Private school bursary - how it’s decided?

[dragondrive]

We’ve received an offer from a private school with a 25% bursary. I’m really grateful that my son passed the exam and was offered a place, and I do appreciate the bursary.

That said, given our financial situation and what I disclosed, I was honestly expecting a bit more, as 25% still isn’t affordable for us. I thought bursaries were means-tested, so I’m feeling a bit confused about how this figure was worked out.

Has anyone been in a similar position? Is there usually any room to ask for a review or an increase? A friend mentioned that other schools sometimes offer much higher support in similar circumstances.

I’m also wondering whether bursary levels are based purely on finances, or if a child’s academic performance or competition plays a part as well.

If I had won a ccholarship to my desired gramar school my parents would never have afforded the uniform, the bus fare and all the "extras" involved. Plus i would probably have been looked down on as a "pov".

All those extras will have to be met as well as the fees. Private school uniforms are expensive as they are an advert for the school. Plus there are often extras such as coaching in sport, music, school trips and so on. Would you be able to afford for your DC to articipate and not be left on the fringes? Yes it may be smaller classes and thus a better standard of teaching but there is the social side to consider.

Are there any relatives who can help?

It’s an e.g and yes the most likely e.g. It’s definitely not a lottery system! They are going to take the child at the top of that list…..

The amount of places allocated will be dependent on their bursary fund for that year group

Agree it’s not a lottery. If the bursary policy is “enable as many children as possible to attend” and the top of the academic list child would need a 100% subsidy, then four 25% bursaries might be preferred.

I understand what you mean. However, I believe the first line they’ve given is a fluff statement & well intended. If the top person needs 100% then that’s what they get & what they deserve…and the list goes accordingly. There wouldn’t have assessed the no#1 needing 100% and then go on to offer them 25% and so forth- that’s a 7.5k + shortfall per term.

They can however have batches of amounts they want to give out, but it will go according to the top scorers list. They won’t skip kids on that list. As in they won’t offer position 15 a small amount because position 2 needs more. They would have met their targets by knowing how many full paying stds they need & how much bursary they can afford that year.

However, I believe the first line they’ve given is a fluff statement & well intended.

Not sure what you mean by this. If you mean what I put into quote marks, I wasn’t quoting a particular policy from a specific school. It was a general point.

I would imagine a lot of schools don’t publish bursary policy precisely to give themselves the flexibility. So if someone isn’t the top academic scorer but is very talented at poetry/sport/music, or gave an amazing interview and will be fab on the debate team, then that might impact. Or they may wish to prioritise applicants from particular state primaries. Or, if co ed, even out the numbers of boys and girls. Etc.

Some schools offer 110% bursaries. To cover cost 9f fees, uniform compulsory trips and one enrichment trip too.

Bursaries at London senior schools are often very generous.

Surely the point here is that those extras are not going to be offered to a family with only a 25% award?

OP, if you want your child to go to a private school, and you don't have the money, then you have to work for that. As PP mentioned, research the schools you want, find out which ones offer scholarships, contact them, etc etc. I'm in Europe, but I did that for my DS. It took me months of work, all the research, contracting schools, applications, tests, etc. Schools WANT the bright kids (even if they can't pay), because they are the ones who will raise the grades in the results, and that's how schools attract the kids who can pay.

Every school does have their own criteria. Private schools have a finite bursary ‘pot’ and some of them probably prefer to give a lot of students 25% than to give 100% to a few. Bear in mind that these pots aren’t as generous as they used to be since the VAT got added on to school fees and essentially changed how private schools function and manage their finances.

To get 100%, your child would usually be brighter than most other children in their year ime.

Did your son sit the scholarship exam? Some schools offer scholarship plus bursary.

Unfortunately most scholarships in England offer merely nominal financial reward, @whatwouldlilacerullodo. Large awards come via bursaries, which are means tested.

Thanks for the clarification, so I used the wrong term. I'll Google it and find out the difference. But I suppose the point stands, schools will offer bursaries to a certain number of students every year, right?

It’s not simply ‘the wrong term’ - scholarships are awarded for academic or other (music, drama, whatever) excellence. They take no account of family finances. Bursaries may be offered to any child who passes the entrance procedure, according to means tested assessment of family finances. But the metric for each school will be How much do we want this child?

In my experience a wealthy school will enable a child they really want to attend to do so. 25% suggests either that they’re not overly fussed, or they think the parents can afford to pay the rest.

I agree that your usage is what I consider normal. However, it is not quite universal. Some schools choose to label means-tested aid "scholarships", for example:

Winning a scholarship at Colfe’s is an honour which can also offer a reduction in school fees.

