Scholarships & Bursaries

Academic, Sport, Music, Art, Chess and Drama Scholarships are available for 11+ and 16+ entry, as well as means-tested financial bursaries for families who may not be able to afford the fees.

Please note that applications for Scholarships and Bursaries must be indicated at the time of registration on the registration form.

Scholarships

A number of scholarships are available for Senior School and Sixth Form candidates who fulfil the normal academic requirements for entry into the College. Scholarships are awarded at the Headmaster’s discretion, following the appropriate assessment and interview, on the basis of merit to the most able or to candidates who show considerable potential.

At 11+ entry Academic Scholarships are available as well as scholarships to recognise talent and ability in Sport, Music, Drama, Chess and Art. They are awarded on equal basis to students from the Junior School and external applicants.

Sixth Form Academic Scholarships are available to both current Eltham College students and external applicants. Drama Scholarships can be applied for as well as a limited number of Sports, Music, Chess and Art Scholarships.

Check out our scholarship criteria for more information.

Bursaries

Eltham College prides itself on being a welcome home for gifted young people regardless of their financial background and providing bursary support to eligible families has long been an important part of our mission.

Our bursary programme enables talented children from across the community, who could not otherwise afford to do so, to benefit from the excellence of an Eltham education. It is our privilege to provide such children an environment in which each can truly flourish.

“Attending a school like Eltham College I felt more motivated to study. The environment gave me confidence to strive for academic success and to take all the opportunities given to me for self-development. I don’t think I would have had the same experience at another school.”

 

Eligibility and applying for a bursary at Eltham College:

Our bursaries are means-tested, and applications are only accepted for entry into Year 7 and Year 12.

Eltham College is a selective school, and all applicants will be considered on the basis of their performance in the College entrance examinations and at interview. Only students who meet the highest academic standards will be offered a place, whether or not they are applying for a bursary.

If you wish to apply for a bursary, you must indicate this at the time of registration. In due course, you will receive an email providing you with a link to the bursary application portal.

 

Bursary value and funding

The value of any bursary awarded as a proportion of fees will be dependent upon the financial circumstances of your family. The average level of bursary support provided, as of September 2025, is 85%.

In exceptional circumstances, where the school fees are assessed not to be the only financial barrier to families being able to take up a place at Eltham College, our support goes beyond the classroom. Some 100% bursary holders may therefore receive assistance with, amongst other things, the cost of uniforms, lunches and IT equipment.

The programme of transformative bursaries Eltham College offers is largely made possible thanks to the generosity of current and former parents as well as Old Elthamians.

 

Learn more

If you would like to hear from some of our incredibly talented former bursary students and learn about their experience at Eltham College, take a look at our bursary video below.

You can also contact the Admissions team at [email protected] with any further questions.

“Without the support of both an academic scholarship and bursary, I would not have been able to attend Eltham College and I simply would not be where I am today: studying Medicine at the University of Nottingham. The support that I received throughout my application to university was unlike any which I would have received anywhere else. I was supported throughout the whole process with personal statement writing talks, UCAT courses, mock interviews as well as the weekly meetings with other prospective medics and our allocated subject mentor. This enabled me to not only apply to all the universities I wanted, but also to receive offers from all five of them.”