Scholarship Offers - Are they negotiable?

[delillah247]

My dd1 has just been given a scholarship to a really good school, for year 9 entry. Obviously we are immensely proud of her achievement.
According to the schools prospectus, sent to us in oct 2010, the award she has been given is a 50% fee reduction, but they have only given her 25%. when i contacted the school to question why, they simply said, "oh, yes we've changed the award value, sorry".
I am gutted we can not afford 75% of the fees without involving grandparents etc. and I really didnt want to do that. But in DD1 eyes she has achieved what she was aiming for and now the school have moved the goal posts, she is quite rightly really disappointed.
My question is, do I have a leg to stand on?, this whole independent school thing is new to me, so any advise would be great. Thanks

If they changed the terms, en they should have promulgated the new terms at the time of the change. They can't recall older prospectuses, but it might be worth trying to find out if they had indeed published the new award level before key dates in the application process.

Many, many schools have reduced their scholarship awards dramatically, loading their rupture into the bursary opt instead. Indeed, 25% is generous for a scholarship (it's not uncommon for them to be purely titular or a nominal amount).

I doubt they would change the value of the scholarship.

But what you could do is see if you could still secure a bursary as well.

"rupture" !!!! sorry, "resources"

"opt" = "pot"

many apologies.

Explain to the school DD was all excited since last October believing firmly that she would go with a 50% scholarship. But if they are going to take half the offer away leaving you to pay 75%, then it may just be impossible for her to attend and DD is now devastated. Yes, everything is negotiable; ask about the possibility of topping up with 25% bursary on top of the scholarship. But if bursary is considered, then you may well have to provide them with all your private financial details. Good luck!

Thanks for your replys, We did apply for a bursary, but didn't get it because we are just outside the bracket, not poor enough, but certainly not rich enough either. i have sent them an email, detailing how disappointed dd1 is, to me it just seems really bad business practice, but hey life sucks sometimes. I think our only hope is that someone will not take up the scholarship offered to them and they might add it on to ours. We should find out by the end of next week, so fingers crossed x

most schools don't actually set a value on scholarships - most I've seen say something along the lines of 'up to 50% off the fees', which obviously gives them the room to offer 50%, 25% 10% or any other figure they like

The prospectus reads, Queens scholarship worth 50%, foundation scholarship worth 1/3, 1/4 or 1/10. DD offered Queens, but only for 25%. They have changed awards system since they sent out prospectus, which was in oct 2010, it doesn't seem fair, but I don't think there is much I can do.

Delillah I didn't get DD1's school to increase it's scholarship offer (20%) but I got a fee discount of a further 10% by paying up front at the start of each year.

It's just marketing, innit?
How crap of them.

Did you know she was getting this scholarship when you applied for the school, or did you apply for the school hoping that you would get some sort of award. What were you planning on doing if she got nothing? Were you still planning on sending her to the school?

We made it clear to dd, that she would have to get the Queen Scholarship to be able to go there. She is a sensible girl, she understands that we have limited funds and she was prepared for us to say no if she didn't get the queens. But she did get the Queens, she fulfilled her side of the bargain, but the school have changed the awards without letting us know. I wouldnt have a problem telling her she wasnt going, if she hadnt achieved what she set out to do. My heart says I must let her go there, all I have to work out know is how!!

Sue52, I will have to ask the school about that, I doubt it, but I have nothing to lose by asking. I know that they charge you extra if you pay by monthly instalments, so you never know.

That seems really unfair. Didn't they give you any info when your dd took the entrance exam? I would have expected to receive something then if they were changing the terms of the scholarship. A 25% reduction is huge.

but presumably she entered the exam on the basis of potentially achieving any one of a number of scholarships(or none) so from the school's pov they have fulfilled the aspiration. Maybe the wording was such that it was up to 50% or they have had to split the funding. Presumably had she been awarded another lesser one or none she could n't go anyway. Fully understand your and dd's disappointment but you have raised her hopes and set the goals, not the school, without checking that it could deliver or that you had a back up. Have you had a response yet , I think it will be telling as to hwo much they want your dd.

I was put in a similar position at 11, could n't go to the school I preferred (they played lacrosse and had a pool!) unless I got a scholarship and it was a serious disppointment(to me), if short term, when I didn't and had to go to the other option (more practical and academic).

Delillah, the school didn't advertise the discount, but if you don't ask you don't get. Speak to the bursar, they are usually very understanding and helpful.

I think you should talk to them and see if they can discount fees slightly to help. If she is that good that she was awarded the top scholarship they may be willing to negotiate in order to ensure she comes to their school, you may have some bargaining power there.

