Industry News
Scholarship funds moved to aid poorer students
Posted on 13th November 2007
Top private schools are diverting funds from scholarships designed to help the brightest children into bursaries for those who cannot afford the fees, a new survey has revealed.
A report on 12 of Britain's most successful schools by the Financial Times has found that most have cut back on scholarships to free up funds for poorer children.
This comes ahead of the Charity Commission's tightened requirements for schools wishing to retain their charitable status which launch in 2008.
However, many headteachers have denied the move is in response to the commission's demands, the newspaper reported.
"Whatever their motive, schools have changed the way they give money, leaving many parents disappointed and others elated," it stated.
The Independent Schools Council reports that during 2007, more than 31 per cent of pupils at its member schools received help with fees, amounting to more than £300 million in assistance.
It claims that the increasing number of children being helped this way is a trend which began in the early 1990s.
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