“I have never applied for an award like this, and as you know I was quite nervous. You have been so professional, approachable, and kind throughout and have been able to answer my many questions brilliantly.”
“Whatever the outcome, I can rest assured that you will convey a full and complete picture of our financial circumstances to the school on our behalf.”
Information for parents
Help applying for a school bursary
If you’ve never applied for financial support before, applying for a bursary might seem a little bit daunting. Do not fear! With our knowledge of the finance and education sectors, our associates are very experienced and know the bursary process inside out. We will walk you through every step of the process. Let’s start at the beginning…
What is a bursary?
A bursary is a monetary award made by a school to families who can’t afford to pay full tuition fees. Applications are means tested. This means we’ll look at your family income, expenditure, capital assets and liabilities, and make a report to the school who usually also assess the student’s academic ability before making a decision. Bursary funds are generally made up of charitable donations so it’s important that schools allocate the money fairly, in line with their school bursary policy and their donors’ wishes.
Is applying for a school bursary complicated?
The bursary application process is guided by the school you are applying to, so it is worth reading their school bursary policy before you start. The process is competitive and rigorous for the reasons mentioned above. It’s worthwhile investing time and effort in your application to make sure it’s accurate and complete. This is where we can help.
The bursary application process
- Your chosen school provides a link to our online bursary application portal and introduces you to our team who will support you with your application.
- You complete your application online and upload any supporting documentation.
- Our team check and validate your application and provide feedback.
- Our associate will invite you to a virtual interview to ask about your family situation and gather supporting information to fill in any gaps in your application.
- We submit a report to the school and they have the final say on any awards. The school will contact you directly with their decision.
Your school bursary questions answered
If you don’t see an answer to your question here, please send us an email to office@bursaryassessmentassociates.co.uk
Why the application process?
A bursary application is likely to be the single largest request for funding that a family will make. Many schools do not have the funds to offer financial support to all applicants so it is very important that parents invest the time to ensure that their application for financial support is accurate and complete.
How do I download my Universal Credit statements?
Follow this guide (opens in a new window) to download your Universal Credit statements:
Why do bursary applications need to be assessed?
As with any major financial application (and due to the high level of financial benefit gained by a bursary award), School Governors require a robust assessment process to make sure funds are awarded fairly and in accordance with their policy and donors’ wishes.
What supporting information do I need to provide?
The application form will ask you for documentation to validate income and expenditure, assets and liabilities. This includes bank and credit card statements, pay slips, tax information and mortgage or rent statements. Full details are available on the application form that you will receive from the school.
Will you check my application to ensure I have got it right? Will it be rejected if I make a mistake?
Please submit your application well in advance (at least one week) before the published deadline. This will give us time to review it and let you know if anything is missing or incorrect so that you have an opportunity to update your application before the school’s deadline.
Who makes the decision about the bursary award?
The school will make the decision about your bursary application in accordance with their internal processes and they will contact you directly with their decision.
What is the likelihood of being awarded a full (100%) bursary?
This depends on the school’s bursary policy and the available funds. Full bursaries are quite rare, and disposable income and assets which the family could deploy towards school fees are taken into account. Ask to see the school’s bursary policy to find out more.
What happens to the information that we provide in support of our application?
We prepare a report for the school to summarise the information from our meeting and then securely dispose of any supporting documents in accordance with our data protection policy.
How long will I have to wait to hear about my bursary award?
This depends on when the school’s bursary award panel meet, for further information contact the school.
Can families appoint you directly to help, rather than going through the school?
Our contact is with the school and each school has its own process. Unfortunately, we cannot work independently with families or carers.
How is the information I provide for my bursary application used?
Your information is only used for the purpose of the bursary application, it is not shared with any other third parties and it will be securely held in accordance with GDPR regulations.
I am separated from our child's mother/father. How does the application process work for us?
Each parent would need to complete a separate financial application through the portal and provide your own supporting documents. Any information you provide during the process will only be discussed with the person making the application, assuring absolute confidentiality for both parents.
Can I apply as a single parent?
You can apply as a single parent only if there is no contact between the child and the other parent. Otherwise, both parents will need to complete an application. Please see the individual school’s bursary policy for more information around this.
What is the school code?
Each school has an individual school code. This will be available from the admissions department when you discuss applying for the school and a bursary.
Can I apply for more than one school?
If we handle the bursary process for all the schools that you are applying for then you can apply for more than one by entering more than one school code into the application form.
Both my children need a bursary, do I need to do two forms?
No, you can enter one application form and include all the children who are applying as ‘applicants’ on the form.
How do I get online statements?
NatWest online
Downloading PDF Statements and Mail | NatWest Support Centre
In the app it’s just under Statements !
RBS Online
Request a Copy of Your Bank Statement | RBS Support Centre
Downloading PDF Statements and Mail | RBS Support Centre
Barclays Online & App
View Online Statements | Barclays
HSBC
How To Get A Bank Statement | Online Statements – HSBC UK
Lloyds Banking Group
Download statements | Statements | Lloyds Bank
Halifax
View or download statements | Statements | Halifax
TSB
View and download statements | How to guides | TSB Bank
Nationwide
Santander UK
Santander Online Banking – your online banking statements (youtube.com)
Testimonials
“Whatever the outcome, I can rest assured that you will convey a full and complete picture of our financial circumstances to the school on our behalf.”
Bursary Assessment Associates
Company Number 11078885
ICO Reference Number A8422092