optional at Arts Umbrella. We encourage caregivers to have a conversation with their student(s) on their family’s expectation for mask wearing while in classes.

Allergies and Sensitivities

Some Arts Umbrella students have life-threatening allergies. In consideration of these students, we ask that parents/guardians please not pack any of the following in snacks/lunches for consumption at Arts Umbrella: Peanuts, tree nuts, nut products, or shellfish.

Additionally, Arts Umbrella requests that strongly scented products not be used within Arts Umbrella’s facilities such as perfumes, soaps, beauty products, or cleaning products.