Admissions
Bursaries at St Columba's
St Columba’s School is committed to providing an exceptional education to promising students, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances. Our Impact Fund aims to ensure that financial barriers do not prevent able and ambitious young people from benefiting from, and contributing to, our school community.
Who Can Apply for a Bursary?
Bursaries are means-tested awards that provide financial assistance with school fees. For our school we expect our bursary support for 2026/27 will typically range from 10% to 50% of fees for each qualifying pupil.
We accept applications for bursaries for new pupils entering from J1 to SVI; however, priority is given to pupils applying for entry to Transitus or the Senior School. Support for Junior School pupils is extremely limited and early application is critical. Pupils already attending St Columba’s School are also eligible to apply for a bursary if a significant degree of financial need has arisen within the family.
The Application Process
We only offer a limited number of Bursary awards to new students each year, to enable us to maintain our support for current pupils. Bursary awards are determined based on evidence of financial need, the pupil’s performance to date and throughout the admissions process.
We use a third-party finance system to allow families to discretely and securely submit their details and to enable unbiased review of all financial information.
Applications are currently open for August 2026 entry. As bursary spaces are limited, all bursary applications must be submitted by 3rd December 2025 to enable time for review before offers are sent out in February.
Please note that we limit our year group sizes to ensure small classes and personalised attention for every student, but this means that spaces are limited at each stage of entry, so please don’t delay on submitting your application.
Bursary awards are reviewed annually to ensure that financial needs are being met appropriately. There is an expectation that all recipients make a positive contribution to the ethos of the School by upholding the School Values, delivering academic performance to the best of their abilities and taking part in extra-curricular activities.
Steps to Apply
1. Submit an Application for Admission
Complete the online application form and clearly indicate in the relevant section that you are seeking a means-tested bursary.
2. Access the Secure Portal
Upon receiving your admission application, you will be granted access to our secure online Bursary Application Portal.
3. Provide Financial Evidence
You will be required to complete a confidential declaration of your financial circumstances. This involves a thorough review of your family’s financial position, including income, savings, investments, and realisable assets.
4. Assessment
The Bursary Award Committee will make a confidential assessment of the appropriate level of assistance.
Confidentiality
We assure all applicants that the bursary process is strictly confidential. There is no public announcement of the awards, and absolutely no distinction is made between pupils who hold a bursary and those who pay full fees.
Bursary awards are generally intended to continue throughout a child’s time at the Senior School. However, they are reviewed annually by the Awards Committee to ensure:
- Continuing financial need.
- The recipient maintains satisfactory standards of academic achievement, behaviour, and commitment to school life.
Next Steps
To discuss our bursary provision in more detail, or to find out if your child may be eligible, please contact our Admissions Team.