One of the objects of the OD Union is to raise, manage and administer a Bursary Fund to provide bursaries (where approved) to descendants of ODs so that they may attend Bishops although they would otherwise not be able to afford to do so.
We invite ODs to make use of this facility, on the basis that confidentiality is guaranteed.
The OD Union Committee has approved the following policy in respect of the OD Union Bursary Fund:
- All applications for ODU bursaries must be submitted via the School's admissions office: [email protected]
- Bursaries may only be awarded to the son or adopted son of an OD.
- Admissions must be submitted by the end of June in the year prior to the bursary being applied for. Late submissions will be considered at the discretion of the School’s Scholarship and Bursaries Committee.
- Bursary application forms, which are available from the Admissions Officer must be completed.
- A means test form must be submitted together with every bursary application. Applications submitted without means tests forms will not be considered.
- The means test must indicate that the parent is unable to keep the applicant at Bishops for the period of the bursary being applied for.
- Whilst each application will be judged on its merits, a maximum of RXX 000 per annum will be allocated to a particular family. This maximum amount will be reviewed annually by the Committee.
- Bursaries will generally be considered for College applicants only.
- Bursaries to be allocated on the grounds that the OD is in good standing with the Union and is a fully paid-up member of the Union.
- A bursary awarded in respect of an older sibling will not automatically be transferred to a younger sibling when the older boy leaves the School.
- In order to qualify for the Hoffman-Stemple bursary, the application must be accepted by the trustee of the Hoffman-Stemple Trust.
- The ODU chairman will decide, in conjunction with the Scholarship and Bursaries Committee, as to the recipients of the ODU Paton Scholarship.
- The finance committee of the ODU will determine the total funds that will be made available each year from the ODU Bursary Fund for the provision of bursaries for the following year.
- The Committee will not entertain requests for loans or bridging finance.
- The Chairman of the ODU (or his representative) is mandated by the Committee to allocate, with the input of the school’s Scholarship and Bursaries Committee, the amount made available for bursaries for the following year, as he determines appropriate. The total amount allocated may not be exceeded and the total amount need not be allocated if there are not sufficient qualifying applications.
- Where the amount of bursaries applied for exceeds the amount allocated by the Committee, the ODU Chairman will use his discretion, in consultation with the Scholarship and Bursaries Committee, to divide the amount available between the qualifying applicants, based on the means tests.
- A Bursary recipient is obliged to notify the Admissions Officer that his or her circumstances have changed in an advantageous manner. In order to ensure that the Bursary Funds allocated are employed where most needed, Bursary recipients may be required to undergo subsequent means tests.
- The Chairman of the School’s Scholarship and Bursaries Committee will respond to all applicants for OD Union bursaries.
- The Chairman of the ODU will provide a comprehensive report to the ODU Committee after the school’s Scholarship and Bursaries Committee meeting.
- All applications for ODU Bursaries are treated in the strictest confidence.
