A bursary is a discount applied to school fees where a pupil’s family or carer(s) do not have the financial means to access a Marlborough education. Depending on family circumstances, a bursary can cover between 5% and 110% of fees. With 110%, help can be provided towards extras such as IT equipment, academic trips, travel costs and uniform. This academic year, there are 47 pupils with free places (100% bursaries) and a further 112 pupils on partial bursaries. In total, at least 10% of the pupil community receives some funding.

I hear OMs and parents use “bursary” and “scholarship” interchangeably, but a bursary is a means-tested award for pupils who would otherwise not be able to attend Marlborough. A scholarship is an honorary award made in recognition of a child’s ability in a specific discipline and which offers no reduction in school fees. Some pupils may receive both a scholarship and a bursary, but they are separate awards.

It is important to us that we are transparent throughout the process. To help us allocate funding fairly, we partner with Bursary Administration Limited (BAL), an impartial third party that reviews a family’s financial circumstances and suggests the level of funding that the child will need to come to Marlborough. The bursary application and assessment process

Applications for bursarial support precede the application process which enables us to treat all pupils the same on assessment days, regardless of their financial circumstances. We are looking for enthusiastic, talented and academically ambitious young people who are eager to throw themselves into College life and make the most of the huge range of opportunities available.

No. Some pupils receive full bursaries, where not only their school fees are covered, but also additional costs to help them fully participate in College life. We want to do all we can to ensure that every pupil, regardless of their financial circumstances, can make the most of everything that Marlborough has to offer.

This academic year, we welcomed a Head of Bursary Pupil Admissions to the College, a new role which is kindly funded by a donor. As we increase the number of bursaries, this person will help us attract children from a wide range of different schools and backgrounds who will benefit from a Marlborough education. The Head of Bursary Pupil Admissions is working with our partners, including primary and secondary schools as well as other organisations, to identify potential applicants. Recently, we have also been exploring new connections with schools further afield and other organisations such as IntoUniversity and Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy (EYLA).

Thanks to your philanthropy, we can offer more pupils a life-changing bursary, allowing them to benefit from everything that Marlborough has to offer. The Campaign aims to increase the number of fully funded places to 100 and, thanks to the generosity of donors, the College now has more resources to attract and care for these pupils to ensure that they will flourish in our care. Thank you to everyone who has supported bursaries so far. Whether you are directly sponsoring a pupil to attend Marlborough or have a monthly direct debit, you are making an enormous difference to the entire Marlborough community.