Getting a Bursary to a Private Secondary School

Worried how you can afford to pay for your little darlings to attend private school? Well, help might be at hand - if your child is among the lucky few to get a full bursary. It’s estimated that about 150,000 children who attend independent schools, or about one-third, receive some financial assistance to pay with their school fees, which can be £9,000 per term – or even more.

Bursaries can be partial or full, and come from either the school itself or charitable trusts and companies. Each school has different criteria concerning who gets what, which means every application will be looked at individually, no matter how many schools you apply for.

The good news is that the number of bursaries has increased as the government cut down the number of assisted places. In order to qualify for tax benefits as charities, many private schools use bursaries as a way of proving they are working for the public benefit.

What is a Bursary?

Bursaries are usually awarded after a student has been accepted to the school, usually on the basis of an entrance exam. Sometimes a potential student will also have to pass an interview with flying colours in order to gain admission as well.

In virtually all cases, bursaries are then awarded on the basis of financial need. Your family will be scrupulously means-tested to determine whether your child should get a bursary, and how much.

As schools have limited means at their disposal, the amount of a bursary will vary. Some schools award several 100 per cent bursaries, which means that the fees will, in effect, be waived. Others will give partial bursaries, which can range from as little as 10 per cent of the cost and upwards.

Scholarships Vs Bursaries

Scholarships differ from bursaries in that they are awarded purely on merit, without taking the financial status of the applicant into consideration. Pupils applying to some secondary schools can get a scholarship on the basis of art, music, drama or sport, for example.

In some cases, only a partial scholarship is awarded – such as ten per cent of the total cost of fees. Often this is done to tip the scales in favour of one school over another – parents would be more likely to send their child to a school that not only costs ten per cent less, but also valued their child enough to offer them a discount.

Applying for a Bursary

It’s important to keep in mind that every independent school will have its own criteria for who gets a bursary, and how much. Harrow school, for example, awards bursaries to students who have already received scholarships, or a “financial award for excellence”, but who cannot afford the full fees.

Scholarships are awarded for academic ability in a specific area, such as music or athletics, and can result in a fee reduction of 5 to 10 per cent of the total. Bursaries at Harrow are up to 100 per cent, according to their website. Although it is not clear how many are awarded every year, the total monetary amount spent on bursaries equals almost £1 million per year.

Specialised Bursaries

Some schools or charitable trusts and organisations offer bursaries for specific children only, or fee reductions for children who come from certain families. You will need to research which schools offer these provisions and see if they apply to you. Among the children who can benefit are:

• Children of clergy
• Children whose parents are in the armed forces
• Orphans
• Children from single-parent families

While bursaries can be a great help to children who would otherwise be unable to afford a place at a private secondary school, not everyone meets the criterion. Academic ability is always put first and foremost. Children who do not pass the entrance exams first will not be considered for admission, let alone a bursary.