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%.

Any pupil applying at 11+, 13+ or 16+ (this includes internal pupils moving from the Junior School to the Senior School and from the Fifth Form to the Lower Sixth) 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, and those pupils who have primarily been educated locally to MCS.

All school bursaries are ‘means-tested’ and each family’s financial situation is looked at as part of the bursary application process. The amount of help with fees depends on each family’s circumstances. Family assets, income, liabilities and lifestyle will all be taken into consideration.

As a guide, the following criteria provide an outline of the circumstances in which a household might be eligible for Bursarial support:

• Combined gross income below or in the region of £125,000
• Both parents working, unless prevented from doing so through incapacity or the need to care for children under school age or other dependents.
• Ownership of only one property (with a mortgage) unless for commercial purposes or living in rented accommodation.
• Savings or discretionary spending of less than £10,000 per year, with discretionary spending appropriate to also being in receipt of financial assistance with fees.

The following discretionary spending is not consistent with the receipt of a Bursary award:

• Frequent and/or expensive holidays
• New, leased or luxury cars
• Investment in significant home improvements.

The following factors will also be considered:

• Opportunities to release any capital: significant capital savings and investments would be expected to be used for the payment of school fees as would equity values in property and land holdings
• In cases of separation, the contribution made by the absent parent
• Contribution to household costs by other members of the wider family, by other adults unrelated to the child, or by outside sources
• Where siblings are at other fee-paying schools or places of education, it is expected that those organisations are also offering assistance with fees
• The ability to improve the financial position or earning power of the family subject to the wider family context
• Discretionary support to other family
• Charitable giving

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.

Pupils who receive a bursary of 100% – that is, all their school fees paid for – will also be offered help to pay for extras such as uniform, lunches, trips and exams. Pupils who receive less financial support will need to pay for these but we do keep extras to a minimum to help keep costs down for parents. We may be able to provide support for trips and extra-curricular activities on some occasions.

The Bursary application process is separate to the academic admissions process. Applying for a school 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 most circumstances, the financial circumstances of both parents of an applicant will be assessed.  The School will be guided by any court orders or legal arrangements. Separated or divorced parents may complete a separate online form, if they wish, and the information collected will not be share with the other parent without explicit consent.

Once all entrance tests are complete, families will be notified of confirmed bursary awards when offers are made. However, when possible, 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.

Bursary awards are subject to an annual review of a family’s financial circumstances, with current information required for every year that a child applies for a Bursary.  Bursary awards may be varied up or down depending on financial circumstances.

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 Kate Nicholson ([email protected]) 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.