FAQs

Who should parents contact if they have questions about The Beacon Scholarship ?

Parents/Sponsors/Guardians should register and download an Nomination Form. After submission of this Form the Beacon will contact you.

For what levels of education is The Beacon Scholarship available?

The Beacon Scholarship is available for secondary and tertiary education only.

What is the decision-making process on who is awarded a Beacon Scholarship?

For a Schools Scholarship, registration and download of an Nomination Form is the first step. Then once an applicant is Nominated  by the Head of their current school. The Beacon Equity Trust then reviews each Nomination and decides whether or not to invite a candidate to complete an Application Form. Once an application has been completed and returned, it will enter a process where it is considered alongside other applications. A limited number of applicants are invited by The Beacon Equity Trust for assessment and interview. If successful at this stage, parents are asked to undertake Financial Disclosure. Following this, all application information, including parents’ financial disclosure, is forwarded to the selected Beacon School for review and independent assessment. If the school accepts the applicant in principle as a Beacon Scholar, the application joins a pool of shortlisted eligible candidates who have also been approved by the various Beacon Schools. The Beacon Equity Trust then conducts a final review, and a limited number of Beacon Scholarships for Schools are awarded every year.

For a University Scholarship, registration and Nomination from the Head of a candidate's school is required. The Beacon Equity Trust decides whether or not to support a candidate's Nomination. The candidate must then obtain an offer of entry to a participating university before a full Application for a Beacon Scholarship will be considered for entry into a pool of short-listed candidates. The candidate is then assessed and interviewed, and following full Financial Disclosure (to verify eligibility) a joint decision is made between The Beacon Equity Trust and a Beacon University Partner to award  a Beacon Scholarship for University.

How many Beacon Scholarships are awarded each year?

Up to six new Beacon Scholarships for Schools and up to six new Beacon Scholarships for University - spread across seven Partner Universities - are awarded in an academic year. There is strong competition for Scholarships.

Once a Beacon Scholarship is awarded who pays what?

School fees are split three ways: Parents/guardians/sponsors pay 1/3, the Beacon School pays 1/3, and the Beacon Equity Trust pays 1/3. All travel, deposits, uniform, books, stationery and incidental costs are paid by parents. There are no additional allowances provided by The Beacon Equity Trust or a Beacon School. In exceptional cases of financial hardship, some flexibility is possible.

The total cost of Beacon Scholarship for University comprises three elements: annual tuition fees, maintenance/cost of living in the UK (stipend), and an allowance for one return economy airfare from the Scholar's home country. Under the Beacon payment model parents/guardians/sponsors pay 1/3 of the cost, a Beacon University Partner pays 1/3, and The Beacon Equity Trust pays 1/3 of the total cost.

Who pays for any additional costs?

In the case of The Beacon Scholarship for Schools, all 'extras' costs, like uniforms, stationery, excursions, music and drama lessons and any other costs are paid for by the family of the Scholar. Further, all costs levied by schools like Capital Development Levies, Development Costs, Exam Registration Fees etc are the responsibility of parents.

For the Beacon Scholarship for University, The Beacon Equity Trust and University Partner will bear 1/3 each of the total cost of: tuition, maintenance and allowance for one return economy airfare. All other expenses which are not paid for within the maintenance allowance are the responsibility of the Scholar and their Family.

How do you assess whether parents are financially eligible?

For the Schools Scholarship, as a general guideline, gross annual household income should not exceed US $80,000. For the University Scholarship the upper limit of annual gross household income should not exceed US $100,000. These benchmarks are not set in stone, but are designed to ensure that there is a clear financial need on the one hand, and that parents will be able to sustain their commitment to pay one third of educational costs on the other. The Beacon Scholarship is intended to be a pathway to leadership in their home country for young people who otherwise may never have such an opportunity.

Full Financial Disclosure is required for both the Schools and University Scholarships to confirm eligibility. This means that Annual Gross Household Income has to verified by payslips and tax returns.

What should parents do if their financial situation changes?

Immediately advise the Beacon Representative of the change. Failure to do so may result in a withdrawal of the Scholarship.

At what age can a student apply for the Beacon Scholarship?

