Support is at hand
Bursaries and scholarships can make school fee sums add up, writes Judy Vickers
It’s not hard to fathom the appeal of independent schools to many parents – innovative learning programmes; excellent academic results; extensive grounds, and a huge range of extra- curricular activities tend to be near the top of many families’ list.
The sticking point for some is the issue of fees. Charges vary but generally range between £ 4,500 and £ 9,000 per term for a day pupil at senior school – fees at Edinburgh’s St George’s School for Girls for this academic year were £ 4,900 per term for a day pupil in secondary school, while the equivalent at all- boys school Merchiston Castle elsewhere in the Capital was £ 8,510 per term.
The fees often don’t just cover tuition – textbooks and meals can also be included – but there are extras, such as uniform and extracurricular activities, to consider.
If the family finance sums don’t add up, there is always the option of applying for a bursary, sometimes called fee assistance. This financial support is generally awarded from P7 upwards, although it varies from school to school. Clifton Hall in Edinburgh offers a small number of bursaries from Junior 1 ( P1) upwards and The Compass School in East Lothian, an independent primary school, will consider applications from nursery to P7. Under these, up to 100 per cent of the fees can be met by the school.
At St George’s School, bursaries are focussed on pupils at S1 level ( known as Lower 4 at the school), although they may also be available to new entrants arriving from S2 to S6. Jeremy Harper, St George’s bursar, says: “We believe it is at this stage in a pupils’ education that we can make the most difference, and we therefore focus our bursary funding on the senior school.”
This academic year, the school has awarded 65 bursaries, with 21 of these being for 90 per cent or more of fees – and with only the head and the finance team being aware of the identity of those girls.
According to figures from the Scottish Council of Independent Schools ( SCIS), some 24.5 per cent of families at its schools received some financial help in the last academic year, totalling more than £ 25 million. Some 100 per cent of fees were paid by schools for 3.1 per cent of senior school pupils.
Bursaries are not the same as scholarships, which are awarded on ability – such as sporting or academic excellence – and which may or may not include assistance with school fees. Scholarships and their benefits vary from school to school.
For instance, at Morrison’s Academy in Perthshire, scholarships are available for academic excellence and sports, with a percentage off school fees along with other benefits. Meanwhile, at Edinburgh’s George Watson’s College, music scholarships offer annual tuition fees for two instruments.
Unlike scholarships, however, to qualify for a bursary your child will only have to meet the school’s normal entry requirements.
Families have to fill out detailed forms concerning their overall financial circumstances, not just take- home pay – pensions, investments, property, assets and liabilities will all be taken into account. Most schools have a deadline for applying, so as the information required for the application can be quite detailed, it is advised that applicants complete the forms in good time.
Check what is offered from the bursary. For some it’s purely the tuition, for others more help can be available – as well as bursaries of up to 100 per cent from Primary 6,
George Watson’s College can offer support with uniforms, electronic devices for study, books, school trips and lunches, depending on household income. And Kilgraston School in Perth offers bursaries of 10 per cent to 110 per cent – the latter means help can be given with uniforms and school trips.
Schools have limited funds for bursaries, so an application is no guarantee of success – and some schools will review the bursary award each year or on a regular basis.
Next April, independent schools in Scotland will lose their nondomestic business rates relief, a move postponed from this month due to the pandemic. Schools have warned that the ensuring funding shortfall will mean less money in the fee assistance pot.
But Alison Herbert, deputy director of the SCIS, says: “Schools will work hard to ensure that families that would not otherwise be able to afford an independent education can still have the opportunity to attend. This may mean an increase in 100 per cent assistance rather than the lower 10 to 20 per cent fee reductions.”
“We believe it is at the senior school stage that we can make the most
difference”