The Boarding School Allowance (BSA) is a provision for service personnel who opt to educate their children in a UK boarding school. The allowance is to provide continuity of education for children who would otherwise have to move frequently from school to school due to parental postings. The BSA does not cover the full cost of fees. Parents must make a compulsory contribution of 10 per cent, even when the fees are less than the full rate of BSA. In the case of more expensive schools parents may find themselves ' topping up' BSA by as much as 75 per cent of the actual school fees. There will also be significant costs to cover school uniform, visits, etc.
The purpose of this broadsheet is to give information on the financial aspects of boarding education.
Eligibility
Children up to the age of 18 years of age qualify for BSA. However, in exceptional circumstances the relevant single Service MOD Personnel Branch can authorise payment up to 19 years of age.
There is a list of schools which attract the BSA. This list is held by Pay Offices and SCE. Schools on the list fulfil basic requirements. It should be noted that they are not necessarily good schools or that they are particularly recommended by SCE.
Application for the allowance should be made through your local pay or personnel office. Your child's birth certificate and notification of the fees, or a bill for the first term, should be submitted with your initial claim. Subsequent claims should be accompanied by the receipted bill for the previous term.
The responsibility for applying for the allowance each term rests with the parent. Application should be made in good time, (normally 6 weeks) to ensure the allowance is paid before you are required to pay the school. The allowance is normally paid by the 31st August, 31st December, 14th April each year.
It is the parents responsibility to ensure that his child's school bills are paid by the due date.
It is a Service offence to use the allowance for any other purpose than that for which it is paid.
Moving Schools
The BSA is solely to help a service parent provide continuity of education for their child. A parent who removes a child from his/her school without authority may forfeit future BSA entitlement, and be asked to refund funds already received.
There may be special circumstances which justify the moving the child from
a school. The main ones are:
a. Ill heath, unhappiness or expulsion.
b. A substantial and unanticipated increase in fees.
c. A substantial alteration in curriculum and/or standards.
d. Closure or radical alteration of boarding provision.
Weekly Boarding
BSA may be claimed for weekly boarding. However, where only weekly boarding is provided you should ensure that suitable arrangements can be made for weekends, should you be posted overseas. In these circumstances you would not be able to change school to one offering termly boarding.
Sixth Form College, Tutorial College, Colleges of FE
As long as these establishments provide satisfactory boarding accommodation and appear on the admissible list, payment of BSA is eligible.
Overseas Boarding Schools
You can request payment of the BSA for a boarding school overseas through your local pay and personnel office. If approval is given you will be asked to sign a certificate that the child will remain at the school to complete a stage of education irrespective of your future movements.
Day School Allowance
If your child attends a day school while living with relatives or guardian, you may claim a day school
allowance. The provision for claiming the allowance is the same as for claiming a BSA. The allowance is not payable if your child is living at home with you.
Children's Visits to Parents Serving Overseas
Children up to the age of 18 years at school in UK are entitled to 3 free return journeys a year to visit their parents serving on accompanied tours overseas. A child over 18 but under 21 who is receiving full-time education is entitled to one free return journey a year. Parents apply for these visits through their overseas unit.
Additional Financial Assistance
Many parents chose schools which cost more than the BSA , and there is no direct tax relief on these fees. However there are ways in which these extra costs can be reduced. Some of these are summarised below:
a. Life assurance. Parents can take out a form of endowment policy to provide for school fees. Income or capital sums derived from such policies are normally tax free.
b. Educational Trusts. A capital sum can be invested through an educational trust. It provides tax advantages, payments from it for school fees are tax free, and it is not tied to a particular school.
c. Schools Offering Scholarships & Bursaries Children of high academic potential are offered scholarships at some boarding schools. Some schools also offer financial concessions for service children and siblings placed in the school etc. Cathedral schools also offer substantial reductions to children who are musical. Even when no bursaries are advertised most schools are prepared to be flexible in individual cases.
d. Sixth Form Scholarships The three services offer sixth form scholarships to enable pupils to stay on at school until then enter Service training establishments. These scholarships are awarded for two years after which acceptance is guaranteed provided the appropriate qualifications are achieved and medical standards satisfied.
SCE can provide specialist advice and assistance on many aspects of education. For further information please contact:
