Please read through all of the information below before you begin the registration process!

HOW DO I REGISTER MY SCHOOL?
All school registrations must be submitted online. You will need to be prepared to submit all the names of students and sponsors/chaperones attending the Festival immediately following your submission of the school registration form. By submitting the online school registration form, you are adhering to the Festival’s cancellation policy (see below).  However, your school registration is not considered complete and you will not be accepted to Festival and ranked until the following has been done. We will not accept any forms until you have submitted the online school registration form.

1. School Registration Online Form: complete and submit online
2. Medical/Media Release Forms (PDF): complete, sign, and submit by email, mail, or fax
   
3. Principal Acknowledgment Form (PDF): complete, sign, and submit by email, mail or fax
4. List of All Student & Sponsor Attendees (Excel): fill in all names of those attending from your school, save, and email to conferences@illinois.edu.  This must be done within 2 business days of submitting the online form.  These names must match all the medical/media release forms and match the numbers you provided when you submitted the online form.
5. Full Payment: submit full payment via a single check, by credit card* or a copy of a purchase order (PO numbers will not be accepted). *note that each school will be required to pay the 3.99% processing fee if paying by credit card

Scan and Email To:  conferences@illinois.edu

Checks for payment can be made out to the University of Illinois and mailed to the address below:

Illini Union
ATTN: Conference & Event Services 
1401 W. Green Street
Urbana, IL 61801

PLEASE NOTE: It is the primary sponsors’ responsibility to make sure that all medical/media release forms are completely filled out, signed, and are legible before you send them in. Any incomplete forms or forms that cannot be read will not be allowed. Please make sure your students are NOT using a pencil but are using a black pen to fill out the form.

Schools will be registered in a first-come, first-served basis. Due to safety, quality, and space concerns, the number of participants is determined by the capacity of the facilities. Once registration is full, schools will be placed on a waiting list. We often reach capacity several days, if not weeks, before the deadline.

IS THERE A SCHOOL REGISTRATION FEE?
There is a $90.00 registration fee per school. This fee is waived if there is a current ITA member on your staff at your school or if your school is an organization member. You will be asked to provide the member name or organization name during the registration process.

WHAT IS THE COST FOR EACH STUDENT AND SPONSOR?

Students (excluding All-State): $75.00 each
Sponsors/Chaperones: $75.00 each
Meal Card (optional): $25.00 each

If space is still available, schools that don’t complete their registration by October 25, 2024 will be assessed a $15.00 per person late fee. Late registrations and payments for these schools must be received by November 11, 2024. No registrations will be accepted after this date.

WHAT IS THE DUE DATE TO COMPLETE THE SCHOOL REGISTRATION PROCESS?
The due dates below are for all online forms and documents listed above.

DUE – October 11, 2024: for schools submitting a Full-Length or Showcase production

DUE – October 25, 2024: for schools not submitting a production

November 25, 2024: If space is still available, late registrations will be accepted until this date.  

All late registrations (after October 25, 2024) will be assessed a $15.00 per person late fee. No registrations will be accepted after this date. Please be aware, once we reach capacity we will only accept wait list registrations. We normally will reach our first cut off capacity number a few days, if not a week prior to the deadline. 

HOW MANY STUDENTS CAN I REGISTER? 

Each high school is allowed to register up to 40 total participants, including students and sponsors/chaperones.  The most you can bring is 36 students with 4 chaperones.  All sponsors/chaperones must be at least 21 years of age. Students must currently be enrolled in 9th–12th grades. We enforce a 10:1 student-to-sponsor ratio or fraction thereof. For example, if you have 13 registered students than you will be required to have 2 sponsors/chaperones. Please check with your high school to see if they have a higher student-to-sponsor ratio.

Exceptions to the 40 total participants limit will be considered for schools that are chosen to perform at the Festival. If your school is selected, you will be able to add more students and sponsors/chaperones when filling out the Director’s Response Form after your production has been viewed. More information will be given to you on that form about adding participants.  All-State company members from your school should NOT be included in your registration numbers. Home schools should contact the IHSTF 2025 Executive Director, Brandon Lewis, via email at executivedirector@ihstf.org

WHAT IS THE REFUND / CANCELLATION POLICY?
A full refund, less a $15.00 per person processing fee, will be provided for cancellation requests received prior to October 31, 2024. All requests must be submitted in writing via email to UIUCevents@ihstf.org by November 1. No refunds will be provided after this date, but substitutions are allowed.

HOW DO MY STUDENTS SIGN UP FOR COLLEGE AUDITIONS?
In order for your students to sign up for college/university auditions and presentations, you must complete your school registration (i.e., Online Application, Principal Acknowledgement Form, Medical/Media Release Forms, List of Students/Sponsors Form, Full Payment). Once everything has been completed and submitted, you will receive a link by email allowing students to sign up for college auditions. Students must turn in applications, resumes, and payment by November 15, 2024.

WHEN WILL I RECEIVE FURTHER FESTIVAL INFORMATION?
You will receive additional details about Festival via email prior to December 9, 2024. If you do not receive this email by December 9, contact the University of Illinois at 217-333-2880 or via email at UIUCevents@ihstf.org.  The email content will also be posted on the Know Before You Go page.

WHEN WILL I KNOW THE ALL-STATE AND OPENING PERFORMANCE MY SCHOOL WILL ATTEND?
Each school will be assigned to an All-State Performance and Opening Performance on a first-come, first served basis. We will do our best to honor preference requests. All-State performance will have assigned seating.

PLEASE NOTE: Even though schools meet the registration deadline, they are not guaranteed tickets to the All-State Performance or Opening Performance. Schools will be notified via email the week of December 9, 2024 as to which performances they are assigned.

REGISTRATION QUESTIONS?

Contact UIUC Conference Services at UIUCevents@ihstf.org with any school registration questions.