My dd wants to go to boarding school but we can't afford the fees...

[always34never]

My 14y/old is desperate to go to a boarding school (in the uk) for sixth form but we can't really afford the fees. Dh and I both have full time jobs and earn about 100,000 pounds between us.

In my opinion she could qualify for a scholarship but even then I don't know if we could afford it. Is there any chance of us getting financial support of any kind? She would really love to go.

[rightsaidfrederick]

Do be aware that UK student finance is based on residency, not nationality. So, unless you can prove that you're only there temporarily (they tend to look at things like your employment contract i.e. are you on secondment, if you maintain a home in the UK, and where you spend your holidays) she will be classed as an EU / international student. This has big implications.

If she's classed as an EU student, she'll still get a student loan for fees (which will be £9000) but she won't get any maintenance costs paid for. In fairness, given your income, this only makes you about £3500 worse off than you would otherwise have been.

If she's classed as an international student, you'll have to pay international fees (anywhere from £15-35,000 per year, depending on uni and subject), and be eligible for no student finance.

Her being back in the UK for boarding school would mean that she was mainly here for the purposes of education, so she wouldn't re-establish UK fees status that way. It takes three years of being here for reasons that aren't mainly about education to be classed as a UK student.

You need to take account of this for both her and siblings before you start to even think about boarding school - there's no point getting an offer from Oxford if she can't afford to go.

[tara49]

Check out this amazing state school with boarding facilities - ran like an old fashioned grammar school with outstanding results and you only pay for the boarding.
St Georges - Harpenden, Herts

[scaevola]

My daughter would love a chalet in the Alps. Hey ho.

Better send her to Hill House then

[TeenAndTween]

There is some state boarding available at 6th form.
Search Peter Symmonds Winchester.
However this may only be for certain types eg Falklands and military.

[itsbetterthanabox]

You can afford it. You earn a lot.
Although there are excellent state colleges much better than boarding school.

[always34never]

motherstongue, does your ds go to a co-ed school? If so which one?

[motherstongue]

No. He is at a boys school.

[Slipshodsibyl]

Where are you living and does she feel the school she currently attends is not what she wants?

[gogglebox15]

We aren't on nearly 100k but both my DS and DD are on partial scholarships to extremely expensive private schools - we both inherited a bit, but its very do able.

[KaleJuicer]

Sevenoaks School has a boarding House and bursaries are Available if income up to £120,000. If she is academically able / sporty/ musical she might be able to get a scholarship with a bursary on top. Bursaries are for financial need scholarships are for outstanding ability in one area. My DD was offered scholarships ranging from 20% - 50% so they make a massive difference.

[Ifeelfat]

My son is going to an excellent co-Ed boarding school for his sixth form. There is no way we could have afforded it (c.£50k and other children) but he’s bright and I always wanted him to go, its fantastic. He tried for a scholarship which normally gives up to 50% of fees, and I filled in all the bursary forms. Anyway they offered him a 95% scholarship, none of it bursaried.
Incredible.

[Aramox]

Zombie thread ffs