Bursary annual review - criteria for changes

[lozzakozza]

Wondering if anyone has experience of a having a bursary changed during an annual review and how that’s worked?

We are very grateful to have received a 100% bursary from a highly selective school we really love for Y7 in 2023.

We have this because DH (main breadwinner) is currently looking for a new role after his contract wasn’t renewed in September, and I’ve just started freelancing (so self employed) after years at home with kiddos. So not much coming in at the moment. Our savings has taken a hit due to other job changes and moves in recent years, and we are tenants, not homeowners.

We hope/expect to improve our income situation sooner rather than later — obviously things can’t continue as they are! But school is not forthcoming about thresholds and at what point we’d be expected to pay how much. (They just say the bursary would change if our situation changes “significantly”.) We are concerned about being “allowed” to rebuild an emergency fund and save a house deposit, and for university…

We also have two more children reaching secondary age soon — one who could apply to the same school for the following year.

With luck we have a reasonable chance of a household income reaching six figures, which I know sounds ridiculous for a bursary, but we’re in SW London and it simply doesn’t go as far as it should esp when we need to rebuild a bit.

We don’t want to eventually be in a situation where our son is settled at private school and our income has increased to the point where a contribution is expected of us, but the determined amount is one that would require sacrifices of the rest of the family that we might not have agreed to had we been faced with the situation at the outset of secondary.

So feels like either a leap of faith with a big risk, or turning down a potentially amazing opportunity based on “what if’s”.

As alternatives, we find out about a potential grammar place hours before the private school acceptance deadline. And the state school we have a reasonably good chance of getting into is decent. Not bad options, but not quite the same either.

Anyone with relevant experience to have a sense of how our situation might be viewed? Please be gentle! Thanks.

Well done to your DC, on winning a place and being offered 100% bursary.

I don't understand your post though. The more your finances improve, the more you contribute, its that simple.

but the determined amount is one that would require sacrifices of the rest of the family that we might not have agreed to had we been faced with the situation at the outset of secondary.

Well pull out and go to the grammar, bursaries are for households who can't afford it, not for households who can afford it but it would mean not being able to save for a deposit for a house or save for a university fund. Its that simple.

So if your income is currently just freelance income and its below say 35K, you have no assets, you get 100%, DH gets a job, say 60K, household income 95K, it decreases to an amount which they think you can now chip in. If its the school I think it is, on 95K it will be a lot lower than 100%.

As you have other children, you have a buffer there for increases.

I think what you're saying is, what if your other children want to go private and your income improves, they'll take all factors into account.

A large part why your DC was offered 100% was because they like your DC, and think your DC will be an good fit for the school, so any future changes will be mindful that allows your current DC at the school to continue to attend WITH a reasonable contribution from you. Obviously this all gets looked at again if your other DC attend the school and you ask for a bursary for them.

Its not unheard of to have 2 or even 3 DC at a school on bursaries, but as your income increases, of course the bursary will decrease as they'll expect you to contribute. In other words you wont have 'spare cash' to save for Uni or save for a deposit, that will be your contribution. But you can have help sending all your kids to private school.

Sent you a pm

Realistically if your family income is £100k the amount of bursary you’re going to remain eligible for will likely be small or zero. It would certainly be naive to expect you can significantly raise your income without being expected to put your hand in your pocket towards fees.

Not all schools make info public but here are two examples:

Dulwich College
Available household income Bursary Award (guideline only)
£35k or less 100%
£50k 75%
£70k 50%
£90k 25%
£100k 10%

Girls Day School Trust says:
To assess who is eligible for a bursary we consider a range of objective criteria including the income and capital resources of the families applying.

It is anticipated that bursary awards will last for the duration of the student’s time at school.

We re-assess every year to take account of significant changes in family income and circumstances. A bursary may go up or down to reflect these. This ensures those most in need receive our support.

Most higher-value bursaries are awarded to pupils from families with a total income of less than £42,500 for London schools and who have no capital assets other than their home.

It is highly unlikely that a bursary would be awarded to a family whose annual income is greater than £92,500 for London schools, other than in very exceptional circumstances.

It just goes to show that all schools are different as neither of the figures above matches up with my experience.

I would be wary of a school that is not prepared to say what kind of thing 'significantly' means. But it sounds from what you have said that it might well decrease quite a bit should you have a household income in six figures. On the other hand, if you have other children for whom you anticipate paying school fees then you should ask them what difference this might make to any bursary amount received. I can't understand why they won't talk to you openly. Have you explained what the actual issue is to them?

Thanks so much for your responses — it is really helpful to see some numbers.

What's the alternative for your child? As crazy as turning down a full bursary would be, equally I think you need to think of the other 2 kids. It's unlikely the school will fund all 3 and some resentment may form.

[If] the determined amount is one that would require sacrifices of the rest of the family that we might not have agreed to had we been faced with the situation at the outset of secondary.

Accepting the bursary necessarily implies that you do accept you may need to make sacrifices in the future - once you are in the same position as other parents who pay all or part of their fees.

And, while the school may consider the existence of other children in the family in their assessment of your finances, they are not going to say anything that indirectly raises the expectation of any further bursary offer for another child. It’s going to depend entirely on how much they want any child to join the school.

I do understand this is a really fraught area and a stressful decision - 100% bursaries to an outstanding school are really not something one can easily turn down.

