If your child was awarded a bursary...

[desperate4spring]

Would you mind me asking what your income is and what proportion of the fees are covered by the bursary?

I am expecting a phonecall from the registrar at a school we will be applying to, but thought it would be helpful to have an idea of what happens elsewhere.

Thanks.

Your best option is to speak to the bursar, as it varies considerably from school to school. We applied to 2 very well-known public schools and were offered no bursary at all at one school and a substantial percentage at the other school, based on the same income and financial information.

Some schools publish a sliding scale of bursary award level according to income, so you can see what similar schools may offer.

we earn a good amount - around £75k. We had 2 dc on bursaries in different schools, one on 50%, one on 85%.
Always worth asking. If you have a child who is good at something, then all the better.
Good luck.

Oh that's interesting that the two schools are so different! We have a combined income of around £45k so think we will be in for a chance of at least something. We're just not sure if it will be enough, whatever it is! We'll apply for a couple of scholarships too but she doesn't have one thing that she's good at - she's a bit of an all-rounder really.
Fingers crossed!

Our school would offer a bursary of up to 50% on that income, you would also be able to apply for a scholarship in addition.

They also offer some 100% bursaries but for a lower income than yours.

Not all schools can offer bursaries to all that apply, the value given may be a combination of means tested ability to pay and how well your child does on the entrance examination. I'm horrified that a family earning £75k gained a 50% bursary and an 85% bursary, I'm assuming that was in London.

Why are you horrified? We could not afford the school fee's, so we asked for a bursary.

£75k wouldn't get you any bursary at either of my 2 DC's London day schools?

Unless you are talking about boarding schools or there are some additional circumstances, stating that you can get an 85% bursary on a £75k income is not helpful.

Bursaries tend to be sliding scale, so the trouble is that many find they get offered something, but it's simply not enough to make it viable. A family with £75k might get offered a 20% or 40% bursary, but if that means £16k or £12k still needs paying, it's beyond reach for most people still. It tends to be the lower incomes that attract the really significant bursaries, and also the bursary is more likely to be offered to those who achieve very well in entrance exams or who get scholarships for music etc.

OP, how much do you think you could afford to pay? That's the key question really isn't it, in dertermining whether a bursary will work for you. And that of course varies and isn't purely related to income. Some families with £75k would be able to afford £1k per month and others less than that because of other financial commitments such as massive mortgage.

I'm horrified because where I live £75k is a very comfortable income.

Changemynamw….I don’t think anyone is disputing if £75k is a decent income. It is. But the point is that if school fees are £15k-£20k, which they often can be for day places, or well over £30k for boarding, if this has to come out of net income, a family with £75k might well find they can’t afford it, even if living modestly.

Someone with an income of £15k won’t be able to afford any of the fees and it’s quite likely that someone with £75k won’t be able to afford the full fees. Bursaries don’t just aim to help those who can’t afford any of the fees, but also those who might be able to afford some, but will be excluded if they have to pay the whole lot.

You’re right, £75k is a good income, but school fees are now at such high levels in many areas, that astronomically high incomes are needed to pay full whack.

Someone with £75k won’t be getting a 100% bursary. They might receive 20% or 40% off the fees. They will still have to find the other £12-16k or even more. That’s per child, although bursaries tend to rise if there are more children.

It all shows as well how far out of reach school fees are for the vast vast majority people, even those who are very well off. Independent education is now a truly luxury prosduct and people who in the last would have considered it, now usually can’t.

I think by not living in London and the South East, i have a very different outlook on this. The experience I have seen of bursaries is that it is for families with bright, determined children who otherwise would be destined for the nearest sink comp. Not as a nice opportunity for a family with a comfortable income to subsidise their lifestyles and maintain the holidays and nice cars. My kids are educated at independent secondary. We earn less than £75k, but we make sacrifices elsewhere. £75K exceeded the income limit to be awarded any size of bursary. Our local area in the 'north' has a real mix of affluence, 'normal' incomes and deprivation. I'd far rather bursaries were awarded to those kids with potential who would otherwise never gain the chance to go to the best school.

We live in the SE on a joint income of £45k. The only state secondary school she's likely to get a place at is the one with the worst reputation and the worst results in the city. We can't afford to move nearer to the good schools. We save up for 3 years to go on holiday, drive a crap car, rely on hand-me-downs for children's clothes...

I'm really hoping that we are in with a chance of giving our bright DD at least a but of a shot at a decent education...

The standard criteria for bursaries in most schools include things like; both parents should be working, equity should be released from properties, lavish holidays, regular new cars, significant home improvements, 2nd homes etc are not appropriate for bursary holders.

I think you are right that things are different in the south East and LOndon. It is the case that housing is often signifanclty more expensive, so people with a household income of £75k may well less in pretty modest houses and have huge mortgages. The bursary is not therefore subsidising lifestyle choices and allowing recipients to continue to work part time or have holidays or new cars whilst their school fees are funded by the bursary pot. People qualifing for bursaries are expected to have made sacrifices (like those paying full fees often have done too) and even Fred they have done that, to not be able to afford the full fees.

