Do schools who are doing their due diligence on bursary candidates google the applicant’s parents?

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Does anyone know if this is part of the process of establishing if a candidate is eligible?

Or is it just extensive investigation of finances etc?

thanks in advance!

I don't think they google - well, officially anyway. I met a mum once who was going for a bursary (she had a clever child). She had a house in Battersea worth 'squiilions' (her words). She had started a business so had a lower income and therefore couldn't remortgage. I still wonder if she got it.

Wouldn't you?

I would if I was the bursar for a hotly contested school with many applicants.

She wouldn't have, unless she very cleverly hid that through some sort of trust. Bursary applications require A LOT of paperwork.

Yes if I was a bursar I would… but maybe there’s a reason I’m NOT a bursar 😬

Yes Foxes, I have heard the process is pretty thorough…

Many years ago I did assessing for the main bursary assessment company. Yes, they would google you. The assessment is in depth, but respectful.

Of course they would Google you. Just like prospective employers do.

What happened if they couldn’t find the parent by Googling them?

@L3ThirtySeven Nothing

Thanks :)

I have a friend who shortlists for a big company, and much of her day is spent googling applicants, and chucking out applications from anyone with dodgy results

Would she consider no result to be dodgy?
I’m curious because my DC have sworn off SM and if you Google them you literally get nothing. Zero hits. We never posted anything about them growing up for safety reasons, and as teens/adults they have opted out of SM. It was considered wierd when they first started, but more and more of their generation (Z) are choosing this.

I got googled and then someone rang me up to ask extra questions about info they could only have got through googling

Why would someone who doesn't do SM be considered dodgy? Loads of people don't

I suppose if there was a job where being on TikTok or wherever was a criteria then it would be in the advert and someone who wasnt would be declined at that stage

You're overthinking imo

Personally no, I'd think no news is good news. I was googling applicants yesterday and couldn't find a couple of them - apart from thinking it was a bit odd and annoying they weren't on LinkedIn so I could corroborate experience on their CVs, I didn't really think anything further of it.

Thank you! I was wondering as I had read some articles and threads that literally had people saying if you can’t Google someone then it is a huge red flag that they’re either an anti-social wierdo or involved in organised crime. This was in regards to dating someone. Seriously. You’re right I am over-thinking it- extrapolating too much.

Glad to see common sense in regards to jobs/bursaries and so on.

Most schools outsource now to companies that specialise in reviewing applications, but also to promote them. Traditionally assisted places (and then bursaries) have not ended up with the most deprived children. Yes, like anything, there are people who exploit (work through Ltd companies and say they have no money etc), but a lot more are educated people who genuinely couldn’t afford private school (not terrible incomes, but just can’t afford) and so, as they are entitled to apply for a bursary.

Thank you for the entailed reply, this is so reassuring.

Detailed reply.