Sixth-Form Scholarships and Bursaries: Independent Schools and the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund

Sixth form scholarships and bursaries describe two separate things in the UK: awards offered by independent schools to students joining in Year 12, and, in England, the government's 16 to 19 Bursary Fund for students at publicly funded schools and colleges. Independent schools decide their own scholarships and means-tested bursaries through their 16+ admissions process, whilst the government fund is applied for through the school, college or training provider where the student will study. Most families need only one of the two, depending on where the student plans to study.

Parents of children currently applying at 11+ or 13+ will find that 16+ entry is a separate registration with its own papers and interviews, so awards at that stage are worth planning for early. University scholarships and US athletic scholarships fall outside this page.

What are sixth form scholarships at independent schools?

Sixth form scholarships at independent schools are awards for particular strengths, and the types offered at 16+ differ from school to school. Westminster School describes its King's Scholarships as academic awards that are not means-tested, selected on overall performance in the Sixth Form Entrance Exam papers and interviews, with holders boarding at the school. It also offers Music Scholarships, with auditions for candidates invited to interview after the entrance exams, and a biennial organ scholarship.

St Paul's Girls' School lists 16+ scholarships in music, drama and art. Wycombe Abbey describes music scholarships, music exhibitions and choral awards for 16+ entry, and its page does not describe academic scholarships at that stage. Tonbridge School states that its Sixth Form Scholarship Programme recognises talent in academic, music and sporting areas. Each school's own page sets out which of these are open to external applicants.

How do means-tested sixth form bursaries work at independent schools?

Means-tested bursaries at independent schools reduce fees according to a family's financial circumstances, and they are assessed separately from the academic or artistic decision. Westminster School states that bursaries are available for pupils entering Year 12. Its process runs from online registration through a Part A initial assessment and a Part B in-depth assessment for those invited to interview, to a parent interview usually in late November of the year before entry.

St Paul's Girls' School says the maximum bursary is the full published fees, and Wycombe Abbey offers bursaries to families who could not otherwise meet the full cost. Where a pupil holds both a bursary and a music or King's Scholarship at Westminster, the school states that the scholarship's monetary value is absorbed within the bursary. Tonbridge School directs families seeking help with fees to its Foundations Awards Manager.

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Who can get the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund?

In England, the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund is available to students aged 16 to 19 studying at a publicly funded school or college, or on a training course, and GOV.UK states that Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different schemes. It does not cover university study. Students aged 19 or over can also qualify if they are continuing a course begun at 16 to 18 or have an education, health and care plan.

GOV.UK describes two types. The vulnerable student bursary applies to students who are in or have recently left local authority care, who receive Income Support or Universal Credit because they support themselves, or who receive Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment in their own name alongside Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit. Discretionary bursaries go to students who need financial help but fall outside those groups, and the school or college sets its own criteria, which usually consider family income.

How do you apply for the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund and what can it pay for?

Applications for the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund go to the school, college or training provider where the student will study, and GOV.UK advises applying once the student knows where they will study, so that the bursary arrives as soon as possible. Students may need to reapply for each year of a course, so the provider's student services team is the person to ask.

GOV.UK states that the bursary can pay for clothing, books and other equipment for the course, plus transport and lunch on days of study or training. The money can be used by the student or by the provider. For discretionary bursaries, the provider decides the amount and form, which can include a travel pass, free meals or books, and some providers make one-off payments for study trips or travel to university interviews.

Which type of support applies to your child?

The type of support follows the school or college the student will attend. A place at an independent school for Year 12 points to that school's own scholarships and means-tested bursaries, applied for during its 16+ registration. A place at a state school, academy or college in England points to the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund, applied for through that provider.

GOV.UK describes the fund as being for publicly funded schools and colleges, so a family weighing an independent place against a local sixth form can ask each provider what support it offers. Families can pursue both routes in parallel until a place is accepted, since the independent school's assessment and the government fund are decided by different bodies.

How do 16+ entry assessments work at independent schools?

Independent schools at 16+ usually combine an initial screening, subject papers, an interview and a school reference, and the details are set out on each school's own page. Wycombe Abbey asks all candidates to sit the UKiset and submit a Summer Term report, then invites shortlisted candidates to an assessment day with papers in their proposed A-Level subjects, based on GCSE-level syllabuses, and a short interview with senior staff. St Paul's Girls' School uses an on-screen adaptive baseline test, a paper in each A-Level subject under consideration, and subject interviews for shortlisted candidates.

Tonbridge School asks candidates to name four A-Level subjects, assesses them first through an approved centre or a school report, and then sets exams in those subjects plus English Language, with some candidates invited to an online interview with a subject specialist. Its offers depend on the minimum grade entry criteria stated in the offer letter and a satisfactory confidential reference. Wycombe Abbey states that offers are conditional on strong GCSE-level results and the A-Level subject requirements, whilst the St Paul's Girls' School page does not state GCSE conditions and directs families to Admissions.

• Initial screening: UKiset, adaptive baseline test or school report, depending on the school
• Subject papers: usually one in each intended A-Level subject, with Mathematics and Further Mathematics sharing a paper at Wycombe Abbey and St Paul's Girls' School
• Interview: with senior staff or a subject specialist, as the school states
• Offer: subject to a confidential reference and any stated grade conditions

For one-to-one preparation for 16+ entrance papers, scholarship papers and interviews, 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 you ask a school about 16+ awards?

Before registering, a parent can put a short set of questions to the admissions office, since scholarships, bursaries and conditions differ between schools and the published pages are the reference point. The questions below are drawn from the processes the schools above describe, and the bursary office or Bursar's Department is usually the right contact for the financial ones.

• Which scholarships are open to external candidates at 16+, and do they carry any fee reduction?
• Is the bursary assessment separate from the academic decision, and what residency or status criteria apply?
• Which subjects will the papers cover, and how are subjects not yet studied at GCSE assessed?
• What grade conditions will appear in an offer letter?
• Can a scholarship and a bursary be held together, and how are they combined?
• Is the award reviewed each year, and what changes could alter it?

Related guides

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• sixth form tutors
• Private school bursaries: means testing and applications
• 13+ academic scholarships
• Scholarships and bursaries at leading independent schools
• Music scholarships at independent schools
• Sports scholarships at independent schools

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Families weighing up independent schools usually need a child ready for the school's own entrance assessment at 11+ or 13+, whatever the fee or bursary position, and that is where our programmes start. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors plan the work backwards from each school's assessment format and registration deadline.

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