Bursary question for Winchester and Eton

[Wendyshouse]

We are applying for a place at both Winchester and Eton for our DS. Are there any parents who can tell me approx what the cut of point will be for bursary support?. We live in a small home ,have one car and live a modest lifestyle. Any advice from parents who have been through the process would be greatly appreciated.

These top schools certainly have a higher threshold than other independent schools. Basically if your joint income will struggle to pay the full fees and you don’t have significant assets you can “cash in” then it’s worth applying.Eton (last yr) had a bursary form you can download and so you can use it as a guide to gauge your disposable income for fees.

Thank you @ripple11. Do you know if these schools will offer a bursary if financial circumstances change at some stage during a boys time the school ?.

All bursary application t&c Ive seen ,say the bursary is annually reviewed...up or down! ...depending on any changing circumstances.Also most schools say if you suddenly have financial problems during your time at the school ,you can approach them for help.

Thank you @ripple11 that is very helpful.

Good luck @Wendyshouse - it's not for the faint hearted, because Eton and Winchester have such a surfeit of excellent candidates they don't have to try too hard. Both schools employ consultants to examine family circumstances and finances in depth then recommend to the Governors how affordable a place would be to the family, having asked the parents to propose the percentage of fees they think they could manage. Don't assume this is the starting point for negotiations, so do say accurately what you think is doable at first time of asking. Both schools are enormously wealthy but will have set aside a finite sum to distribute each year, so if you pitch too low you could be turned down on the basis of needing too much help. Eton aren't offering any support at all to boys they have wait-listed so unless your DS is offered an A List place there's no bursary. If he is A Listed they can be pretty generous because they have limited the number of potential beneficiaries. And although both will say at the selection stage that they are 'needs blind' when it comes to financial support they will prioritise boys they think will contribute most to the school, whether by academic, musical or sporting prowess, not simply how much subsidy the family needs. For instance, Winchester is trying to improve its sporting reputation so a very sporty boy or golfer could receive financial support. I believe both schools will revisit bursary arrangements for current boys in the event of exceptional and unforeseen changes in circumstances, but the essential decision is made up front for the full five years.

Hi. I have come across your thread. Are you applying for both Winchester and Eton bursary? They are administered by 1 organisation, as far as I understand.

Yes some schools use the same company to administer the application, so usually just one home visit is required, if you have applied to more than one school that they look after.