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Bursaries and scholarships

Bursaries make independent schools possible for families who cannot pay full fees. This page covers how they work, who qualifies, how to apply, and what families should realistically expect from means testing at Dulwich College, Trinity School and Whitgift School.

Bursaries vs scholarships

The two are different. Bursaries reduce or remove the fees for families who cannot afford the full amount; they are means-tested and assessed on the family's financial circumstances. Scholarships are awarded for academic or co-curricular excellence — usually a modest discount or token honour, not a significant contribution towards fees.

At all three schools, scholarships are awarded at the school's discretion as part of the offer process. Families do not apply for them separately. The financial route for families who need substantial fee assistance is the bursary.

The Whitgift Foundation — Trinity and Whitgift

Trinity School and Whitgift School both sit within the Whitgift Foundation, a charitable trust dating back to 1596 that exists to fund education in Croydon. The Foundation's endowment funds substantial bursary provision at both schools.

Key points:

  • Genuine support — bursaries through the Foundation can cover a significant portion of fees, in some cases approaching full fee remission for families with limited means.
  • Separate assessment — although the Foundation administers bursaries for both schools, awards are assessed independently for Trinity and Whitgift.
  • Means-tested — household income, assets, savings, property equity, dependants and outgoings are all considered.
  • Annual review — bursary awards are renewed each year based on updated financial information.

Dulwich College's bursary programme

Dulwich College has its own bursary programme, smaller in scale than the Whitgift Foundation's but still significant for the families it supports. The principles are the same — means-tested, declared at registration, with financial documentation required as part of the application.

Because the Dulwich bursary community is proportionately smaller, families considering this route should ask the admissions office directly about the size of typical awards and the range of family circumstances supported.

How the application process works

1. Declare at registration

Every school we cover requires a bursary application to be declared at the point of registration in the autumn of Year 5 or early Year 6. You cannot apply for a bursary after receiving an academic offer. Marking the bursary box at registration does not commit you to accepting an award; it keeps the option open.

2. Submit financial documentation

The Foundation and Dulwich will both ask for:

  • Recent payslips for both parents (or evidence of self-employment income — SA302 tax assessments or equivalent).
  • P60 forms for the most recent tax year.
  • Bank statements for current and savings accounts, typically for the last three to six months.
  • Details of property, mortgages and other significant assets.
  • Details of dependants and significant outgoings.

The schools take the assessment seriously. They are not looking to catch families out — but they are looking for an accurate picture. Be organised and consistent. Inconsistencies between documents are the most common cause of awkward follow-up conversations.

3. Academic offer and bursary offer arrive separately

Academic decisions are usually made first, on the basis of the papers and interview. The bursary award is then confirmed separately, sometimes in the same week and sometimes a fortnight later.

Receiving a place subject to bursary support is not unusual — it means the school wants the child but the financial assessment is still being finalised. Read the offer letter carefully so you understand which decisions are confirmed and which are pending.

4. Acceptance and ongoing review

Once both letters are in, families have until the school's acceptance deadline to confirm. Bursary awards are reviewed annually — the school will request updated financial information each year to confirm the level of support.

What to think about beyond fees

A bursary covers tuition fees. It does not always cover everything else. The total cost of attending an independent school includes:

  • School uniform — full kit, including PE and games kit.
  • Sports kit specific to teams (rugby, cricket, hockey).
  • Music lessons, if pursued, and instrument hire or purchase.
  • School trips — day trips, residential trips, language exchanges.
  • Stationery, equipment, lunch costs at some schools, and the practicalities of commuting.

Some bursary packages cover some of these costs. Ask the school directly what their bursary package includes — they are used to the question and the answer matters for budgeting.

What to expect in the bursary conversation

Schools talk to bursary families with discretion and respect. The conversation is about understanding your circumstances, not interrogating them. Helpful approaches:

  • Be calm and factual. Long stories about financial difficulty distract from a straightforward picture.
  • Be honest. If your circumstances are complex — self-employed income, an inheritance, a family business — explain it directly.
  • Be specific about commitment. If a bursary makes a place possible, say so clearly.

The phrase that serves most families well: "We are applying for bursary support because we cannot afford the full fees without it. We've provided full financial information, and if support makes a place possible we are fully committed to the school and to our child being an active member of it."

The fees question at Whitgift

Whitgift specifically asks parents in interview whether they are comfortable with the fees, including for non-bursary families. This is not adversarial — the school wants to know the family has thought about the full cost of attendance. A direct, honest answer is the right one.

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