Bursaries

A bursary is a reduction in the fees charged by the School to parents for a child’s education. The reduction can range from 10% up to 100%.

Hear the Bursar, Mrs Alexandra West, explain more about bursaries:

Any pupil applying at 11+, 13+ or 16+ who meets the academic standard of entry and where there is a genuine financial need for assistance with fees. Bursaries are not awarded to pupils on admission to the Junior School.

Overseas applicants are not normally eligible to apply for a bursary. MCS prioritises those pupils already living in the vicinity of the School, particularly those in the socio-economically deprived postcodes of Oxford.

All bursaries are ‘means-tested’. The amount of help with fees depends on each family’s circumstances. Family assets, income, liabilities and lifestyle will all be taken into consideration.

Where demand exceeds funds available for bursaries, awards will be made on the basis of the applicant’s potential and performance in the entrance exam.

In addition, each pupil to whom support is offered must, in the opinion of the Master, be likely to make sound academic progress following admission and possess the potential to develop the quality of their work, and benefit from participation in the wider, extra-curricular activities on offer at the School.

Families awarded a full bursary place (100% of fees) will receive assistance with school lunches, field trips, and extra costs such as examination fees.

Applying for a bursary will never negatively impact the likelihood of a pupil being awarded a place.

Bursaries are ‘means-tested’ which means they take into account a financial need, whereas Scholarships recognise achievement regardless of financial need.

In the first instance, please register your child via our Admissions Registration Form no later than 30 September 2023 for 16+ and 31 October 2023 for all other Senior School year groups and indicate that you would like to apply for a bursary.

You will then be sent a link to the secure online Bursary Application Form. This must be completed by Tuesday 31 October 2023 for 16+ applicants and 7th November 2023 for all other Senior School year groups. 

Means-testing is conducted in partnership with a third party Bursary Assessment Associates. Parents are required to provide evidence of their financial circumstances and a representative from BAA will either visit you at home or meet with you online.

The application process is covered in detail in our Financial Assistance with Fees Policy.

Bursaries are reviewed annually and the award may be varied upwards or downwards, depending on your circumstances.

Once all entrance tests are complete, families will be notified of confirmed bursary awards when offers are made. However, we aim to give an indication of whether a pupil’s circumstances meet the financial criteria for a bursary before the entrance exam, subject to paperwork being submitted on time.

MCS also has a hardship fund which is intended to assist existing pupils when a change in circumstances for parents or guardians results in difficulty meeting fees, and may result in the child being withdrawn part way through a stage of education. We do not expect to provide a hardship award within the first year of a pupil joining MCS and they are not generally available to pupils in the Junior School unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Please speak to the Bursar, Mrs Alexandra West (bursar@mcsoxford.org) if you wish to apply for a hardship award.

Bursaries are always treated confidentially. Those responsible for awarding your child’s bursary will know, but it is up to each family whether they would like to share information about the bursary.