Enrollment FAQ

Signing up

Fill in the enrollment form here. It takes about five minutes. You'll need your child's grade, your contact details, an emergency contact, and a mailing address so we can send chess swag.

Not quite. For most programs there's one more step — you'll get an email with a payment link, and your spot is reserved once that's complete.

If your child's program is fully sponsored by their school, there's nothing to pay and you're already enrolled. Your confirmation email will say so.

Check your spam folder first — it comes from A Step Ahead Chess and can land there the first time.

If it's not there, the most common reason is a typo in the email address on the form. Email help@astepaheadchess.org and we'll send your link straight over. Please don't fill in the form again — that creates a second registration and can lead to being charged twice.

Yes, and your second and any additional children are half price.

Complete the form separately for each child — they each need their own details, session and emergency contact. When we ask whether you're enrolling more than one child, answer yes for every child after the first, and we'll send a payment link at the reduced rate.

Then we don't run an after-school program there yet. You're very welcome to join private lessons from home instead — they run virtually on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and we'll ask which school your child attends so we know where to look at opening next.

Payments

After school at a partner school
$150 per month — 9 payments, September through May

Private lessons from home
$150 per month

Private lessons, all three days
$199 per month

Additional children
Half price

Sponsored partner schools
No cost

Payments are taken on the 1st of the month. Your first payment happens when you enroll, and the schedule starts from there.

No. Your monthly membership is the whole cost.

Weekly lessons, free entry to six over-the-board tournaments with our Chicago club from October through April, free virtual tournaments, and chess swag — wristbands, key chains, chess sets, tactics books and clocks.

Not through the website, but email help@astepaheadchess.org and we'll sort something out.

Scholarships

Yes. Families who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch can apply during enrollment. Free lunch qualifies for a full scholarship; reduced-price lunch qualifies for half price.

Choose the option on the form and upload your free/reduced lunch documentation.

Your child's spot is held while we review, and nothing is charged. We'll email you within 2 business days — either confirming enrollment at no cost, or sending a payment link at the reduced rate.

Please email help@astepaheadchess.org. We'd rather find a way than lose a player.

Sessions + scheduling

Your confirmation email lists the school, the day and the session. For most schools you choose the day when you enroll; for schools that run one day a week, you'll be placed automatically.

Beginner — brand new to chess
Novice — knows how the pieces move and how to checkmate
Intermediate — knows how to checkmate, some tactics, and has played in over-the-board tournaments
Advanced — has competed in over-the-board tournaments and placed

If you're unsure, pick the closest and mention it to your coach. Moving a student between levels is easy.

You'll be added to the waitlist automatically and we'll email you if a place opens. In the meantime, another day may have space, or private lessons from home rarely fill up. Just reply to your waitlist email and we'll help.

For after-school programs, usually yes — email us to check.

For private lessons, you can join up to two weeks after a season starts. Beginners start at the beginning of a season.

Attendance

Let your coach or help@astepaheadchess.org know in advance and it's recorded as an excused absence.

Because places are limited and the program moves quickly, students with more than one unexcused absence may lose their place to a family on the waitlist. Telling us in advance is all it takes to avoid that.

Changing or stopping

Every email we send about your membership has a Manage my membership link. No password needed — you'll see options to pause or cancel, and both take effect straight away.

Or email help@astepaheadchess.org with your child's name and we'll do it for you.

Please give us at least 7 business days' notice before your next payment. Payments are taken on the 1st, so changes need to reach us by around the 20th of the month before. Payments already taken aren't refunded, so it's worth putting a note in your calendar.

Over the summer — yes, your spot is held for the next school year.

During the school year — we can't guarantee it. Places are limited and we may have offered it to a waitlisted family. Get in touch and we'll do our best.

Same Manage my membership link. Worth checking before September if your card expires over the summer — an expired card is the most common reason a payment fails.

You're always welcome. Fill in the enrollment form again and email help@astepaheadchess.org so we can place your STORMER in the right group.

Anything else

Email us help@astepaheadchess.org.

Emails about billing come through the system that manages memberships, so the sender looks different from our usual address. They're genuine. If anything ever looks off, forward it to help@astepaheadchess.org and we'll confirm.

That's what we call our players. Chess lessons beyond the board.