May I ask; bursary and your income?

[crispsandcoke]

The schools that we have applied for are around £18k annually.

Our income is £55k. We have no assets, we rent, car is on finance, no savings etc.

We have filled in bursary forms and it looks like we only have around £6k that we could put forward for a private senior school.

My DD is currently at a local private but we have a 40% bursary on £8500 annual fees.

Wondering if we had a chance with a decent bursary or am I just pushing our luck here?

@crispsandcoke Is that joint gross income or net?

Gross x

You can but try?

Yes we shall see! I am not sure when we find out? His exams are coming up in the next couple of weeks. He has had interviews. I'm just inpatient/don't want to get hopes up!

@crispsandcoke definitely worth trying.

So you want your DD’s entire education to be bursary funded when your household income is far above the average? I don’t understand this notion of applying for things you know you can’t afford.

Is it your DD or DS. Probably best to figure that out first 🤭

(Totally off topic, sorry OP!)

Despite on the schools policies. I know schools that give discount up to 90k

depends not despite!

Gosh what unnecessary stress. Good luck. We can afford private but kids happy and motivated where they are. Don’t push too far because it could be just as useful to give your DC a pot of money to get them out of rental. That’s our plan. You can help your kids in more than one way.

That's the whole point of bursaries!

I know people with bursaries with income of over 80k.

Even with a bursary I can’t see how you can afford this unless you live in a very cheap area. Your gross income is only 8k more than ours and I can’t even think about us ever being able to afford private education bursary or not.
How on earth do you do it?

We get 20% bursary on similar income of fees that are 36k a year. We have some savings and also in laws who contribute.

I have a friend on 90k approx and they get 50% at a similarly priced school.

It varies wildly depending on the school. Worth a go but only if you can manage it (& annual increases) & there’s no other state option.

I'd be more worried about whether you could continue to afford that 6k a year ( plus possible increases) with no assets or savings to dip into if circumstances change.

I personally would not be doing this even if you got a bursary to cover the £12K you are short. Your financial situation is precarious, and prices are only going up. Do the benefits of the private school really outweigh having to watch every penny for the next 5 or 7 years versus state school and spare money to afford extras?

My parents are willing to contribute around £6k also, not sure if that helps. We have said that on the forms too.

We do fine right now. We live quite comfortably.

Depends on the school. I know a couple in my area (south east) where the situation you describe might qualify for a 110% bursary, if the child could pass the entrance exams.

From a school website

• Both parents working: Financial assistance will normally only be awarded where both parents are working and contributing to the household income, unless incapacitated or providing full-time care for pre-school age children or other dependants. In the case of separation or divorce, both parents would normally still be expected to contribute financially to their child's education and participate fully in the application for financial assistance.
• Finances being responsibly managed and prioritising education: A family applying for financial assistance should be able to demonstrate that they are living within their means, with living arrangements and household expenditure that are affordable within the family's combined income. Assistance is unlikely to be awarded where families have prioritised expenditure on other activities ahead of their child's education, such as frequent or expensive holidays, new or luxury cars, significant home improvement works, or significant voluntary donations to other charitable causes.
• Combined household income (before tax): As a guide, combined income up to £50k would likely be considered for a free place. Combined income up to £100k would likely be considered for assistance with the level depending on other factors. Combined income up to £150k may still be considered in certain circumstances.

They’re charities and because of this they give a certain amount of free places to bright children who couldn’t otherwise afford the school and whose parents are sensible and ambitious enough to apply for them.

Don’t apply if you don’t want to, but it’s far more reasonable to ask for a free place at a private school that was originally set up to provide free education than it is to eg live in a council house for life.

I applied for bursary at 2 schools for kids recently. Both places declined, as they see too many assets : no mortgage, rental property (that pays monthly living costs), despite the fact we're hand to mouth, as am the sole bread-winner. All I earn goes to pay very expensive school fees, which is further increasing at senior school. would certainly suggest applying for bursary, however the fact your child is already at indep school, may raise eyebrows. You may not receive full bursary, but partial is definitely worth it. They have to be fair to all applicants. Hope you get some good news

A family that can afford to send their kids to private school are the exact family that probably doesn't need private school. They probably live in a 'good' area with state schools full of middle classed kids, the family have middle class connections to help their child.

Its a very middle classed view. Some families are in areas where they cannot access good state schools , private school is the only way to ensure a high quality education. Given the choice between high quality education and saving the fees one would have spent on getting them a house after going to a shit senior school...I know what I'd choose.

OP, you should certainly qualify, but its its a question of need and ability, so a family in the same boat with a DC that scores higher in entrance, or is some sort of savant and composing their own music , writing novels, etc will get the bursary over yours.

Its a small pot and a lot of applications, fortunately a lot of applicants haven't got a hope in hell , a family with tons of equity or investments hidden away, so its not as crowded as you might think.

Blimey. I thought a bursary was for poor families. Near us the cut off is more like £50k joint

No, they are fir families who couldn't otherwise afford a private education, not 'poor families' specifically.

I have friends with a son on a bursary at St Paul's. They could earn in excess if 100k as the cut off is 120k.

The cut off for a bursary at White Lodge is 200k I think. This is funded but the government dance scheme.

I think the cut off for the top boarding schools is around 200k too.

I've just looked at the local prestigious boys grammar near us. No burseries above £54k . The equivalent girls school is £50k but £70k for exceptional candidates. Cut off for the best mixed private grammar is £60k
This is in the North West.
For all you need joint income of below 27-30k to get full

I can’t even begin to imagine why you’d prioritise paying even subsidised school fees over having savings for the future. I can’t understand fixation on private schools, much rather prioritise housing and be able to help my DC in the future.