• What is a bursary?

  A bursary is financial help towards the payment of school fees and is awarded to pupils who have been offered a place at the school but who would not be able to take up the place without financial support.

  The value of a bursary ranges between a 10 and 50% reduction in school fees, dependent of family circumstances.

  Our bursaries are means-tested and reviewed annually.
• When should I apply?
  Applications are accepted between 1st September and 1st December before the year of entry (or the academic year the award is required if your child is already at the College). Applications after this date will be considered for the following academic year (e.g. applications received in late December 2024 will be considered for September 2026). This timeline allows the College to review all applications fairly and to notify families in the spring term. Sadly, after this date it is unusual for there to be funds available for the coming academic year.
• Is there a maximum income for bursary applicants?
  The College does not have an income scale linked to bursary awards. When assessing a bursary, we consider the applicant’s broader financial circumstances, including income, savings and other investments such as the value of any property.
• What costs will be covered by the bursary?
  Bursaries are remission on school fees only. They do not cover any extra costs such as uniform or equipment.
• Will making a bursary application affect our child’s application to the College?
  No. The College offers places to children based on the criteria contained in our admissions policy. The bursary application process is separate and will not affect the outcome of your child’s entrance assessment.
• How does the application process work?
  Applications are accepted between 1st September and 1st December before the year of entry (or the academic year the award is required if your child is already at the College). We use an independent company, Bursary Administration Ltd (BAL,) to help us with the bursary assessment process. The financial information that you provide in your application is used to establish the level of assistance that you will require to be able to accept a place at LWC for your child. Your financial information will be submitted using the College’s online bursary application portal. When you apply for a bursary, you will be sent an email inviting you to set up an account and provide information about your income, expenditure, assets, and liabilities. You can save your application at any time and return to it later by logging back into your account. Once you have submitted your financial information, you will be asked to upload your supporting documentation. A list of the documents you will need to provide such as recent payslips, P60s, business accounts, and bank and credit card statements is included in the guidance notes on the portal. Applications are not complete until the documents have been uploaded. Finally, you will be asked to arrange a call with BAL who will talk you through the information you have provided in order to make sure they understand the full financial picture before they make their recommendation to us. All BAL staff are appropriately trained and vetted staff and complete confidentiality is guaranteed.
• Which parent should make the application?
  We require full financial information from all those with legal parental responsibility for the child, including details of anybody else contributing financially to the household. Where applicable, the assessment process considers the cost of maintaining two households and any maintenance paid for children of a previous marriage.

  • Where both parents live at the same address you should complete a single application.
  • Parents who are separated or divorced will be asked to submit separate applications. The bursary cannot be assessed until both applications have been submitted. To enable the assessment process to run smoothly, it is important that parents are in agreement about making the bursary application, so it is advisable to discuss this between yourselves before applying for a bursary. The parent initiating the bursary application will be sent the link to the online bursary application portal. As part of the initial account set up, details of the second parent including an email address must be provided. The second parent will then be sent an invitation to set up a separate account linked to the child. Information provided by one parent will not be visible to the other.
• What do we need to include in the application?
  You will need to provide details of your current income, a detailed breakdown of your expenditure, and details of your assets and liabilities, including your family home and mortgage, any other properties owned, current bank balance and savings accounts, and any loan agreements. If you run your own business, we will also need information about your income from that business using your latest available accounts. You must be as accurate as possible on the form so that we can make a fair assessment of the amount of financial support you need.
• What if we own property jointly or have joint income?
  If you own property jointly, have joint bank/savings accounts or joint income and expenses, you can either put the full value under one parent and zero under the second parent, or split the value between both.
• Do we need to get a formal valuation of our property?
  No, you do not need to get a formal valuation. If you have had a recent valuation for other purposes you can use that. We will also accept your own valuation of your property if you also submit evidence to support your valuation for example, using a property valuation website.
• What supporting documentation is required?
  A full list of the supporting documentation required is contained in the guidance notes on the online portal. These include such items as recent payslips and P60s, business accounts, bank statements, credit card statements and loan agreements.
• What if we’ve been offered a bursary but think we still can’t afford the fees?
  The offer of a bursary is discretionary and final. The bursary assessment process looks in detail at your ability to pay fees. The College will base the award it offers your child on its assessment of what you can afford. If the school makes a bursary award, you may find that in order to take up the place you will need to make some adjustments to your spending, use some savings or realise the value of some assets. It is up to you to decide if you are willing to make those adjustments.
• If my child is awarded a bursary will they automatically qualify for a bursary for the rest of their time at the school?
  All bursary awards are subject to annual review and may be varied upwards or downwards depending on parental circumstances and the availability of College funds. If parents/guardians’ circumstances improve, there is an obligation to make the College aware. However, our expectation is that a bursary, once awarded will remain at a similar level if your financial circumstances are unchanged year on year.
• Can a bursary be withdrawn?
  It is unusual for the College to withdraw a bursary for reasons other than an improvement in a family’s financial circumstances. However, deliberate provision of misleading or incorrect information, or a sustained failure to engage with the annual reassessment process could lead to the withdrawal of a bursary award.
• Can I apply for a bursary if my child is already in the school?
  We understand that families sometimes experience a change in their financial circumstances which is outside their control. If this happens, and a child is faced with the prospect of leaving the College at a vital stage of their education, there is a possibility of financial assistance being provided, in defined circumstances, by an external charity, the Sternians’ Trust Fund. In such circumstances, those with parental responsibility are encouraged to contact the Director of Admissions or the Chief Operating Officer.