GDST schools have a proud history of providing financial assistance towards school fees, ensuring that girls from all backgrounds have been able to access a GDST education.
Today, GDST is a leading provider of bursary provision in the UK with 10% of girls in our 22 independent senior schools from Year 7 through to Year 13 receiving financial support.
How to apply for a bursary
- Step 1: Complete school application form
Complete a school application form to register your daughter indicating that you would like to apply for financial assistance. You will be provided with access to the online bursary site. Individual school application forms can be accessed via school websites which can be accessed by visiting our ‘Find a school’ page.
- Step 2: Declaration of income and assets
Once registered on the site you will be able to access a form to allow you to share information about your financial situation.
You will need to provide proof of your income and assets, such as P60s, payslips, HMRC Self-Assessment forms, bank statements for all accounts held, mortgage statements, council tax bills, or recent benefit paperwork. These should be uploaded when you complete the application form. Please be aware that you will not be able to submit your application until both sections have been completed. All applications for a Bursary must be submitted before the deadline outlined on the school website.
- Step 3: Assessing your eligibility
The GDST will assess your eligibility for a bursary. The GDST then lets the school know whether you qualify and the maximum amount of financial assistance we can offer you.
For example:- If your family’s assessable income and resources are below £102,000 a year (£107,500 for London schools), you may be eligible for some support. For families with an annual income under £44,000 (£49,500 for London schools), with no assets a full bursary may be offered. However, please be advised that the amount of support is determined by a sliding scale and other eligibility criteria.
- Your child’s academic performance will be a key consideration when the school is deciding whether or not to award a bursary.
- Step 4: Confirmation of decision
If you are eligible and the school feels your daughter would thrive there, the school will send you details of the bursary award it can offer your family at the same time it offers your child a place. Please note that all GDST bursary awards are subject to an annual reassessment and renewal process to take account of any significant changes in family income and circumstances. A bursary award may go up or down to reflect such changes. This ensures those most in need continue to receive our support.
(If you have experienced any significant changes to your income during the current year, this will only impact the bursary award for the next academic year.)
Our bursary programme is built on three pillars
Impact Report
Bursary FAQs
- What is the difference between a bursary and a scholarship?
The key difference is that a bursary is means-tested and a scholarship isn’t. We offer bursaries so that a GDST education is accessible to the best and the brightest girls, including those who are not in a position to pay full fees.
A bursary takes into account academic ability, but its value is directly related to the income and financial resources of the pupil’s family.
Scholarships are awarded purely on academic (or sporting, or artistic, or musical) merit, as measured in a competitive entrance exam, and take no account of family income or resources.
- Who can apply for a bursary?
GDST bursaries are available to any student aged 11 or over at a GDST senior school. The vast majority of GDST bursaries are allocated on entry either to Year 7 or to the Sixth Form (Year 12).
- How much is a bursary worth?
Bursaries range from 30% to 100% of fees; however, the amount of any bursary award depends on local demand and the funding available. Students in receipt of a full bursary award will also get help to meet the costs of uniforms, lunches, travel and trips, allowing them to make the very most of the opportunities offered by their school.
Bursaries may also be given alongside school scholarships.
- Who is eligible for a GDST bursary?
To assess who is eligible for a bursary, we consider a range of objective criteria, including the income and capital resources of the families applying. It is anticipated that bursary awards will last for the duration of the student’s time at school.
We re-assess bursary awards every year to take account of any significant changes in family income and circumstances. A bursary may go up or down to reflect such changes. This ensures those most in need continue to receive our support.
We aim to award higher-value bursaries to pupils from families with a total income and resources of less than £44,000 per year (or £49,500 for London Schools).
We would not be able to award a bursary to a family whose annual income and resources is greater than £102,000 (or £107.500 for London schools)
- What is the timeline for applying for a bursary?
Bursary applications for girls who are planning to join a GDST school in Year 7 and Year 12 take place in the Autumn term. Please contact the relevant school for the deadline to apply.
For children who already have a GDST bursary, the bursary is renewed in the Spring term of every academic year.
- How do I apply for a bursary?
Please visit the relevant school’s website and complete a school application, this will allow you to access the bursary application link.
If your child is a current pupil (outside the main entry points of Year 7 and Year 12) requiring financial assistance, please get in touch with the Head of your school before applying, failure to do so may result in your application not being assessed.
If your child is a current pupil (outside the main entry points of Year 7 and Year 12) requiring financial assistance, please get in touch with the Head of your school before applying, failure to do so may result in your application not being assessed.
- Could a bursary be withdrawn?
Very rarely, the school may withdraw a bursary award if, for example, you provide inaccurate information, or your child’s behaviour or work is unsatisfactory.