There are quite a few threads on here where people have been offered bursaries but the level of financial sacrifice is one they are not prepared to make. Once you have paid your genuine essentials, schools will (understandably) expect you to put a large proportion of your remaining income towards fees. I think this may make it hard to build the level of savings you want.

I think you need to decide your priorities here. Either it is the school or it is saving for a house purchase. If the house is important for you, I would consider a state option.

OP, does it help if you think about other families who are at the school on much smaller bursaries or paying full fees - that many of them have made substantial sacrifices which have impacted their ability to save for uni, for other kids, to boost savings, do home maintenance etc. Fee paying parents make these sacrifices all the time. A bursary isn’t there to enable you not to make those sacrifices, when other people make them and have to make them in order to pay the fees.

There are quite often standard wordings in bursary terms and conditions. They will often say that the offer of a bursary(or the continuation of one in your case, or continuation at the same level) is not consistent with a family having second properties, really significant equity in their property, frequent new or luxury cars, substantial home improvements or luxury holidays.

People are expected to have been prepared to use much of their savings, released some equity and sold assets. if having done those things, they still can’t afford the fees they might be considered for a bursary. It won’t be the case that someone can’t have any equity in their home or holidays or savings.

Can you see it’s not right that lots of people pay full fees or almost full fees and consequently don’t have hardly any savings, or haven’t built up much equity in their property etc, while you should be allowed to do those things and still receive a bursary paying all or most of your fees?

Remmeber bursary fees are limited for most schools. If you try to game the system by hiding your assists or making yourself look poorer than you once your careers take off, another family who haven’t got the income and assets you have, won’t be able to have a bursary.

Id take the view that you’re fortunate to be getting one now and it’s helping you when you need it. That’s great. However, as soon as you can financially fund it yourself (even though you’d prefer to spend the money on something else) you should accept this and understand the bursary won’t continue. It’s right isn’t it, that it’s only in place while needed and reviewed regularly….so the funds can be redirected to those who need it.

I think you can ask the school for clarification. Ask them at what level would income and/or assets need to be before a reduction in bursary. Ask them in what sliding scale a bursa Sara would be reduced. Ask what increase in income is allowed if you have more kids or more kids in the school. They should be able to give you ballpark figures for this stuff.

You can explain to them that you need to understand this stuff as you need to consider the future and not just now when the bursary is 100%. You can say you hope to take the bursary, but if what might be expected of you in the future doesn’t feel comfortable, you might wish to not start.

Well worth asking this stuff….you do need to know to make an informed decision.

As others have said, lots of families are offered a bursary and turn it down. It’s sometimes that they simply can’t afford to pay the rest of the fees, or often that they aren’t prepared to make the sacrifices covering the rest of the fees woukd involve. So they don’t want to be stuck with camping holidays for the family for the next few years, or driving their 8 year old car for another 4 years, or knowing they aren’t adding to their pension at the rate they’d like to, or remaining in a small house when they’d like a bigger one.

The information the school gives you will show that as your income rises and assets possibly rise, you would be expected to pay more. It’s just like those on benefits seeing a drop in benefits as they get work and see their income rise. You are expected to become self supporting, not to use the extra income to fund other luxuries….the school fees are a luxury, and if your income isn’t enough for school fees and the other luxuries, like many parents, you have to choose which is your priority. No right answer, but you can’t expect to have both and the school to fund one of them for you.

If you want your child to have a private education then you'll have to make sacrifices. If you're not willing to do that then you need to accept that private school isn't an option.

I would be amazed and a bit pissed off if someone on six figures with savings got a 100% bursary.

And the idea of sending three children through private secondary while still having any savings at all is very far from my experience. You won't be having holidays, let alone saving for a house.

Nope you will not be building up savings. As you earn more you will pay more.
That's the sacrifice of private education.
Whilst others struggle to pay fees. re mortgage houses, use up savings you think you can have a bursary and save for university?????
You need to decide if you can afford to send all your children to a private school and if it's worth the no savings or house deposit you talk of.
This Is why most people do not send their children to private schools.

Following: I'm surprised you got a full bursary with £100K income. Agree with pp in that perhaps your child was the right fit.

My bursary is also being reviewed and I make around 45K net but my job is due to end in July. I'm quite worried as currently half my outgoings each month is school related so if I lose my bursary, thats all of it gone so I'd need to hit the savings. We have no holidays, no car plus I'm a single parent without regular support from my ex. Just wondering what the bands are for bursaries and anyone had any experience with the people who come to see you?

And there we were thinking that as a disabled and carer parents on benefits in council housing we could send our child to a private school and there would be other children from normal backgrounds there too.

Instead it turns out they'll be people who imagine things like driving an eight year old car and having camping holidays are "sacrifices" rather than, er, normal and actually quite fortunate lives?

The OP currently has a low income with DH not working and she is newly self-employed. The £100k was a projected income when her DH finds work. I would hope in your case that if nothing much has changed, your bursary would be similar. If your salary changed that could impact.

OP were you happy with your state place? What did you decide to do?

Op, sorry to hijack here but what if your DH took a lower paid role than the 100k? I guess I'm saying do the positives outweigh the negatives with taking on this new job?

My job is ending in July and I wish I knew whether it will make a significant impact if I look for something else. I enjoy my work but if it means I lose my bursary, then I'd need to make different decisions.