Funding Bursaries
Due to financial circumstances, some children may never get a chance to experience the best opportunities education has to offer. At Loughborough Schools Foundations, bursaries funded by alumni and friends are giving those children that chance.
A gift to help fund bursaries for pupils opens so many doors and ensures that a great LSF educational experience is open to all, regardless of their background.
What is a bursary?
In simple terms, a bursary is financial assistance for a child who has passed an entrance exam to one of our schools but whose parents are unable to pay the fees for them to attend. The bursary is intended to prevent a talented child missing out on a Loughborough Schools Foundation education.
Some bursaries are restricted to particular beneficiaries, such as for children from a specified area (for example the local Shelthorpe Estate) or to pupils in particular year groups (for example Sixth Form bursaries).
Our vision for bursaries
Our vision is to increase the number of bursaries we offer to bright, talented children.
Bursaries have a life-changing impact on those who receive them. They provide the highest quality education and a world of opportunities to children whose families wouldn’t otherwise have the means.
Why help?
Anything should be possible when you’re young. It’s a time when the future is not yet written, yet is full of promise and hope. Some gifted children, unfortunately, aren’t afforded the same hope as others. We are committed to giving an opportunity to those children whose potential far exceeds their financial means. The gift of a good education empowers a child, raises aspirations, fulfils ambitions and transforms lives.
In recent years we have increased the number of bursaries funded by the Foundation’s own income through the generosity of members of the Loughborough Schools Foundation community — particularly our alumni and current and former parents.
Below are some of our former pupils who benefitted from receiving financial assistance. Your support could provide similar opportunities for future pupils.
David Dudeney
Loughborough Grammar School, 2012 - 2019
"When I heard that I would receive a bursary and therefore be able to attend Loughborough Grammar School, I was of course very excited, but I had no idea how profoundly it would impact my life. Going to LGS gave me such a rich and diverse education that I’m still reaping the benefits of today, even with university behind me.
What I’m most grateful for in all of this is not specifically that I got into Cambridge, but rather the way it enhanced my academic experience there. For example, I was able to appreciate Latin and Greek influences in medieval texts, compare the differences between Ancient and Modern Greek, and take the Indo-European linguistics paper in my final year (which I wouldn’t have been able to do at all without A-Level Latin, given that my degree was mainly in German and Russian).
Although all of this is very niche, I believe that the way I have been able to pursue this interest demonstrates how beneficial my education at LGS has been, which in turn was only possible thanks to the bursary I received. Now that I have entered the world of work and my years of (full-time) education are (probably!) behind me, I look back on my time at LGS with thankfulness for the rare opportunities it has given me, both while I was there and after I had moved on."
Amy Li
Loughborough High School, 2009 - 2016
When I found out I’d received the bursary, I was thrilled but also a bit nervous about fitting in. I remember hearing all about the other kids’ weekend activities—horse riding, hockey, netball—sports I’d never tried. But my parents were over the moon, and it felt like all their sacrifices and my hard work had paid off. The bursary was a recognition of my hard work and my parents’ sacrifices, opening doors to an education we had never imagined possible. Ultimately, the bursary made a massive difference, allowing me to attend LHS for all seven years, not just one or two.
If I were to speak to anyone considering supporting bursaries, I would say that it is an investment not only in a student’s education but in their entire future. The bursary I received gave me opportunities I never would have imagined and, looking back, has shaped who I am today. To those who contributed toward my bursary, my gratitude is immense. Their generosity allowed me to grow, learn, and pursue a career in public health and medicine, a career that suits me well, I am passionate about and know makes a difference in society. Without their support, none of this would have been possible, and I am forever thankful."
Jordan Thelan
Loughborough Grammar School, 2003 - 2010
"Going to Loughborough Grammar School was something I would never have had the opportunity to experience without support. It’s definitely the case that my time at the school made the man I’m growing up to be, from being Deputy Head Boy, playing cricket at Headingley and ultimately applying to Oxbridge – the pinnacle for many students. Above all this though, the ethos and grounding the school provides you with, as well as the community spirit, is second to none."
Jaspreet Assi
Loughborough High School, 2002 - 2009
"Loughborough High School provided me with so much more than just an excellent education; it gave me lifelong friends, a nurturing environment and the foundations for shaping my future. I am immensely grateful for the financial assistance which allowed me to complete my A levels, become Head Girl and continue to University. I could not have become the person I am without the High School."
Dr Kishan Patel
Loughborough Grammar School, 2002 - 2010
"I’m very grateful for the financial support I received at the Loughborough Grammar School, without it I don’t think I would have met such great friends, began playing rugby or had the academic foundations to go on and study medicine. Some of the best years of my life were spent around Burton Walks and I will always look back on my younger self with much envy."
How you can help
We welcome donations from individuals, families, groups of school friends and companies. Large or small, as a single donation or a contribution from your monthly salary, your generosity will help shape a child’s future. If you want to find out more about our aspirations for bursaries, contact us by emailing development@lsf.org.