A bursary can save you a fortune in school fees

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Over 30 per cent of children receive help with school fees, whether that is from a scholarship or a bursary from the school itself. The good news is that bursaries are on the increase since the government’s ruling via the Charity Commission that private schools that are registered charities must offer more free or subsidised places to children from low income families. This is inkeeping with the tradition of private schools, many of which were founded along charitable lines.

Dulwich College in London was established in the early 17th century for poor scholars aged from six to 18. Its founder, Edward Alleyn, stipulated that each pupil should wear a coat made from ‘a good cloth of sad colour’ and that they should dine on boiled beef, cheese, loaves and apple pie. Rations were increased on ‘gawdy dais’ and three days a week the pupils enjoyed ‘beere without stint’.

Clearly much has changed (and the beer may not be on tap), but Dulwich is one of a number of schools that is using its assets to become 'needs blind'. In other words, it will offer places to pupils based on merit not ability to pay, thus creating more 'free places' for bright but poor children. Graham Able, the master, comments: “We originally thought that it would take us 30 years to reach a fully needs-blind admission process but we now think it may be possible to get there in 15." The school will fund this initiative through its endowment income of £2.3 million a year, which is generated from the Dulwich estate.

Free places at top schools

Last year Eton announced a fundraising drive to raise £50 million to subsidise "academically gifted" boys whose parents could not afford the fees. Benenden School in Kent, where the Princess Royal was educated, has set up a Trust to raise money to create a number of 100 per cent free places offered to local primary school children. These will be means-tested and last for seven years, subject to yearly review.

City independents also offer a wide range of assistance for pupils. At Manchester Grammar School, 200 boys now receive full or part bursaries. Assistance is given on a sliding scale for those parents who have an income of £36,250 or more that can be assessed. Boys whose parents have an income of less than £16,200 will receive full assistance. At the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle, bursaries are means-tested and can provide up to 100 per cent assistance with fees.

Clearly it's not all about altruism: private schools gain huge tax breaks through their charitable status and through offering places based on ability the schools will ensure they attract the academic crème de la crème. During the credit crunch, though, bursaries in particular may help families who are feeling the pinch to keep their children in the private system until they finish their exams. They're also a lifeline to those in need or going through a time of crisis, as our case study illustrates.

Source: Gail Dixon is the editor of http://www.tom-brown.com/ - the essential guide to choosing a school in the UK

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Record applications drive competition for UK universities

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Record numbers of pupils are applying for university or aspire to attend, according to new research. Around 77 per cent of students aged 11 to 16 believe it likely that they will go into higher education, up from 72 per cent in 2008, and Ucas reports that university applications are up 10 per cent this year.

This rise in applications has created a shortfall in places of up to 52,000. Educationalists believe that an increase in the number of mature students applying to do a degree has placed added pressure on university entrance (applications from British over-25s are up 22 per cent year on year). There are, however, only 3000 extra places available at British universities this year, and the Government has capped this number to limit spending.

British students also face stiff competition from superb EU students keen to study in Britain. Data released in June revealed a surge of 16.4 per cent in such applications this year and that many were coming from France and Germany.

The consequences for those UK pupils who fail to get the grades in August could be dire, as Vice Chancellors warn of tightening in entrance criteria and a decrease in the number of places handed out through clearing.

Dr Helen Wright, headteacher of leading independent school St Mary's, Calne, comments: "It has been increasingly tough for school leavers to get into university for the past few years. As a result, I think it is very important for university to be a conscious and considered choice for school leavers. Too many people just fall into university rather than think carefully about whether they really want to go, what it will mean for them for the next few years, and what they hope to get out of it.

"The drop out rate is high on far too many courses, and this wastes everyone's time. Schools should be very active in helping potential students really understand their choices and what they want to do with their lives, as well as supporting them to help them find either the course or career path that best suits them."

What is university for?

Dr Martin Stephen, High Master of St Paul's School in London, believes that collectively we have not given enough consideration to the function of university. "It's short-termism. We have sent hundreds of thousands of people to university without asking ‘what is a university for' and ‘what is a degree for'? Is it to prepare people for a top-level job; is it to provide the next generation of research students; is it a finishing school or is it a way of keeping people off the dole?

"The problem is, university has become market-driven instead of having a social drive. For example, we need more engineers and science students in the UK and fewer media studies graduates, but it now comes down to what the applicant wants to study not what the country needs."

Dr Stephen is seeing worrying social trends emerging among young people as a result of this lack of focus. "There's a lot of dissent from young people with good degrees and poor job prospects. You end up with huge numbers of graduates with massive debts working in McDonald's selling hamburgers for a manager who, as a peer, left school at 18 and decided not to go to university."

Debt defying

Clearly, the current economic downturn and scarcity of graduate jobs has spurred more children on to aim for higher education. It's notable, also, that only 13 per cent of the children surveyed by The Sutton Trust were "worried about getting into debt as a student" in comparison with 20 per cent of respondents last year.

The survey also revealed that children do not think they're getting enough information from teachers about going into higher education. Around 31 per cent said they are either getting "not very much information" and nine per cent said that they got "none at all".

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, says: "While it is encouraging that three quarters of young people aspire to university, less than half that number currently end up in higher education and those from poorer families are the least likely to progress. So we need to offer more support to young people throughout their education so that they are in a position to realise their ambitions at 18 and beyond."

source: http://httparticles.com/Art/1823/215/Record-applications-drive-competition-for-UK-universities.html