SCHOOL FEES GRANT SCHEME GUIDELINES
The aim of the Trust’s School Fees Grant Scheme is to help meet the costs of schooling for children and young people with acute needs that cannot in practice be met within the state education system.
The Trust’s assistance is available solely to children and young people who are facing severe social, emotional or health problems.
Short-term help is sometimes also available to enable children and young people to remain at a fee-paying school at a time of acute distress caused by the serious illness or death of a parent.
The Trust’s assistance is available solely to children and young people who are facing severe social, emotional or health problems.
Short-term help is sometimes also available to enable children and young people to remain at a fee-paying school at a time of acute distress caused by the serious illness or death of a parent.
Two forms of assistance are given:
Help with fees at a boarding school
Assistance is given when it is impossible for the fundamental social and personal needs of the child or young person to be met fully within the home. Such a situation may arise either because of the nature of the needs of the child or young person or because of the age or ill-health of those responsible for providing a home for the child or young person.
Help with day fees
Assistance with fees as a day pupil is only offered when serious loss of self-esteem, suicidal tendencies or chronic school phobia has resulted from the failure of the state system to meet the needs of the child or young person, or to protect them from damaging situations, such as bullying.
Age Limits
In the majority of cases, help is given during the secondary phase of education.
We can consider:
- Adopted children and young people;
- Children and young people cared for by grandparents, other relatives or friends;
- Children and young people from single parent families;
- Children and young people of secondary school age;
- Children and young people with two carers, where one is severely incapacitated through illness or disability, or is terminally ill.
We cannot assist:
- Children or young people with two able bodied carers/adults in the home;
- Children or young people who are looked after by a local authority or Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland;
- Children or young people who do not have settled status in the UK or who are normally resident abroad;
- Children or young people whose parental preference is for a particular type of education.
Assessment criteria
When it is clear that the needs of the child or young person meet the Trust’s criteria, we still need to be satisfied that an appropriate school has been chosen. With this in mind, we will examine whether:
The facilities and ethos of the school are likely to meet the specific needs of the child or young person;
The level of fees is such as to give a realistic expectation that they can be met, perhaps with support from other grant-making trusts.
The level of fees is such as to give a realistic expectation that they can be met, perhaps with support from other grant-making trusts.
We cannot provide a grant when:
It appears that there is a reasonable possibility that the needs of the child or young person could be met within the state system, perhaps through a change of school;
A school has been chosen solely to cater for a child or young person with outstanding intellectual abilities, artistic talent or sporting prowess;
The sole grounds are that the child or young person has some form of learning difficulty for which special facilities may be available at a fee-paying school.
A school has been chosen solely to cater for a child or young person with outstanding intellectual abilities, artistic talent or sporting prowess;
The sole grounds are that the child or young person has some form of learning difficulty for which special facilities may be available at a fee-paying school.
How to apply for a school fees grant
Apply in writing, giving full details, including the following:
- The date of birth of the child or young person;
- A description of the general family circumstances;
- An account of the particular problems faced by the child or young person and the reasons why a particular school has been chosen (if this stage has been reached);
- Copies of relevant reports by professionals (such as doctors, educational psychologists and teachers).
Correspondence should be addressed to the Trust’s office address relevant to the place of residence of the child or young person. See link to Contact Details below.
What will happen next?
All applications are processed by the Trust’s office in the country in which the applicant resides.
If it is decided that there is a possibility that the Trust may be able to offer support, the applicant will be asked to complete a form giving detailed information about the finances of the family. When this has been received, one of the Trust’s Casework Managers will visit the family home to discuss the application in more detail.
If it is decided that there is a possibility that the Trust may be able to offer support, the applicant will be asked to complete a form giving detailed information about the finances of the family. When this has been received, one of the Trust’s Casework Managers will visit the family home to discuss the application in more detail.