Bursaries can save you a fortune

With some schools offering bursaries of up to 100 per cent of the fees, private education is becoming more accessible than ever, says Gail Dixon

Dulwich College

Don’t necessarily think that if money is tight you have to go to a cheaper private school
Nicola Cunningham, parent and primary school governor

Over 30 per cent of children receive help with school fees, whether that is in the form of a scholarship, a bursary or a grant. The good news is that since the recession began, many independent schools have started to increase the amount of bursaries on offer and a number have introduced 100 per cent fee support for some of their best pupils.

Also, following the Charity Commission's recent ruling that independent schools must earn their charitable status by 'proving' their value to the community, it's likely that greater bursarial support will be offered in the near future.

So, who qualifies for a bursary and how much financial support can be given? Most private schools offer bursarial support on an individual basis, so if you're interested you need to contact the bursar of the school and state your case. With 90 per cent of headteachers seeing an increase in queries regarding bursaries, you will not be alone.

Getting support

Schools will ask about your circumstances and household income, also why you feel you require added support now. Perhaps you're a lone parent, or the sector that you work in is being hit hard by the recession and your income has been affected accordingly. Many schools will also consider offering financial support if one or both parents are seriously ill or if there is a chronically ill or handicapped sibling who demands much of the parents' attention and time. Most bursars will try to be helpful, fair and accommodating where they feel there is a case for support.

At some schools, assistance is given on a sliding scale in accordance with income. For instance, at Manchester Grammar School if a boy is accepted whose parents have an income of less than £16,200, they will receive full assistance with fees.

Also, members of certain professions can qualify for bursaries: these include the Armed Forces, teachers and the Clergy.

Free places at top schools

Eton College, Benenden In the past, bursaries could be quite limited at independent schools but now many schools are aiming to offer larger awards - sometimes up to 100 per cent of the total cost of fees. This allows them to attract and support some of the brightest and most talented pupils in the land. So, if your child excels academically, they could be welcomed at some of the most successful schools in the land.

Last year Eton announced a fundraising drive to raise £50 million to subsidise "academically gifted" boys whose parents could not afford the fees. Harrow is also keen to attract more bright boys who are currently in the state system.

Benenden School in Kent, where the Princess Royal was educated, has set up a Trust to raise money to create a number of 100 per cent free places offered to local primary school children. These will be means-tested and last for seven years, subject to yearly review.

A number of leading schools are aiming to be 'needs blind' in coming years. This means that they will be able to offer places to the most able pupils, irrespective of their families' ability to pay. Dulwich College and St Paul's School, London, are just two who are working towards this model. "We want to become a pure meritocracy, based on the models of Harvard and Yale," says the High Master of St Paul's School, Dr Martin Stephen.

With savings of up to £28,000 a year possible - and the chance to give your child a superb education - it's worth picking up the phone and enquiring about bursaries. Schools are expecting your call.

Bursary success story

"I attended Wycliffe College on an RAF bursary and now I'm going to Oxford."

Bursaries in brief

Who can qualify?

Children of lone parents

Families on low incomes

Children of teachers, the clergy and people in the armed forces

Families going through a period of financial difficulty

Very talented children

How do you apply for a bursary?

Bursaries are often granted at the school's discretion, and are usually means-tested. If you think your child may qualify for a bursary, apply direct to the bursar's office before your child starts at the school. If you are made redundant or there is a crisis in the family, the school may also be able to help. Each case is treated individually, however, so there are no hard and fast rules

How much support is on offer?

This can vary dramatically from 10 per cent to 100 per cent, depending on whether the school thinks there is a great need for support. Ask at the school and be prepared to state your case.

Case study

"My husband left me when both children were attending independent schools. I was keen to keep them in the private system"

Nicola Cunningham, a writer in the south-west, educated her children privately as a lone parent thanks to a bursary and the flexibility of a local independent school.

“Look online and you could be amazed at the grants and bursaries that are available to help children attend private school. If, for instance, your father was ever a blacksmith, there’ll probably be an educational trust from the Blacksmith’s Association! If you need help with fees, ask at the schools, and don’t be put off if they say no first time.

school fees “My husband left me when both our children were attending independent schools. I was keen to keep them in the private system, as I believe it gives children broader horizons in life. Fergus (aged 10 at the time) was at Monkton Combe Junior School, near Bath, so I went to see the head and asked if they could offer help with fees, but he said, “Sorry, we don’t have anything available”.

“Things took a different turn when Fergus took the entry exam for King Edward’s School in Bath as well as Monkton Combe, and qualified for both. Monkton Combe offered him an assisted place at the senior school, but after looking at both schools I felt that King Edward’s had the edge intellectually. So, he started there and received a bursary to help with fees. It wasn’t an awful lot but it did keep him in school until he was 18. He went on to read product design at Brunel University and joined BT on the fast-track graduate scheme.

“My daughter, Ottilie, was supposed to finish at Bath High Junior School before attending Sherborne School. As a lone parent, there was no way I could afford to keep her in the private system, so I wrote to the head of Bath High and told her I’d be withdrawing her from the school.

The head was marvellous and said: “Mrs Cunningham, I think your daughter qualifies for an assisted place.” Ottilie stayed on at Bath High until she was 18, and became Head Girl. On leaving she did a gap year in South America before attending the School of Oriental and African Studies at London University. She now travels the world as a buyer for Twinings Tea.

“Assisted places were part of a government-sponsored scheme and don’t exist any more, but there are lots of other options in the form of bursaries, trusts, grants and scholarships. If the headteacher thinks the school is about to lose a good pupil they will often try to be accommodating.

“Also, don’t necessarily think that if money is tight you have to go to a cheaper private school, because the more expensive ones often have a lot of grants and trusts to offer. Always ask the question.”

For more advice, contact the Independent School Bursars Association

See our article on how to cope with school fees in a crisis