Scholarships and Bursaries at Leading Independent Schools: What Each Offers

Scholarships and bursaries at leading independent schools are separate awards: a scholarship recognises merit in academics, music, art, drama, sport or another area, whilst a bursary is means-tested help with fees. Scholarships at these schools usually carry little or no fee reduction, and almost all of them state that bursaries can cover up to the full fees. The two can usually be combined, so a family choosing where to apply tends to start with the bursary terms and then check which scholarship areas fit the child at the entry point.

How are the scholarship and bursary comparison tables best read?

Each row in the tables on this page summarises what one school states on its own scholarships and bursaries pages, with the first table covering scholarships by school and the second covering means-tested bursaries by school. The scholarship table shows which areas of merit a school recognises and whether the award reduces fees, and the bursary table shows the help available with fees, including a published household income guide where the school offers one. Where a row shows no income guide, none was stated on the school pages read, and the bursary office can say whether one exists.

Compare the two tables for the same school before shortlisting, because a modest scholarship entry beside a substantial bursary entry, or the reverse, changes which application deserves the most effort.

Are independent school scholarships worth much in fees?

Scholarships at these schools usually carry little or no fee reduction, and several say so directly. Eton states that King's Scholarships and music awards carry no automatic fee remission, Wellington College says its scholarships do not in themselves reduce fees, City of London School gives no fee remission, and St Paul's School treats its academic scholarships as honorary.

Where a school does attach a reduction, the stated values are modest and capped, usually a fixed percentage of fees or a fixed annual sum. Two exceptions sit in the tables: King's Scholars at Westminster pay the day fee, and Winchester's Founder's Scholarships carry a fee reduction. A scholarship is best valued first as recognition of merit and only then as a saving, school by school.

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Which private schools offer bursaries that cover full fees?

Almost all of these schools state that their means-tested bursaries can cover up to the full fees. Brighton College is the stated exception, describing its bursaries as typically partial with higher awards being rare. Because a bursary is means-tested help, the size of an award follows the household assessment at each school.

Since nearly every school names full fees as the ceiling, the useful differences between them lie in how need is assessed and whether an income guide is published, which the sections below cover.

Can a scholarship and a bursary be combined?

A scholarship can usually be combined with a means-tested bursary at these schools. Westminster tops King's Scholarships up to full fees by bursary where need is shown, Winchester applies a Founder's Scholarship and a bursary cumulatively, and Alleyn's awards scholarships alongside bursaries.

For a child with a strength in one of the scholarship areas, the two applications sit side by side, and the bursary is the part that reduces fees according to assessed need. Ask each school how the two are assessed together, since each sets its own rules.

Do schools publish household income guides for bursaries?

Some schools publish household income guides for bursary eligibility and others do not. Eton states that it does not publish qualifying income levels and assesses each case individually.

Where guides are published they differ widely between schools, so an income that looks eligible on one school's page says little about another's. Assets and property are usually taken into account as well as income, which means a family should read beyond the headline income band to the assessment criteria. Where no guide is published, contact the bursary office with your household circumstances before deciding that the school is out of reach.

Which entry points carry scholarships?

Scholarship entry points depend on the type of school. Some schools offer scholarships at 11+, 13+ and 16+, whilst some girls' and London day schools offer only music scholarships at 11+ and a wider range at 16+. Boarding schools such as Eton, Harrow and Winchester offer scholarships at 13+ and 16+.

A family applying at 11+ should therefore check whether each shortlisted school offers any scholarship at that stage and in which area, and a family applying at 16+ will meet the widest choice of awards at the day schools described above.

Should families aim for a scholarship, a bursary or both?

The choice follows two questions: whether the fees need help, and whether the child has a strength in an area the school rewards at the entry point. If the fees need help, the bursary is the application that changes the bill, and a scholarship adds recognition where the child's strength matches an award on offer.

If the fees do not need help, a scholarship brings recognition and, at some schools, a modest reduction. Where both apply, the combination is usually allowed, so the shortlist can include schools where the child could hold both awards.

For one-to-one preparation for a particular school's scholarship papers and interview, read about our scholarship exam preparation, or tell us about your child and the schools on your list and we will reply with tutor recommendations.

What should families check on each school's page and ask the bursary office?

Each school's own scholarships and bursaries page should be checked before applying, because values, income guides and award lists change. Work through the same questions for every school on the shortlist so the answers can be set side by side.

Put the questions to the admissions or bursary office in writing so the replies can be kept and compared.

• Does the scholarship carry any fee reduction, and is it a percentage, a fixed sum or honorary?
• Which scholarship areas are offered at the entry point you are applying for?
• Can a bursary cover the full fees, and does a full award include extras?
• Is a household income guide published, and what is counted besides income?
• Can a scholarship be held alongside a bursary, and how are the two assessed together?
• Which application forms and stages apply, and when do they close?

Related guides

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• scholarship exam preparation
• Private school bursaries: means testing and applications
• 11+ academic scholarships
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• King's Scholarships and the Election
• Music scholarships at independent schools
• Independent school fees compared

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