How do Bursaries and scholarships work?

[sittinginthesun]

Just having a look at some of secondary school threads, and I see that lots of parents are talking about getting offers from independent school, and sometimes scholarships and Bursaries.

When I looked at the admissions criteria for the local private secondaries, they only mention that scholarships include a 5% reduction in fees, and Bursaries are calculated on parent income.

Is this right? If so, why are do many parents discussing this on the threads?

It is quite a typical pattern. People talk about it because it is a competitive process.

Each private school will have entirely different schemes.

In my area, there's one which offers scholarships between 10-40% off fees for academic (based on entrance exam), music or sports (not sure how they are assessed). There's one which made no mention of scholarships at all in its literature but offered our DD 10% off - I suppose they can do what they want to try to attract pupils. Then there's another which doesn't offer scholarships but does have bursaries which are entirely based on parental income and which could cover all expenses but you'd have to be pretty poor to get that. Schools which can offer bursaries usually have large endowments to fund them so tend to be older establishments; a school which was a former grammar which became independent when they were scrapped in some areas is unlikely to have much cash for this sort of thing.

It varies hugely from school to school. Scholarships are awarded on merit, bursaries are means tested, and there may be other fee reductions such as for armed forces, clergy etc.

For some schools scholarships are honorary and may be the title only or just £100 or so. Schools which are members of HMC (most of the good ones!) have agreed to limit scholarships (ie awards based on merit) to being no more than 50% of school fees. And independent schools have had their charitable status challenged over recent years, and most have increased their bursary (means tested) assistance.

I know of children who are on full fee remission at £15k per year day schools (combination of bursary and scholarships), so these awards can make a huge difference. But it varies hugely according to the school. Trinity and Whitgift, which have appeared on recent threads have over a third of children on some form of fee remission, so it makes a difference to a lot of parents.

Thanks. I was reading the T & W thread, ladymuck, which got me thinking. A friend has told me that she is considering a similar route for her DD, but I had just assumed it wasn't possible around here (S.W Herts).

All schools have charitable status and as part of this are meant to widen access to those who would not normally be able to afford it by offering bursaries. Some schools are more committed to this than others probably influenced by their individual wealth. If you are interested in obtaining a bursary there are lots of previous posting on MN about who to go about it. I think you can search a topic. Two important points to remember are "the big names" are often more generous with their bursaries because they've just got more money/assets etc and also many will tell you the cut off for getting a bursary is an income of less than £40 000 PA; this is not true especially if your looking at boarding schools whose fees are coming in at about £33 000 PA.
The golden rules be honest with the bursar about what you want and if you don't ask you wont get.

Here is the bursary scale for Whitgift and Trinity (it is a year out of date). Other schools will use a more compressed scale so that assistance would run out by £50k or so. St Albans High for example offers bursaries (unusually in my experience to primary schools pupils too). In its FAQ it hints that fee remission would end when income is £50k per year, but in calculating income there can be many differences between schools (eg allowances for other children, allowances depending on housing costs etc). The criteria are rarely fully published, you do have to talk to the bursar.

Are there really still schools that are giving the 50%, merit-based scholarships? I see that some mention "up to 50%". In some schools that we have been looking at the scholarship is 5%, 2% or even zero!

I suppose it is a matter of status to be a scholar. In some schools the scholars are even housed separately. What does anyone think about this? Is that a good idea? How do the students like it? (not a hijack but elaboration of OP's question). And what about being a scholar within a school where the scholars are integrated? Is that a lot of additional pressure? And how does being a normal student at a top 3 school compare with being a scholar at a non-top-3 school?

Well Westminster still gives out 8 scholarships a year which are 50% of boarding fees. And usually there is at least one child at each of the Whitgift foundation schools on 50%.

Ds's school used to have scholars in a separate class, but the practice has stopped and now they're fully integrated. The school's results have improved, though no idea whether it is linked!

At my DS2s school scholarship live seperately those who win exhibitions live in the boarding houses with the non scholars. Many on MN critise this arrangement but the scholars are viewed as the power house setting the standard that the rest of the school to benefit from and aim for. He is not bothered by these arrangements and has scholars in many of his lessons.
The scholarship exam into his school is significantly harder than many and is in fact considered by many to be one of the most difficult.

Oh meant yo say that there is no financial reneration attached to a scholarship.