In 2023, UK private schools spent half a billion pounds on bursaries. These sought-after awards are means-tested, ensuring that only the most deserving applicants benefit. But how does means-testing actually work? Jo Beer, Managing Director at Bursary Assessment Associates, explains.
As part of their charitable purpose, some independent schools offer means-tested fee assistance (known as bursaries) to widen access for families from all walks of life.
With the need to account for every penny spent, it is vital that the due diligence is undertaken by schools and to ensure each application is robust and consistent. That’s where Bursary Assessment Associates come in, acting for schools across the UK to carry out an independent financial review of each application, ensuring that charitable funds are spent wisely and in accordance with their bursary policy.
Each school has its own bursary strategy with a clear view on the type of families they want to support. We work with schools whose main focus is to offer transformational bursaries of 100 per cent and we also have client schools who wish to support middle income families with part bursaries, taking the view that they can help more families by spreading their funds.
Most schools set maximum gross household income levels and families earning above this are unlikely to qualify for support. For London schools, income limits can be quite high – typically more than £100k per household – although we also see schools whose limits are as low as £50k because they want to attract families for their transformational 100 per cent awards. It is therefore essential that parents do their research before embarking on the application process to ensure their circumstances match the school’s bursary strategy.
Working with 4,000 applicants each year, we know all too well that the application and assessment process can seem daunting and opaque to families, so we want to help demystify this for you. You can usually expect the following steps:
You’ll need to show commitment, invest serious time and be transparent. A bursary can be a considerable award. Across a five or seven year tenure at senior school, it is well into six figures. We often compare it to applying for a mortgage that doesn’t need to be repaid – this should give you a good idea of how robust the process is. We always ensure that support is available in completing the application. However, applicants who obfuscate or resist providing a full declaration will not be considered suitable candidates for financial support.
In undertaking assessments on behalf of our client schools, our role is to carefully validate each applicant’s declaration against the supporting documentation and to meet with the family to determine how their circumstances align against the school’s specific bursary policy/criteria. While each school has its own criteria, every family’s situation is unique and sometimes there might be elements that don’t fit with the school’s criteria but for which there may be acceptable explanations. That’s why each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis and why meeting with the family can help the school’s decision panel to see the full picture. If in doubt, we advising calling to the bursar to discuss your specific circumstances before applying.
The final part of the jigsaw for us is our recommendation to the school. This covers both how much financial support a family would need, along with an overview of how the family’s lifestyle aligns with their bursary policy.
The school uses this information, together with the child’s academic assessments, to make a final decision.
As you can see, a bursary application is an endeavour that requires research, time and engagement from families, however the reward for successful applicants is truly worthwhile. In our experience, the most successful applicants tend to be those who have taken the time to research a school’s academic and financial criteria before fully engaging in the process. We wish you the best of luck in your next steps!
Bursary Assessment Associates is the go-to organisation for independent schools across the UK when it comes to bursary provision and supports over 4,000 families on their bursary application journey. Founded in 2017, we provide a fully outsourced bursary application and assessment solution which is independent, robust, fair, and accessible for families.
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