Means-Tested Bursaries for Entrants to Form 1 in August 2012

 

Dollar Academy’s Board of Governors is committed to assisting deserving children by way of a means-tested Bursary Scheme. Although the fund for supporting bursaries is growing, resources are limited and awards will be determined on the basis of greatest financial need.

 

The Bursary Scheme

The Academy welcomes applications on behalf of prospective pupils, and Junior 2 pupils, who are about to enter Form 1 and cannot afford to pay the fees, either in full or in part. All bursary applications will be means-tested and, as the personal circumstances of parents vary considerably, the financial criteria for qualifying for a bursary will not be disclosed, and will remain confidential to the Academy.

 

The award of a bursary is subject to satisfactory performance in the January Entrance Test and, if demand for bursaries exceeds the available funds, bursaries will be awarded in accordance with ranked performance in the Entrance Test.

 

Day Pupils: Awards may be up to 100% of the tuition fee, but some may be considerably less.

 

Boarding Pupils: A limited level of means-tested bursary provision is also available to new Form 1 boarders. In the majority of cases the maximum award will be a 50% reduction in the boarding element of the fee; the tuition fee must be paid in full. In a limited number of the most deserving cases, based on the information provided in the means-test application, the boarding fee may be waived, and the tuition fee may either be waived or reduced.

 

In all cases, the amount awarded is applied by amendment of fee accounts and no payment is made to parents. Subject to continued satisfactory academic performance, and observance of the Academy’s rules and regulations on behaviour and conduct, the award will apply for the duration of a pupil’s registration at the Academy. Additional payments may be made to assist with other costs, such as participation in local trips and events. Charges for participation in overseas excursions and co-curricular activities, and daily travel to and from the Academy, are the responsibility of parents. Support with buying uniform and other required items may be made available on application, on a biennial basis. Proof of purchase will be required.

Please be aware that awards may be reduced or withdrawn should a family’s financial position improve, and the Bursar reserves the right to request that families provide updated information on their financial position at any time.

 

How to Apply

If your child is not currently a Dollar Academy pupil, you must first apply for a place at the school by completing an Application for Enrolment form, which includes a bursary application section. The form may be downloaded from the Academy’s website, or requested from the School Office on 01259 742511.  Parents may apply for enrolment subject to the award of a bursary.

 

All applicants must then sit the Entrance Test on Saturday 28th January 2012. Please note that pupils sitting any other test which may be arranged from time to time will not be considered for a bursary.

 

Junior 2 pupils who wish to apply for a Form 1 bursary must also sit the Entrance Test in January, and a request for a bursary should be submitted, in writing, to the Bursar by the day of the test. For Junior 2 pupils, the outcome of the test will be used only in relation to the bursary process, and will not affect progress to Form 1.

 

Please note that all requests for bursary application consideration must either be noted on the relevant section of the Application for Enrolment form (new applicants), or, for existing Junior 2 pupils, made in writing to the Bursar by the date of the entrance test. Requests received after the entrance test will not be considered.

 

Bursary Awards

The Rector will write to all new applicants confirming the offer of a place at the Academy, or otherwise, in mid-February. The Bursar will also write to all bursary candidates, i.e. new applicants who have been offered a place, and Junior 2 applicants, to confirm whether, as a result of the Entrance Test, their request to apply for a bursary has been successful.

The parents of successful bursary candidates will be asked to complete a means-test form, and attach documentary evidence to support the information given on the form. Both the form and documentary evidence must be taken to a Notary Public to be checked and formally signed and stamped, before being returned to the Bursar.

The deadline for receipt of means-test application forms is normally mid-March; parents will be notified of the outcome by the end of March or beginning of April.

There is no course of appeal following the bursary award decision. Unsuccessful applications may be the result of either a lack of evidence of financial need, or insufficient availability of funds. 

 

Other Sources of Bursary Assistance

There are a number of educational and charitable trusts which provide assistance with tuition fees. In the majority of cases these are to assist children who are already attending a school which charges fees and as a result of a change in financial circumstances may be unable to remain there. Furthermore, such trusts tend to be reluctant to commit funds for more than one or two years and, therefore, will be unlikely to consider pupils in Junior School or at the lower end of the Senior School. Nevertheless, the Academy encourages parents to apply for support where it is felt a good case can be made for assistance. Most trusts will contact the Academy to seek information regarding the pupil’s conduct and general performance. Further information on sources of assistance and how to apply may be obtained from the Bursar’s Office.

 

 

All enquires about bursaries should be directed to:
Marion Campbell
Direct line: 01259 740515
Email campbell-m@dollaracademy.org.uk