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Original poster

Bursary advice

96 replies

Katy55 · 02/07/2021 13:54

Hi
We desperately want our daughters to go to a specific prep school, we could afford (just) one set of fees but not 2. I have contacted the school again (we’ve previously been in contact and I am an ex pupil, I was honest a couple of years ago and said we couldn’t afford it) and asked about their bursary criteria and have a meeting with the headmaster next week. I’ve made it quite clear we wouldn’t be able to do it without a significant bursary. We are not very low income - £90k pa but with Max fees for 2 coming out at £37k pa there is no way we could ever afford it no matter how you do the sums. We do own our small house but with limited equity, we have no other assets or savings, no luxury cars or holidays. I feel like we’re ideal candidates especially as we have said we’ll pay for one but at the same time does my husbands income rule us out for a bursary? He obviously pays a huge amount of tax so any expendable that could go on school fees wouldnt ever cover 2 sets. I have really set up a small business so have some additional income but very small. Any advice or insight would be appreciated.

OP posts:
daisypond · 04/07/2021 08:58

I actually think it doesn’t reflect well on the school that one of their former pupils doesn’t have a career or a job and is wanting handouts. It’s hardly a shining example of success.

SpaceRaiders · 04/07/2021 09:30

Bursaries at preps are only offered in exceptional circumstances, that’s certainly the case where we are in the south east.

I agree with other posters, your dream of sending dc to the same school you attended is somewhat unrealistic, given you’ve been a sahm for the last number of years. Did you not discuss this with your dh when dc were little? It sounds like the situation has suddenly creeped up on you. I do think that the school will want to see you maximising your income in employment.

MayIDestroyYou · 04/07/2021 10:19

Bursaries at preps are only offered in exceptional circumstances

Well, at our prep the exceptional circumstance was the very well established Scholarship and bursary award process.

If you can't afford it why bother? I feel, Coriander that you may have missed the point of bursary awards. They are specifically intended for people who cannot afford the fees. (And, tbh, the use that you and people you know have made of your education is largely irrelevant to any other family's decision making.)

SpaceRaiders · 04/07/2021 16:02

I don’t get your point @MayIDestroyYou, there is a well established bursary process in every prep!

In my experience and that of other parents I know who’ve applied, they wouldn’t offer on the basis of 2dc and a 90k income. I know of another single parent with half that income refused support due to having assets. Op can ask but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

MayIDestroyYou · 04/07/2021 17:37

Oh, I don't disagree with you SpaceRaiders. Only your earlier post seemed to suggest that the bursaries you knew of were awarded on an ad hoc 'exceptional' basis - whereas at our prep there's a scholarship exam in yr 5 or 6 - and success in that opens the door to a bursary. (The two combined can equal 100% of fees.)

(They are obviously far fewer than at senior schools, where ime bursaries can be awarded unconnected to any scholarship.)

Dustyhedge · 04/07/2021 19:07

I would question the charitable status of any school providing bursaries to parents on £90k. The private school closest to me is very open about bursary criteria and you wouldn’t meet it. Their position is that their should be two dual earners unless single parent or carer etc. While you may be working a large number of hours for little money that wouldn’t make you eligible at that school. Others are obviously less transparent so you might squeeze one but I think it is morally quite dubious given your income level.

You’d be in a good position to save for private secondary so I think you need to review your budgets and really think hard about what is feasible for you as family.

finallymightbehappening · 04/07/2021 19:22

Prep unlikely is my understanding but secondary the bar is much higher for a bright child. Depending on where you live it is very very difficult to afford school fees without contributions from grandparents / saving since they were born / inheritance. Most families on a £90k pre tax household income (c.£60k before pension) would not be able to afford the c.£30k minimum post tax cost for two children at private schools as well as pay a mortgage / rent. Bursaries are absolutely meant to help these families too.

DoubleTweenQueen · 04/07/2021 19:31

We have a significantly lower income but assets. We spend £34k of our own money on our two dds schools. Our fees also go towards bursary pot - school spends over £1million in bursaries each year.

Never occurred to us to look into a bursary for either child, and am appalled that our fees might go to subsidise others on significantly higher income - and for prep!! Our girls went to state primary.

But you crack on Hmm

DoubleTweenQueen · 04/07/2021 20:28

We saved up for secondary school fees while we were on about 90k.
Why not do that?

