private school fees - has anyone negotiated a discount/worked out better ways to manage payments?

[redscissors3]

Hi all,

Namechanged and would very much appreciate any advice. Due to a change in circumstances ,paying school fees for our three kids is becoming a huge struggle for us. We have to pay for a family member's care and it's been a very bad few years for DH's industry.

We can just about manage to keep them there for the moment - they are at key stages in their education and it would be heartbreaking to pull them out right now. The younger two can go to great local state options for sixth form if they have to - but meanwhile, we are draining our savings and the future looks quite worrying...

Our kids have been at the school for many, many years and do brilliantly there. They love it and we love it. The bursar has been very helpful and has expressed they are keen to keep the kids at the school. Quite rightly, given we DO have some savings and own our house, we don't qualify for a bursary. They don't do sibling discounts. My understanding is that there is a fairly hefty cash reserve there to help existing pupils whose circumstances change drastically - ie in the case of parental death - but again, this doesn't apply to us. The bursar is very sympathetic and wants to look at ways to help, but I am slightly at a loss as to what might be possible or what I might suggest!

Has anyone been in this situation? Has anyone been offered help of any kind, or worked anything out with the school?

Before anyone jumps on me, yes I know we are in an extremely fortunate position already, and yes I know there are brilliant state options and this whole system isn't fair. But it's the road we have gone down and my children are having a wonderful school life where they are, so I am trying desperately to find ways to preserve that. Thanks so much for any thoughts or advice.

what?

ok so you said you were offered a fee discount because if a change in your family’s financial circumstances.

So nothing to do with an academic scholarship.

It was the school subsiding your fees

ie a bursary

and if an academic scholarship is offered but the parents can’t afford the full top up.

they do not get a fee discount

what they do do is apply for a bursary to plug the gap

this is hard work! 😂

Maybe you two should start a separate thread to argue about scholarships and bursaries to your hearts’ content

😂

perhaps

although i now need to get started with dinner as i have a teen boy claiming he’s on his knees with hunger

As I said, bursaries and scholarships are distinct. Income is not considered in the awarding of scholarships which are on merit not financial circumstance. The value of my scholarship was increased but I would not have qualified for a bursary.

yes.

of course academic scholarships are completely separate to bursaries as i have repeatedly said.

but you say there is a third option. a fee discount, which is neither academic tested nor means tested. Wrong. there is no such thing as a fee discount (unless sibling or indeed if a substantial lump payment is made to cover future terms)

The value of my scholarship was increased but I would not have qualified for a bursary.

so not a fee discount
An increase in the amount offered by way of an academic scholarship

I had a scholarship but not an academic one, although you had to reach a minimum level academically to be offered it. One can say they increased the value of my scholarship but one can also say they offered a greater fee discount than the original level.

I was never offered a bursary because my parents circumstance did not meet the criteria.

Damn right, I’m off.

One can say they increased the value of my scholarship but one can also say they offered a greater fee discount than the original level.

a scholarship increase.

Ex-bursar here. It is a bursary in its wider definition @Mirabai. Although I don't see the relevance as it was probably around 30 years ago!

@ForlornLindtBear You can argue a scholarship involving a monetary award is a type of bursary in a very broad sense - if it makes you happy - but you’d need to be clear that scholarships are not means tested and are performance dependent. An academic scholarship could be awarded automatically based on entrance exam results alone.

As you know bursaries have to be applied for, they are strictly means tested, including detailed financial scrutiny with finances reviewed annually. Scholarships by contrast would only be reassessed on performance.

You can apply for both a scholarship and a bursary - but they are considered separately and application for one does not affect the other.

Then there are hardship funds which are awarded at the discretion of the school on the basis of change circumstance including death, redundancy, illness etc.

My experience is relevant as my school has not changed its MO, indeed it now offers more numerous and more generous scholarships and bursaries.

@Mirabai

what you are describing is a part academic scholarship and a bursary

two totally different things
but can be combined

Then there are hardship funds which are awarded at the discretion of the school on the basis of change circumstance including death, redundancy, illness etc.

indeed. re are called…. bursaries

i know sisters children have an academic scholarship and that you were in receipt of an academic scholarship presumably a couple of decades ago… but aside from this, what is your involvement with the independent school sectors

My experience is relevant as my school has not changed its MO, indeed it now offers more numerous and more generous scholarships and bursaries.

sadly, neither available to the OP

There are a ton of people on MN who claim their DC/nieces/nephews etc have had a 100% ‘scholarship’ . They are no longer permissible since the late 90’s. They are mainly 5-10% scholarships which are topped up by a means tested bursary (which for some reason, no one likes to claim they are a the recipient of ). 50- 100% non-means tested scholarships were usual in the 50’s/60’s70’s/80’s/ early 90’s but they are not any more. Mainly because it was clear that they were awarded to families who could already afford the fees but the school was still claiming charitable status. The 100%’s have been divvied up to form 5% Art/drama/sport/music awards. And on the odd occasion where the school is not normally known for academics, an academic award.

The OP will not qualify for a bursary (and as an independent school parent I would be mightily unimpressed if she did receive one given the savings etc). She may be entitled to a scholarship, but as she probably already knows, this will be in the region of 5-10% at the most which is not going to resolve the long term issue of having more outgoings than income.

For God’s sake, bursaries have to be applied and qualified for. You can apply for both as I said, but you may not get both.

omg this has been such hard work with you

you said there was something called a fee discount which was neither an academic scholarship nor a bursary

i said bollox there was

and now you have gone off about something that no one has remotely said! 😂

@Notapremiummember One of my ex schools is currently raising funds for a new 100% award - a “permanent endowed place”.

posters are trying to explain this to you, even an ex bursar!

Yes in cases of hardship, some of which may only be temporary.

How much hard work it’s been for me! 🫨

they would still have to apply for a bursary. it would be a…. bursary.

private schools are charities and subject to the charities commission.

The bursary process is the required due diligence process and is enquired about annually to ensure that still appropriate to be in force

@rochethenut All she said was you could call it that in a wider definition - but they are distinct nonetheless.