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Secondary education

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Original poster

Bursary help!

45 replies

Motherduck9 · 11/10/2023 13:45

I've just read on the school bursary policy that savings over £3500 means you can't apply for a bursary, but I have been saving for the school fees incase I'm not awarded a bursary and have managed to save £20k (not even a years' worth of fees and it's taken me years!)
Does anyone have experience of this or can I explain this to them? Or will they expect me to pay for the first years' fees (which I am fine with) and then apply again for bursary when my account is at £0? Please no judgement or hate as I am just doing what's best for my child and trying my best. Now I wish I'd not saved at all if this will go against me!

OP posts:
orande · 11/10/2023 13:52

Motherduck9 · 11/10/2023 13:45

I've just read on the school bursary policy that savings over £3500 means you can't apply for a bursary, but I have been saving for the school fees incase I'm not awarded a bursary and have managed to save £20k (not even a years' worth of fees and it's taken me years!)
Does anyone have experience of this or can I explain this to them? Or will they expect me to pay for the first years' fees (which I am fine with) and then apply again for bursary when my account is at £0? Please no judgement or hate as I am just doing what's best for my child and trying my best. Now I wish I'd not saved at all if this will go against me!

Is this for senior or prep? Next sept start?

Original poster
Motherduck9 · 11/10/2023 14:07

The policy is for both but the application is for year 6

OP posts:
LIZS · 11/10/2023 14:08

You need to ask the bursar.

orande · 11/10/2023 14:12

I would phone and ask the bursar.

I expect they would want you to use that money for the fees then reassess but the only issue with that is they might not offer you what you need and then you may have to pull your child out after a year?

MrsSamR · 11/10/2023 14:24

In the nicest possible way if it's taken you years to save 20k how are you expecting to pay the fees?

twistyizzy · 11/10/2023 20:08

Yes the savings will go against you as they will dig into all your finances and will expect savings/equity in house etc to be used towards fees.
Surely you were aware of this?

BonjourCrisette · 12/10/2023 17:18

This is bonkers. DD's school would not expect you to use a small amount of savings like that towards fees. Bursaries aren't meant to leave you worse off than you were before! And using equity in a house is pointless ultimately as this would increase your outgoings (possibly beyond affordability).

You should contact the bursar and tell him or her exactly how long it has taken you to save up that money and ask how it works.

SheilaFentiman · 12/10/2023 17:23

Also, bursaries are rarely for the full fees so I would think you need at least some savings!

Are you sure that 3500 is the top amount?!

SheilaFentiman · 12/10/2023 17:28

A quick google has shown another school that uses savings of 2.5 years of fees as a reason not to give a bursary, which sounds more reasonable.

Is your DD currently in year 6 and preparing for the secondary entrance exam?

lolo99 · 13/10/2023 22:01

MrsSamR · 11/10/2023 14:24

In the nicest possible way if it's taken you years to save 20k how are you expecting to pay the fees?

That's what bursaries are for. People who cannot afford to pay the fees but also deserve a place.

lolo99 · 13/10/2023 22:01

twistyizzy · 11/10/2023 20:08

Yes the savings will go against you as they will dig into all your finances and will expect savings/equity in house etc to be used towards fees.
Surely you were aware of this?

This isn't true.

MrsSamR · 14/10/2023 15:02

Bursaries only cover 100% of the fees in very few cases and it is means tested so of course the savings would go against you. If you did qualify for a partial bursary you would of course have to cover the rest of the fees.

I don't really agree that some students are more or less 'deserving' of places but I guess that is for the school to decide.

lolo99 · 14/10/2023 15:39

MrsSamR · 14/10/2023 15:02

Bursaries only cover 100% of the fees in very few cases and it is means tested so of course the savings would go against you. If you did qualify for a partial bursary you would of course have to cover the rest of the fees.

I don't really agree that some students are more or less 'deserving' of places but I guess that is for the school to decide.

They award bursaries to their most sought after pupils who cannot afford to pay some or all of the fees. This is certainly the case for the super selectives.

BonjourCrisette · 14/10/2023 16:09

At my daughter's school, the majority of girls on bursaries are on full fee remission. They give out more than £2m a year in bursary funding. And the head mistress said at a talk that there is only one list operated for admission regardless of bursary status. You don't have to come at the top of the list to get a bursary; you just need to pass the exam and need one.

This is a big name super selective with lots of money. But for a very bright child this is where to look, not at less well known schools which won't have as much money to give out.

MogdenSewage · 14/10/2023 17:37

Based on a yearly tuition fee of 25k, 2 million can cover the entire cost of secondary education for about 10 students for seven years. This is a common bursary budget for many of the London day private schools, although I know some schools with more endowment may have more than 2 million in some regular years.

Some schools choose to support more students with partial bursaries, some offer different levels of bursaries, and some favour more students in the sixth form.

BonjourCrisette · 14/10/2023 18:08

They have around 100ish students on bursaries throughout the school.

MogdenSewage · 14/10/2023 18:27

I have experience in assessing fee assistance programmes for independent schools.

Given the high tuition fees for London day schools, an annual budget of 2 million pounds in today's currency would not be enough to provide full fee bursary for 100 students for the entire senior school, so some of them would have to pay part of the fees or for less than 7 years.

PosterBoy · 14/10/2023 18:29

twistyizzy · 11/10/2023 20:08

Yes the savings will go against you as they will dig into all your finances and will expect savings/equity in house etc to be used towards fees.
Surely you were aware of this?

Enjoy fibbing?

twistyizzy · 14/10/2023 18:32

@PosterBoy really?! Wow, must just be DDs school that does this then 🙄

twistyizzy · 14/10/2023 18:33

@lolo99 well that's how it is assessed at DDs school

PosterBoy · 14/10/2023 19:27

Poor you then

It's not normal to ask people to remortgage to pay school fees at any private school I know.

I'm tempted to add, surely you knew this, but let's assume not.

twistyizzy · 14/10/2023 19:38

@PosterBoy the school will look at your LTV ratio and if they feel you have sufficient equity they CAN ask you to look at equity release.
Not poor me at all and no need for you to be a twat.

PosterBoy · 14/10/2023 20:44

You just don't like being called out on your passive aggressive little (inaccurate) dig at the op.

This is someone who has saved for years to have £20k to put towards school fees.

Big of you.

twistyizzy · 14/10/2023 20:52

@PosterBoy not inaccurate for DDs school. I know this because we spent 8 years saving up for 3 years of fees to be rejected on application for a bursary because we had those savings!
So DFOD. You are the one being aggressive and calling me a liar.

PosterBoy · 14/10/2023 20:59

Surely you were aware that

not every single private school follows the same rules

Rules apparently you didn't know yourself before you applied to your child's own school in the same scenario? Yet op surely was aware of?