I understand incomes and house prices vary across the country. This is why the incomes acceptable for bursaries varies across the country. School fees vary quite a lot too.

I think it’s right that there is a sliding scale of bursaries. Why should it be that only those on rock bottom incomes qualify to get the help that might allow their child to attend? Those on moderate incomes find that the fees are equally out of reach for them too, if they would need to pay the eye watering sums which can easily be £1.75-2k per month for a day place. They might be able to afford something, but being able to afford £500 per month from a decent salary won’t help if the fees are £2k. That’s why the bursaries are on a sliding scale.

As I said upthread, what still often happens, is that those with reasonable incomes such as nurses, teachers, etc find that even if they get a bursary offer, they still can’t take up the place. Quite often a bursary of £500 per month might be offered….not much help if the fees are £2k per month and you’d still need to find £1500 each month. Most schools just don’t have big enough bursary pots to offer big enough bursaries to the numbers who apply and make them oversubscribed. The higher amounts are reserved for those on extremely low incomes and those who are the top performers isn’t he entrance exams are gifted in another area. So, your typical bright but not brilliant child from a family with a £75k income in the south east isn’t likely to get a bursary big enough to make the difference, if they do apply. And those families with £75k may well live in a 2 bed terraced house with a mortgage of £2k per month and have 1 camping holiday over year, with both families working. A bursary would not be allowing them to continue an extravagant lifestyle.

They'll look at income minus expenditure - so your interest payments on your family home or rent plus some regular payments such as utilities may be deducted. They'll ask about all assets - isas, investments, home contents etc.

They'll ask why you can't sell assets to pay fees (anyone with a second home or more than 2 cars needs to justify them but will likely not get anything). In fact second mortgages are usually not deductible.

But on joint income of £45k in SE I think some schools would give a substantial award, but it still may not be enough as you need to commit to covering the shortfall and the bursary can be increased or reduced every year!

Only households earning less than 65k can apply for bursaries at my child’s school. They select the children with the highest scores from entrance exam and offer them the highest % bursaries- anything from 100% to 10%.

I had three children many years ago and on a very low income, fortunately they were all very bright and passed the exams without any tutors like a lot of children with richer parents had. First two got assisted places free at private grammar school, government scheme which was later stopped by the time third one ready for secondary school. At the time bursary offered by the school was £2000 which was 40%, unfortunately by the time he was in sixth form fee's had risen so much it was only about 20%. I worked my fingers to the bone to keep him there and went without myself as I felt it was not fair for two out of three to have private schooling and the third not..... so be wary of bursaries that are a set amount as inevitably fees will rise substantially in the time they are there!

Can’t remember. We didn’t take it. Why ? Because it tied us in from 11-18. If DC left for any reason before then we’d have to pay the bursary amount back - include if day couldn’t afford As parent I’ll , or if desired A level choice wasn’t offered at the school

It’s not just the fees though is it? It’s all the extras, the school trips, the school uniform, the extra curricular activities.
How will your daughter feel being one of the poor kids that don’t have expensive holidays every year.
It can be quite difficult for kids who are poor I think.

@toothpicklover

It’s not just the fees though is it? It’s all the extras, the school trips, the school uniform, the extra curricular activities. How will your daughter feel being one of the poor kids that don’t have expensive holidays every year. It can be quite difficult for kids who are poor I think.

This varies school by school. The school we are at activities are free bar a small handful of external ones, there are trips but none that everyone go on, most don’t. CCF trips are very cheap (£35 for a week away) but again no questions if you don’t go.

If a child is fully funded then that includes uniform, plus there is a second hand uniform shop (which is used by all.)

@desperate4spring
As said, schools vary in amounts of funds available and what level they start bursaries.
You are best to research schools and apply to more than one.
Given your income in the SE you would almost certainly qualify for a decent bursary, providing you don't have large equity in your property or other sizable assets.
However the key is for your child to do very well in the entrance exams. Research exactly what is required and prep/revise as much as you can.
Good luck!

Sometimes the more expensive the school, the larger their bursary pot, also. The schools trying to keep fees low have less income to cover bursaries.........

We have an income of 55k and got a 20% discount but also have a scholarship which takes it to 40%. It still means a struggle and we had to remortgage the house but worth every penny.
We didn’t find the process too scary - just spent an hour filling in forms & it was sorted within a couple of weeks. I had read on here that it was a very long & onerous process, but in our experience it was pretty easy - just income, expenditure, proof of income etc. The comment up thread about not buying new cars or going on holidays etc - I have no idea how the school would even know?? I also didn’t have to have a home check or anything like that which people often talk about. I’m sure it does vary from school to school but ours was really straightforward so it’s definitely worth a go. Good luck!

are buying new cars, forms I have seen ask for car registration nos, so if you had three new cars they'd know. Also estimate of value of contents of house, provable by household contents insurance docs.
Holidays they woukd never know, but I'd say if you are able to but a new £50k car every 3 years, and go on multiple foreign holidays, I guess you'd have enough excess income over expenditure that you wouldn't qualify.
Far MORE people are eligible for a bursary, I think, than would expect.

Sorry, "on" buying new cars ...