Low income and zero bursary award

[feefe]

Got offers for senior schools but have received zero bursary awards despite being on very low income, living in housing association home and not being able to accept a place without a bursary. I know VAT has a big impact but to be awarded zero help just seems very strange as I would have thought there would be some consideration at least...

Any advice as my child is really distraught at working so hard and passing the assessments but the zero bursary awards look like we will need to reject these places...

@feefe WoooW! This post went toxic really quickly! I hope you managed to ignore most of the posts on here & if anything be grateful your child won’t be attending a school where these are the parents!!!

Just wanted to say I hope your child is very proud of their accomplishment and that can’t be taken from them. It’s always good to keep ahead and that’s what they’ll be able to do going forward.

You could always ask if there was a waitlist you could be placed on. But, I don’t think schools have a high waitlist for bursaries as they’re pretty much taken up on offer day or shortly after.

If they offered her a full paying place, it means she was just as good as the prep school kids and everyone else who applied. If you go through this process again, you would need to let your child know that getting a place isn’t enough (if you know you couldn’t afford it). They would need to be in the top ranking of all candidates; a bursary candidate has to be top ranked AND top ranked among bursary candidates to get an offer. Also, apply to a school that receives large donations /has a large well established charity attached.

Except none of the posters in that screen shot are me!

Unfortunately the VAT is meaning that independent schools are having to reduce their bursaries. There is just less money in the pool now due to reduced pupil numbers.

It sounds like you wanted/were expecting a 100% bursary: often schools would prefer to offer more smaller bursaries (eg 25%) in order to increase the number of families who benefit.