A recent study was conducted regarding the capability of private schools (independent schools) to provide bursaries (places, grants and scholarships) to poorer children as legally required by the Charity Commission.

The conclusion was most of the private schools offer less places and student aid compared to less prestigious schools.

According to the Sutton Trust report, more than a quarter of the private schools offer less than 5 percent of their total income in places and student aid. And one in eight allocates less than 3 percent of their total income for bursaries.

The Stafford University’s Institute for Education Policy and Research analysis of financial accounts of 348 private schools in 2008 showed that private schools devoted only 7.8 percent of their total income for scholarships of students form poorer families.

And highly ranking prestigious private schools (between 1 and 70 by the NY Times) spend only 4.3 percent comparing to less reputational schools (ranked between 211 and 280) which set asides 7.2 percent for scholarship purposes for poorer students.

The said reason behind the conflict is the tendency of prestigious schools to ignore bursaries (which can also be a form of marketing) because they have strong marketing influence due to their popularity while less popular private schools tries hard to gain market share through scholarship for poorer families.

Provisions have been given to private schools obliging them to provide charitable work by offering student places and student aid excluding then usual community service. Unfortunately last year, two independent prep schools have been found deficient in providing places for poor families.

In defense, Independent Schools Council (ISC) commented that the Charity Commission came into a narrow approach of the provisions and requested a review on the guidelines.

And ISC Head of Research Rudolf Eliott Lockhart found no relation between a private school’s bursaries (student aid) and its ranking. He also added that bursaries will depend on many factors including parent donations and schools operating expense.