We offer financial assistance in the form of merit-based and means-tested scholarships in the senior school. Awards are given at the school’s discretion, and the number varies yearly; in a typical year group, we expect around a quarter of pupils to benefit from fee assistance. Academic merit-based scholarships normally offer between 10-30% reduction in fees (this may increase up to 50% for exceptional performance in the entrance assessment), co-curricular scholarships between 10-20%. Means-tested scholarships can be worth up to 100%+ of the school fees.

The last sentence refers to what nearly all other schools call bursaries. However, as they are the ones providing the funds, they can call it whatever they like. Also, while I can't find an example off the top of my head, I've run across some third-party charities which call their means-tested grants "scholarships". Perhaps they think the word is less pejorative.

@SheilaFentiman all the top boarding schools can give up to 100% bursary ! It depends on how much they like and want your child

I would anticipate the change in taxation (VAT on school fees) will have increased the number of existing pupils whose families are seeking financial support for the first time mid-way through their time at a school, or who apply for their bursary to be increased. If you have a child who has been in a school since Year 3 or Year 7 and is now in Key Stage 4 approaching national exams, you would hope the school would look favourably if they had a major change in circumstances; parental death, major illness, unemployment, marital breakdown possibly linked to safeguarding (DV).

I would also hope schools are looking more carefully at lifestyle factors - expensive homes, cars, holidays, whether parents are maximising their earnings - before handing out money, much of which comes from the parents of their classmates, unless it is a public school with a generous foundation.

The time when schools tend to up their offer after a request for more, is when they are very top performers in the entrance exam AND have other bursary offers from other schools.

Unfortunately, a 25% offer (which is v good) probably means they did well and the school would like them to come (and you to pay 75%) but that they don’t want them enough (and don’t have the funds) to offer much more. You might get a small boost by asking. But it’s not likely to be much more, especially if you don’t have other strong offers which make you look more desirable.

Unfortunately, a lot of bursary applicants find what you have - they get an offer and a bursary that isn’t big enough to make it possible. I think people often feel a bit mis-led and believed an offer would make it possible for them. It might do for a very small number (or more in the well-endowed schools) but more usually apply than can get these sizeable offers. It’s disappointing because your hopes were raised, you emotionally invested (as did your child) and they passed the exam and it felt like a genuine possibility. And then the idea feels snatched away. It is horrible.

But in reality you find yourself in the position of over 90% of the population, which is that you simply can’t afford it. VAT means it’s even more the preserve of the rich as less bursary funds are available. The dream slips away. Like many you looked round and liked what you saw. Many do that and crunch some numbers and sadly take it no further. I totally get that it’s so disappointing when the literature seems to suggest that bursaries are available up to 100% if needed, when in reality v few bursary offers will be that, even if needed. The 25% offer leaves you unable to afford it in the same way you couldn’t afford it before.

Assuming you’re part of the squeezed middle class who could afford perhaps 25%…like so many in the same position financially as you, you simply can’t afford it with the level of support given. Maybe another really affluent school would have offered much more…or like you say, maybe your child simply meet the academic levels required.

Really hoping you have a decent state school offer too. As you say, your DC and yourself can be pleased with the academic recognition. Although that isn’t what you hoped for, the best thing is to do as you have and congratulate your child on this and now try to big up the state school place they have, forget the independent school (assuming you asked if they could up the offer - and they said no or could only up the offer a small amount) and move forward with what you have. Many many children do extremely well from state schools. With a supportive family and access to some extra curriculars and some extra input where needed, outcomes can be very very good. Xx

@dragondrive bursary goes on what you earn , own ect but also how much the school wants your child and what your child has to offer them . You can get up to 100% bursary depending on how bright your child is .

@RatherBeOnVacation Radley you need to be a scholar to receive a bursary

Depends on the school but they usually prioritise the eligible children of teachers.

Most private schools will offer very substantial, up to 75%, tuition discounts to their teachers, provided that their children otherwise qualify for a place. That's separate from bursaries. The tuition reduction isn't means-tested so a teacher with a very high earning spouse can still receive it. It's essentially a form of tax-free compensation. Are you saying that schools will further prioritize these children for bursaries to cover the remaining 25% if the teacher doesn't have a high earning partner?

@Treesinsummer that is your choice to have 3 children privately educated she has only one child !

@Tobstar106 what does the number of children she has got make a difference? Doesn’t matter if it’s 1 or 3. She is still using a bursary system I am paying for.

@Tobstar106 pp doesn’t understand that schools offer bursaries to bright and talented kids because they make the schools more desirable by improving results. These bursary children help give schools the reputation of being academically selective.

or many they’re just a snob 🤷‍♀️

@Treesinsummer how do you think you are paying for it ? I am confused

@elembeeee absolutely ! they don’t just give bursaries to any child you need to bring something to the table ! Radley you need to sit a scholarship to be able to get a bursary . You need to be very academic if you are getting a bursary from any of the 4 top boys public boarding schools .