Grants

What grants are available and who gives them?

The Ministry of Defence, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and other government departments sometimes give grants to enable children whose parents are working abroad to attend boarding schools in the UK. This is particularly helpful as it provides continuity of education for children whose parents may be posted overseas for varying periods and ensures that progress towards important exams is not interrupted.

Under the government's Drama and Dance Award scheme (DaDA), pupils aged 16+ may qualify for grants to attend a specialist private dance and drama schools.

Local authority grants towards the costs of boarding school fees are available occasionally for children for whom the local authority cannot provide an appropriate education, such as exceptionally gifted and talented students, or those with special needs. Each case is considered individually and funds are limited.

Finally, multinational companies and certain professional associations sometimes provide educational funding.

Grant Giving Trusts

Charitable grant-making trusts can sometimes help, but only in cases of genuine need. Examples include:

a) The need to board where the home environment is unsuitable due to, for example, the disability or illness of a lone parent or of the child's sibling(s).

b) Family catastrophe, such as death of a parent, when the child is already attending school.

c) The need for continuity when a pupil is part of the way through an examination course and a change in family circumstances might cause withdrawal from the school.

d) Special education need where there is a recognised learning handicap, not catered for within the state sector, and which is causing the child severe distress as well as social problems.

Only the most serious cases can be helped by the Grant Giving Trusts as they maintain that special educational needs are the responsibility of the local educational authority. Your local library is a good place to find the names of charitable trusts, such as The Musicians Benevolent Fund.