The Beacon Scholarship for Schools is for young people aged 13-18, and the Beacon Scholarship for University is for students aged 18-21.

Can a child apply at any time during their school career to become a Beacon Scholar?

Yes, for the Schools Scholarship. For the University Scholarship applications can only be considered prior to the beginning of an undergraduate degree, In all cases, Beacon leadership criteria will have to be met.

What is the decision-making time for a Scholarship to be awarded?

Applications will be formally processed after the Closing Date and successful candidates will be informed within 90 days of this date.

See Key Deadlines.

What if an applicant is strong academically, but not good at sport, music or drama?

It is unlikely they will win a Beacon Scholarship. All applicants must clearly be ‘all-rounders’.

How can an applicant demonstrate they will make a leadership contribution to their home country?

We are looking for some evidence that applicants are naturally inclined to make a positive contribution to their home country after they graduate. They must show they want to work in an important career, not be self-serving, pursue an ambitious course of study, and have a positive outlook including a strong inclination towards service in the community.

In addition, they must show they have the traits of a 'Changemaker', ie evidence that they have 'taken people with them', and that they are making a difference now.

Do applicants have to be currently enrolled in a Beacon School in order to apply for a Beacon Scholarship?

No. An application can be made for any student wherever they may be going to school, for both the Schools and University Scholarships provided they are eligible.

Can a student choose which school or university they would like to attend?

The Beacon Equity Trust works with a select group of partner schools and universities and will only provide Beacon Scholarships for students who choose to attend one of these.

Do Beacon Scholars have to go into boarding?

Not necessarily. Each Beacon Scholar's personal circumstances are taken into consideration before recommendations are made. Beacon Schools, between them, offer both day and boarding options .

For the University Scholarship, by necessity Scholars will be residing in either halls of residence, or university-provided accommodation in their first year. There may be options for more independent accommodation arrangements from second year onwards.

What is the purpose of the Mentoring system?

The Mentor needs to perform a positive role as a first port of call for a Beacon Scholar. They should encourage, help and guide the Scholar to achieve targets in the Target Sheet,  as well as counsel them on any decisions or issues they face in day-to-day school life. Mentors of older Scholars should also be able to direct a Scholar to appropriate channels for making decisions about university choices and career planning.

There is a system of Away and Home Country Mentors for Scholars who are studying overseas. For more information on this please consult the 'Mentoring' section in the yellow banner of the website.

How often do Scholars and Mentors meet?

There is no rule for how often a meeting needs to be scheduled, but at minimum for the Schools Scholarship Mentors should meet Scholars three times a term, once at the beginning to set or review targets, once to review progress at the mid-term point, and once near the end of term to review and record performance against targets and establish new targets for the following term. It is expected, however, that Mentors will develop a positive relationship with Scholars, and meet with them at regular intervals throughout the term.

For the University Scholarship, Away Country Mentors should meet with Scholars once a term at minimum. Home Country Mentors need to keep up regular communication with Scholars throughout the year.

What happens if a Beacon Scholar faces problems of any sort?

The first discussion should be with the Beacon Mentor. Steps will then be taken in conjunction with parents/guardians/sponsors and the Beacon Representative to identify the causes of the problem, and recovery strategies implemented to reduce the pressure. 

On what basis can a Beacon Scholarship be withdrawn?

There are five main reasons why Beacon Scholarships are discontinued:

  1. Improvement in financial circumstances of parents, i.e. they can now comfortably afford to pay for their child’s education; it may be possible in this situation for a Scholar to continue as an 'Unfunded Beacon Scholar'.
  2. Discovery that financial disclosure by parents was untruthful;
  3. Non-performance of a Beacon Scholar, i.e. persistent failure to meet targets;
  4. Scholar misconduct;
  5. Failure to achieve entry or continuation academic requirements for school or university.

If a young person is selected as a Beacon Scholar does this mean that after senior school they will automatically receive university funding?

No.  Upon successful completion of a Beacon Scholarship for Schools, Scholars will have to follow standard application processes for university entrance, including applying for scholarships and bursaries available at universities of their choice. The highest performing Beacon Scholars at school level will be eligible to apply for the Beacon Scholarship for University, but they must first obtain entry to a participating university before their candidacy for a Beacon Scholarship can be considered.