We have noticed that the scholarships this year have all been on the low end 10% and 25%. Even the kids that would previously have been a shoe in for 50% scholarships have not got them. I understand that more bursaries have been awarded by some schools - but many children write these exams in the hope of getting a scholarship as it is the only way that it becomes affordable.

I realise it's upsetting. Independent schools get such a bad rap for being 'too posh' that they seem to be focussing on the bursary side of things the scholarship side needs to go down. Unfortunately the downgrading of scholarships seldom impacts that posh kids who's parents could afford the school anyway but rather those who could 'just' afford with a bit of help. So all it really does is create a bigger divide between the have's and the have not's.

Are the grandparents willing/able to help. My son has about 5 kids in his class of 17 where grandparents pay for them so it is pretty common.

Just had contact with the school, I have to wait until friday, the closing date, to see if anyone doesn't take up scholarship offered to them. If this is the case they will consider adding the amount to my daughters scholarship. Apparently they have 2 pots, 1 for bursary and 1 for scholarship, which have fixed amounts in each and cannot be changed. So we will just have to wait and see. I am just amazed that such bad business practice takes place, IMO, in changing the awards system, they should have informed us, or at very least changed the name of the award. The prospectus clearly states, that a Queens award is worth 50%, not upto 50% or anything else. If this was any other kind of business, surely they wouldn't get away with that? Obviously, there was always the possibility that she wouldn't get the Queens, but she did, and the school have moved the goal post. DD did have a goal, which she has achieved, my mistake was to believe that the prospectus details were correct and would be honoured. We will find the money to send her, I am just a bit peeved. But shit happens and I will get over it, just need to vent for a bit!!

I think it is very poor practice and I would ensure that if you do sort out something with them you get it in writing. If they've moved the goalposts once they are likely to do it again.

Of late, private schools have all been down-sizing their scholarship awards. Even the poshest of public schools are forced to do that. This drastic change come about because of The Charities Act 2006 which requires private schools which registered themselves as charities to widen access in order to maintain their charitable status. For example, the Eton King's Scholarship traditionally used to be worth an automatic 50% of the school fee, then reduced to 25% around the mid-2000's and now it is worth "only" 10%. The undistributed scholarship funds are then channelled into bursaries. Thus it is still possible for (say) a scholarship winner to have fee reduction up to 100% depending on needs. Likewise, bursary holders can negotiate for an increase due to (say) changed family circumstances, etc.

I have no issue with any of that, my argument is that potential candidates ahould have been made aware that the awards values had changed. We are talking a relatively short timescale, prospectus received in october, exam sat in March, so the changes must have happened really recently. Just bad business practice IMO. The Head is phoning me tomorrow, so I will see what he has to say. Obviously, from what everyone is saying, I should be grateful to get even 25%, but you don't get anything if you don't ask !

Choose your words, manner and approach to the school carefully as your child may be at this school for many years to come. It would be a shame to set off on the wrong foot before he/she has even started.

Well done on the scholarship by the way, your child has done really well.

Thank you, I am really nervous actually, after much discussion with friends as to the best approach, they have recommended that I 'lose the tude', do not be too emotional, do not swear, do not raise my voice, watch my tone. The list was endless, basically I think I should let my daughter talk to him, she is much more sensible than I am !! Seriously though, I figure that I will just be polite, and listen to what he has to say. I can not plan what to say as I have no clue from what tack he will be coming. I do know though, that being arsey and aggresive will get me nowhere.

Would you have let your dd sit the exam if you knew the scholarship had been cut? If you wouldn't have then you can say honestly how much of a sacrifice it will be for you if the full 50% scholarship isn't provided. Your dd is very bright and the school will want her as much as she wants to go. Good luck and stay calm.

My DH, only let her sit exam as there was a chance of 50% scholarship, I would have let her do it anyway, but like my DH says, I am not the one standing in a chip shop 90 hrs a week, trying to make a living! She is very bright, and more importantly very self motivated. Thankyou for you good wishes, think a bottle of bach rescue remedy maybe needed tomorrow xx

Hope you had some positive news from the head.

Well, I spoke with the head this am. He was very apologetic, re the non-communication and very nice. The top scholarship offered this year was 30%, so as everyone has been trying to tell me, 25% is v. good. He was very complimentary of my dd, my heart was swelling with pride from all the fantastic things he said about her. They are very, very keen to have join the school, she came 3rd in the entrance exams and totally impressed at the interviews!! If anyone who was offered a scholarship declines it, then it will be added to my dd's. If all the scholarships offered are taken, then he will try to sort out a discretionary discount for early fee payment. So we are still awaiting the final outcome. But she will definitely be going there, how can I not when she has done so bloody well!!