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Original poster

question about financial aid / scholarship at Eton & Westminster

28 replies

jmchoi · 17/04/2011 21:34

Hi, All. I'm hoping that someone out there can shed some light on the following issue:

From the information on the Eton website and Westminster website, it seems pretty clear that for King's Scholars and Queen's Scholars, the guarantee of additional funds (beyond the 10% at Eton and 50% at Westminster that are automatically covered) to cover whatever is left over of the full annual costs, after the amount reasonably afforded by the family. For example, if the schools determine that a family can afford 5,000 pounds a year, the school will find the remaining 25,000 or so needed for the King's Scholar's (or Queen's Scholar's) education.

However, for students admitted to Eton and Westminster who do not win a scholarship, do people know if it is 50%, 75% or pretty much 100% assured that if a family can afford only part of the yearly cost of education at these schools, the schools have sufficient funds to cover the rest?

I ask because I know Eton, for instance, is trying to reach a point (as with the most richly-endowed universities and boarding schools in the U.S. (Harvard, Princeton, Exeter, Andover, etc.) where they can guarantee 100% of the demonstrated needs of admitted students, but I don't know if they are there yet.

The materials on the website are very vague on this point and they do not make a guarantee but I was curious to know if it is a practical reality even though not guaranteed publicly.

Thanks!
jc

OP posts:
CrystalChandelier · 18/04/2011 09:54

Some of the bigger public schools claim to be "working towards" a needs blind model - Dulwich College is another. They're unlikely to ever get there, though, because there will always be a finite number of places. It's an aspiration, but nothing more at this stage.

I've read elsewhere that if the family is applying for assistance on basis of low income, the child needs to be scholarship level before they will be considered for help.

HalleluiaScot · 18/04/2011 08:03

There is no such thing as a needs blind package here. You will find that these are disappearing in the US too, for example Exeter has stopped this in recent years as their endowment funds are getting low.

I don't know why people think that independent schools should somehow have unlimited funds. You could not get further from the truth.

annh · 17/04/2011 23:10

I'm not sure if I understand correctly what you are asking but am I correct in thinking that your question is whether, if your son passes the entrance exam for these schools, they are guaranteed admittance regardless of the family's ability to pay the fees? If that is the case, I would say the answer is a resounding NO!