Welcome to all of our new and returning families!
As you may know, the Enrichment Center of Western Pennsylvania (ECWPA) is a non-profit organization. What that means is that we do not set our fees to make a profit from our members. We strive to minimize our teaching and technical costs while maintaining quality, and we take advantage of financial donations and volunteer support whenever we can. Our goal is to strengthen homeschooling families by promoting initiative, diligence, and excellence in academics and service, all at the lowest cost we can sustain.
Member Fees
Family Membership Fee
The family registration fee is required to become a member of The ECWPA. This gives you the right to participate in classes (cooperative and credit level), as well as to run for election and vote for Board members to The ECWPA (if you are in good standing). Generally, we apply these membership fees to the overhead costs of running The ECWPA. We charge a Membership fee for each family each year, whether the family is new or returning. The registration fee this academic year is $43, and it covers all students in your immediate family. This fee is due by the first day of classes.
Course and Class Fees
Course and Class fees are set based on each level: Credit and Cooperative. While the fee schedule may seem complicated at first, we put a lot of thought into the fee structure in order to make it as fair as possible. The Course and Class fee structure is based on the total number of family members enrolled, as well as the number and type of classes. The fees for the Credit Level Courses cover the full 32 weeks of classes. The fees for the Cooperative Level Classes cover one semester of classes.
Course & Class Tuition
Credit Level Class Fees
Credit Level Class Fees differ for each credit course and are listed with each credit level course description.
Tuition Assistance
Partial and/or full scholarships may be available on a limited basis. Please contact us for additional information on availability. Any information given as to why you are seeking a scholarship will be kept confidential.
Forms of Payment
Payments for Membership fees, Course fees, and Class fees may be made via cash, check or money order by submitting the payment into the “Payment Box” that is on the table near the check-in station at The Center. Memberships fees may also be paid online via Paypal. These fees are due by the first day of class if paying in full, or by the dates outlined below if paying using the payment plan. Please make sure to mark payments with the family/student and class the payment is covering.
Payment Dates and Payment Plan
We are sensitive to the challenge of paying in full for multiple Credit Level Courses at one time. Our standard payment plan spreads payments out as much as we can while still meeting our commitments. Payment dates for a course are based on the start and end dates for the course.
Specific tuition due dates
- 1st Payment: First day of fall term
- 2nd Payment: First day of classes in Jan
You may view your invoice and payment history online. We recommend turning in post-dated checks at the beginning of the year in order to avoid late charges. Checks will not be cashed until the date listed on the check.
Late Charges
If you are late on a payment, you will be assessed a $10 late fee for each full and partial month that the payment is late.
Dropped Courses
We want to reasonably accommodate you if your family circumstances change. We encourage families considering withdrawing from a course to notify us prior to making a final decision because in the past we have been able to help resolve some of the issues families have faced that caused them to seek withdrawal.
We provide a seven-day grace period during which a family may, without charge, drop a course from their family account page. This grace period begins upon registration for a class or course.
Beyond the seven day grace period, a Drop Fee will be charged. For any class in which a drop is sought prior to the start of classes, the Drop Fee is calculated as $1 per day from the date that seat was first held as an Open Seat to the date of the email sent to Madeline requesting to drop. The Drop Fee, in this case, is capped at half of the fee for that class or course.
For any class dropped after the start of classes, the initial Drop Fee is calculated as above and then added to the class fee prorated for the number of weeks into the class to get the overall Drop Fee. The overall Drop Fee, in this case, is capped at the total class fee. Please see our Withdrawals and Refunds section for more information.
Returned Checks
The ECWPA will assess a $15 fee for returned checks to cover our bank charges. We cannot redeposit returned checks.
Withdrawals & Refunds
General Withdraw Policy
We consider a class or course registration request to be a well-intentioned commitment to attend and pay all fees associated with it. We assume that families do not request a class they believe they are likely to drop later. Holding a seat in a class prevents other interested families from taking that seat.
Canceled Courses
It may occasionally be necessary to cancel a course after one or more students have registered for it or after classes have started. In this event, ECWPA will cheerfully refund all class fees paid for that class.
Family Membership Fee
If due to placement test failure or lack of seat availability we are unable to offer a family at least one requested class, ECWPA will refund the Family Membership Fee at the family’s request. However, the family will no longer be considered a member of The Enrichment Center of Western Pennsylvania.
Dropped Courses and Withdrawal Fees
We encourage families considering withdrawing from a course to notify us prior to deciding because we have proven successful at helping with alternatives that are in the better interest of the student. This approach also usually avoids fees associated with a drop. Our Drop Fees are explained in the Course and Credit Level Class Fees section.
In the unlikely event that the Board determines that a Student can no longer attend classes and/or activities at the Enrichment Center as a result of a violation of the Discipline Policy, no refunds of any tuition and/or fees will be given. Similarly, if a family chooses to withdraw other family members following action taken against another family member as a result of the violation of the discipline policy, no refunds of any tuition and/or fees will be given.
Overpayment Refunds
We will refund you by check.