Below you will find a list of the costs associated with membership in Spirit of Atlanta. Scroll down to learn more about what discounts are available and what each fee covers. For a detailed explanation of our fee and tuition structure, please download the 2012 Financial Policy

*New for 2012, tuition includes the equipment, uniform, and spring training fees that were previously additional costs to members.

Discounts available for tuition

Discounts toward membership tuition can be earned by the following methods. Further details on discounts can be found in 2012 Financial Policy.

• 2nd year returning members will receive a $100 discount ($2,300 total tuition)
• 3rd year returning members will receive a $250 discount ($2,150 total tuition)
• 4th + year returning members will receive a $400 discount ($2,000 total tuition)
• Paying tuition in full by the end of the February Camp (2/12/2012) – $200 discount
• Applying for scholarships – reductions vary by award amount. The number of scholarships is limited; thus, members are strongly encouraged NOT to rely on Spirit scholarships to cover costs. Further information and scholarship forms will be supplied at rehearsal camps.

Miscellaneous Costs (for summer tour):

• All Members – personal items, section shorts, laundry needs on tour, souvenirs, snacks and the occasional “free-day” meal
• Brass – mouthpiece, gloves (practice and show), Under Armour ® shirts and shorts worn underneath the uniform, black socks for shows, Viper marching shoes (available at a discounted price through Spirit)
• Percussion – same as brass with the exception of mouthpiece and gloves
• Guard – as designated by the guard staff (usually gloves, show warm-up attire, and cosmetics).

*Members are required to have medical insurance in order to participate in any corps-related activity. Spirit will not pay any medical bills accrued by the member while participating with the corps.

Payment Options

All fees required for camps – audition materials, registration, and camp fees – are due at or before camp. We accept online credit card transactions through our website or cash/checks at camp.
New for 2012, members may elect to pay their tuition in one of three ways:

1. Full Payment – pay the total tuition amount by Feb. 12, 2012 and receive a $200 discount
2. Traditional Plan – pay once a month at camps from January to May (see the 2012 Financial Policyfor more information)
3. 9-Month Plan– pay once a month from January to September
   1. Must be enrolled in auto-draft by January Camp
   2. A $10 fee will be added each month
   3. Lowers monthly payments to approximately $275 a month

*These payments do not include audition materials, registration, or camp fees. Payment option must be confirmed at the time the member signs his/her membership contract.

What do the non-refundable fees cover?

Audition Materials Fee

• PDF download of all materials, exercises, and information needed to audition

Registration Fee

• Application processing
• Online membership account set up (Delta Portal)
• Audition t-shirt (be sure to indicate your size on the registration form)

Camp Fees

• Housing for the weekend
• 6 meals (Friday night snack, 4 meals on Saturday, Sunday breakfast)
• Instruction by qualified staff
• Instrument/Equipment use for the weekend
• Materials (music, information forms, etc.)
• Airport shuttle service (if needed)

What does the membership tuition cover?

• The basic needs required to house, feed, and transport 150 members, 30 staff and 10 volunteers across the county everyday for 3 months are extensive. The corps eats 4 times a day and travels anywhere from 250 to 400 miles between shows every night. Each day, Spirit of Atlanta spends approximately:
  • $920 on food
  • $465 on housing
  • $550 on fuel
  • $2,500 on transportation (bus and truck rentals)
  • That’s over $4,000 a day and approximately $30,000 a week!

• Equipment/Uniform Usage – Part of your tuition helps cover the cost of cleaning, tailoring, repairing or replacing over $225,000 worth of instruments, guard equipment and uniforms used throughout the summer.

• Spirit of Atlanta members receive high-quality, professional music and movement instruction all day, everyday. We are fortunate to have some of the most experienced and qualified designers and instructors from across the country. A majority of the instructional staff have performed and/or taught with finalist- and championship-level bands, corps, and/or companies and many of them hold professional undergraduate and graduate degrees. Each section of the corps has multiple instructors – which allows for each sub-section to have a specific instructor assigned to them for a majority of the summer. Members also receive individualized instruction. An individual private lesson on an instrument in the Atlanta metro area can cost anywhere from $40 to $150 an hour.

• While this sounds like a lot of money, by fundraising, utilizing volunteers, and buying in bulk, Spirit of Atlanta is able to provide members all of these services and an incredible experience for less than $28 a day!