Bursaries: All You Need To Know

Independent schools have a long and rich tradition of offering financial support via bursaries and scholarships to families who might not otherwise be able to afford a place. With that in mind, here are the questions you might want to ask about the process.

How Many Bursaries Are Awarded?

According to the Independent Schools Council (ISC), means- tested bursaries have increased by £175 million to £474 million over the past decade. It suggests that as many as a third of all children in independent schools are receiving some sort of financial assistance, and about 6,000 pay no fees at all, thanks to a combination of bursaries and scholarships. What’s more, bursaries range in value, depending on the school and on the individual situation – some work out at 100 percent including uniform, meals and trips, while others might be a small percentage of fees, depending on the circumstances.

Who Are They For?

Bursaries don’t just benefit pupils; many schools recognise the importance of nurturing talent and giving back to the wider community.

‘From a school perspective, it gives us the opportunity to provide opportunities to talented girls who wouldn’t otherwise be able to come to Roedean’, says Alison Wienekus, director of Admissions and Marketing. Roedean is an all-girls day and boarding school on a clifftop setting in Brighton, Sussex. ‘Many schools have academic requirements, and these do have to be met at a base level.

‘But we aren’t just looking for academic ability. We would like to recruit students who also align to the ethos and values of the school’.

‘We now offer three full bursaries,’ says Sam Feilding, Head of Admissions at Eaton House Schools. The Eaton House Foundation started in 2020, in response to the Covid-19 lockdown, when a group of parents recognised the need for the high standard of teaching to reach as many children as possible in the environs of the schools in Clapham and Belgravia and created the foundation.

Roedean.

Where To Start

So, how do you go about achieving a bursary award for your child? Well, there’s a certain amount of organisation involved in the journey. ‘We ask that parents register for the school by September 30 (the year before starting) and for a bursary application by October 31,’ says Gregg McCann, Registrar at Merchant Taylors’ School in Hertfordshire, founded in 1561. ‘You simply notify us in the admissions department that you’d like to apply for one.’ McCann adds that they are always happy to answer questions, either via telephone, email or at open mornings.

‘For entry into Years 7, 9 and 12, the application for a bursary is done simultaneously with the admissions process,’ says Wienekus. ‘As a result, during this process, we get to know the family and student well. When we send out our school offers to families, the offer would include the bursary if we were able to offer one.’

Merchant Taylors’ School, Hertfordshire.

What’s The Assessment Process?

Many schools now use external companies such as BAL, an independent firm of assessors. ‘This year we have a new online system,’ says Gregg. ‘We send out a link to applicants, they create an account and can then upload all of their paperwork and supporting documents’. It is, he says, a far more straightforward process than before.

‘What used to be a 12-page physical form is now online, and you can check that you’ve got all your documentation together.’ It also means that there’s a high level of privacy for parents as it’s all done by a third party.

‘The only time I look at the bursary applicants is when we know to whom we’re offering places, and then we try to allocate funds as fairly as possible to those who qualify.’

Roedean also uses BAL to support the application evaluation process. ‘There is an application process which is means-tested and therefore requires a lot of information from the family,’ says Wienekus. ‘It’s very hard to define a set criterion for consideration of a bursary as the application looks at so many financial variables. However, the process ultimately provides an indicative figure of affordability which we use to guide the awarding of a bursary.’

Place Allocation

So, how are places allocated? ‘Because we’re academically selective, we want to make sure that pupils are at a level meaning they can cope with the academic pace,’ says McCann. ‘Not everyone is looking for 100 percent by any means. They might just need a bit to make it financially viable. We try to reassure parents that when we’re allocating funding, we either go to the amount recommended by BAL or higher. There’s no point offering support if it’s still not going to make it possible. It’s about us making sure we offer support throughout the journey’. He adds that they reassure parents that applying for a bursary isn’t going to count against them when applying for a place.

‘We have a fairly substantial number of girls who are on some form of bursary funding, from 5 – 10 percent up to 100 percent, though this is unusual and very specific circumstances,’ says Wienekus. ‘For example, we have five girls from Ukraine at the moment who are being supported’.

Pupils at Roedean, Sussex.

Confidentiality

Some parents may find it embarrassing to admit they need a bursary, but the experts say there is no need for this to be the case. ‘Parents are a little reluctant to mention it, and when we explain the process and that there are a number of people applying through this route, I think it’s reassuring,’ says McCann. ‘We always try to reassure parents that applying for a bursary is not going to count against them in terms of getting a place. Bursaries are part of Merchant Taylors’ ethos to help fund places. When we were founded half the places were free, so we’d never move away from giving them, even in these straitened times’.

‘I think every parent has a sense of pride, and often you will see parents pushing multiple scholarship applications. It’s very difficult, but I do sometimes ask whether it’s for funding purposes, and am able to suggest the bursary process’, says Wienekus. Also, she reminds, it’s completely confidential.

Do I Need To Earn Less Than A Certain Amount?

No, says McCann. ‘We know that income is just part of the picture. Again, that’s why we have an independent assessor involved, because they can get an in-depth idea of financial background. We know that with costs going up everywhere people are stretched in all [kinds of] ways!’

Wienekus adds: ‘’We look at income, expenditure, assets, directorships, solvency, loans, other liabilities and property amongst other factors. It’s important because some families have huge levels of assets but not necessarily a lot of liquid cash and some families have neither. So that’s why we go through such a comprehensive process: so that when we do grant a bursary, we know that it’s fair’.

Eaton House is more specific: ‘Requirements include a household income of less than £42,500 a year and living within [10-miles] of Eaton House The Manor or Belgravia,’ says Feilding.

What About A Change In Circumstances?

Bursaries don’t have to be given right from the start. ‘Perhaps there’s a change in or loss of a job or a death in the family so bursaries might be for a short-term period or a forever situation,’ says Wienekus. ‘What’s important to realise is that if we decide to fund someone, we don’t just take funding away – provided there are no changes in financial circumstances for the better, support is in place for the time spent at Roedean.’

‘There are more hardship bursary applications than ever before,’ says McCann. ‘They are subject to the same scrutiny as entrance bursaries. Families can be reassured that money is going to those most in need.’

And schools offer bursaries in different ways. The Brighthelm Award is a means-tested scholarship for highly academic girls at school in the state sector who live within a 20-mile radius of Roedean. ‘It allows us to be more integrated with the local community’, says Wienekus.

Can I Apply For A Bursary At More Than One School?

If your child is applying to various schools, then yes, absolutely. ‘We’re aware that children might be applying at multiple schools,’ says Sam Feilding.

Where Do The Funds Come From?

Bursary funds come from a number of sources; fund-raising, alumni, parents and friends of the school as well as bursary endowment funds that create income every year. ‘We’ve just completed a major project for a cricket centre, which is a highly sought-after lettings facility,’ says Nick Latham, Merchant Taylors’ School Director of Development, and ‘The governors have agreed that letting profits will go towards bursaries.’