LIZS · 04/07/2021 20:56

Agree@DoubleTweenQueen . We put two through independent by saving and a few lifestyle compromises. Would not have qualified for a bursary, schools around here cut off c. 50/60k income and senior school only gives sibling discount for 3+ children. Very few preprep schools will offer bursaries, some preps do but often for existing pupils whose families are in unexpected circumstances (ie. serious illness affecting income) or children who would exceptionally benefit from education offered there but it is beyond their means.

NewIdeasToday · 04/07/2021 21:07

Surely you need to look for a proper full time job yourself rather than expecting other parents to subsidise you indirectly - given that most of them will have two working parents in order to pay the fees?

SpaceRaiders · 05/07/2021 00:02

MayIDestroyYou Whilst I agree with you, that is not what was being asked. Even if Op could get a bursary at 10/11+, she’d still need to find a way to fund fees from YR to Y5/6 for two children. Unless you’re suggesting that reception age children are routinely offered academic scholarships? Happy to be proved wrong of course.

@DoubleTweenQueen YY, I was told I’d have to sell income generating assets to fund fees before I would even be considered for fee assistance for a short period whilst I scaled my business to cover fees.

Original poster
Katy55 · 06/07/2021 12:41

Thanks for everyone’s insight! We got offered a substantial bursary for dd1 and a smaller one for dd2 - now just doing the sums and making a decision.

OP posts:
ImaginaryCat · 06/07/2021 12:44

That's great news for you but please, as a previous post mentioned, look into the finances of the school because I would be concerned about the school offering financial assistance at that entry point - it can be a sign of financial trouble. Several are going under right now.

Original poster
Katy55 · 06/07/2021 12:46

@daisypond

I actually think it doesn’t reflect well on the school that one of their former pupils doesn’t have a career or a job and is wanting handouts. It’s hardly a shining example of success.
I had a very successful career thank you, which is now helping me establish what I have no doubt will be a very successful business.
OP posts:
Original poster
Katy55 · 06/07/2021 12:47

@ImaginaryCat

That's great news for you but please, as a previous post mentioned, look into the finances of the school because I would be concerned about the school offering financial assistance at that entry point - it can be a sign of financial trouble. Several are going under right now.
Thank you - I have thought this too so will be doing further investigation!
OP posts:
SpaceRaiders · 06/07/2021 12:54

That’s great news op. Perhaps you being an alumni had a lot to do with it!

Original poster
Katy55 · 07/07/2021 20:10

Thank you @SpaceRaiders

Thank you @Mummyford that’s such a helpful post. Lots of which we had thought of and considered but some we hadn’t. We’ve been told it’s guaranteed for 5 years but don’t have anything in writing as yet. Thank you for the advice x

OP posts:
Zodlebud · 07/07/2021 22:53

Please do proceed with caution. After a chat with the head you have come out with a bursary for two exceptionally young children who haven’t been formally assessed by the school and you earn £90k per annum.

I would wonder why. Are they really struggling for pupils? This would be totally unheard of in the SE. The times I have heard of something similar was at a school that closed 18 months later and another when the governors conducted an in depth review of all the fee discounts offered and discovered “discrepancies”.

Teeheehee1579 · 07/07/2021 23:18

Eh? You’ve been awarded two bursaries, one for a child who is not even at school yet for prep school in the space of 3 days since you started the thread. And without any actual assessment of your income. Ok then.

Southwestrunningmum · 07/07/2021 23:22

Quite @Teeheehee1579 I call BS

Oldpeoplesprinting · 08/07/2021 06:11

Bursaries take ages - ours was really quick as we applied late and even ours took a couple of weeks, and I had to submit piles of paperwork. Seems a bit weird.

Bryonyshcmyony · 08/07/2021 06:20

I think you should think long and hard about what happens at 11/13.

My school expects both parents to work and will go through finances in great detail. They offered us 25 percent off and we earn less than you. I've never heard of significant bursaries at prep level unless the school is failing

Bryonyshcmyony · 08/07/2021 06:24

Being an alumni will help but I'd say that school is desperate.

MrPickles73 · 08/07/2021 08:50

I'd echo the thoughts on being suspicious if you're offered a bursary without a ton of paperwork. My understanding is schools use independent consultants to evaluate bursary applications and I would have thought it would take weeks not a quick chat. Both parents are expected to work full-time.
Our children are bright and sporty (one a county player and one exceptional but very young). Both got decent scholarships to prep school year 3+. Unless your child is an outstanding genius it would be hard to know so young what they will be bring to your school so you need to ask yourself why the school is quite so keen...