School Scholarship Policy Guidelines

1. Introduction and Aims

The intention of The Beacon Changemakers School Scholarship is to enable especially gifted secondary school age young people who are both nationals of, and ordinarily resident in, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, or Zambia to obtain a high-quality education at a Beacon School in their home country, which would otherwise be completely beyond their means.

If you are looking exclusively for scholarship funding, the Beacon Changemakers programme is not for you. Beacon Changemakers offers successful recipients access to holistic leadership development, of which educational funding forms one small part. All participants on the programme will be expected to balance academic achievement with involvement in the other leadership areas, namely Co-curricular, Social Influence & Citizenship.

It is the hope that Beacon Scholars participating in, and completing, a course of secondary study will:

  • Demonstrate throughout their school life the leadership and Changemaker traits and qualities that initially identified them as a Beacon Scholar;
  • Complete their tertiary education and enter their chosen field on a trajectory that will mark them out as a leader in industry, public service or the professions;
  • Ultimately make a significant contribution in their work and personal lives to the development of their home country.

The Beacon Scholarship will be awarded based on the Scholar’s academic achievement, leadership qualities, ‘Changemaker’ capability, and the economic needs of the family.  The successful applicant’s parents/guardians/sponsors will be required to make a contribution to the school fees as important stakeholders in the education of their children: parents/guardians/sponsors will annually contribute 1/3rd of any Beacon School’s published school fees.

2. Eligibility Criteria

Applicants are Nominated by their current School Head and then assessed by a destination Beacon School and The Beacon Equity Trust (BET) for evidence of leadership potential using the following criteria:

  • Academic Excellence

Reports from the applicant’s current school are required as well as a Nomination from the Head. As a general guide, grades should be in the top decile (10%) of performance in an applicant’s age or peer group.

  • Achievement in Sport, Music or Drama

An applicant must demonstrate that they are more than just an active participant in sport, music or drama, with some formal level of proficiency or accreditation.

  • Social Influence and Communication

The applicant must have held a position of responsibility in their school or, failing that, provide some evidence of confidence amongst peers. They will be required to undergo an interview which will give an indication of their aptitudes and personality traits, and to participate in practical assessment exercises to establish their ability to form and develop relationships among peers.

  • Citizenship

An applicant must show through examples that they have helped those less fortunate than themselves, or have done work in the community and are seen as role-models. Unselfishness, kindness and concern for others are key criteria for The Beacon Scholarship and Scholars will be required to show continuing evidence of their efforts in these areas.

  • ‘Changemaker’

Applicants will also need to demonstrate, with examples, that they are a ‘Changemaker’, ie that:

  1. They have the capacity to ‘take people with them’ and
  2. They are already making a difference now, not at some future point in time.

Other Factors:

In addition to the above-mentioned criteria, other factors to be taken into account include:

•      Age – to be considered for The Beacon Scholarship is 13-18 years;

•      Integration potential (which necessarily involves consideration of the applicant’s competence in English);

•      The applicant must be a national of, and ordinarily resident in, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa or Zambia;

•      Financial need – see below ;

•      The likely contribution of the applicant to other areas of school life;

•      Commitment to make a contribution to the development of their home country.

The Beacon Scholarship in South Africa – Trustee Policy:

The Beacon Scholarship is open to South Africans from previously disadvantaged communities. Specifically, this refers to students from communities which were historically disadvantaged due to the policies of Apartheid, which created systemic inequality based on race. The term includes groups that were marginalized and denied access to quality education, resources, and opportunities as a direct result of their ethnicity or race, specifically South Africans of Black, Coloured or Indian heritage.

3. Financial Commitment

The Beacon Scholarship for School is designed as a ‘Joint Venture’ between BET, the Beacon School, and the Beacon Scholar’s family. It is aimed at students from middle income households: parents/guardians/sponsors must be able to fund one third of the tuition fees (and boarding fees where applicable) for a Beacon Scholar, and it is unlikely that parents/guardians/sponsors with an annual gross household income above US$80k will qualify.

Funding of termly tuition fees (including boarding fees where applicable) at a Beacon School is as follows:

•      33.3% Beacon School

•      33.3% Parents/Guardians/Sponsors

•      33.3% The Beacon Equity Trust

The award of a Beacon Scholarship is towards school fees and boarding fees where applicable. Parents/guardians/sponsors are expected to cover additional costs such as the payment of any school deposit, development fees, and other levies; school clothes and stationery; transport; and extras such as school excursions and extra-curricular activities (eg music lessons).

4. Parental Commitment

Parents/guardians/sponsors must be committed both financially and educationally to their child completing their secondary education as a Beacon Scholar. They will be required to:

1.     Complete a confidential Financial Disclosure form. Details of income should be verified by the employer along with up to six months’ payslips. Tax returns for the past year and financial statements certified by an accountant for businesses in which parents/guardians/sponsors may be a proprietor, partner or director will also be required.

2.     Complete a Financial Disclosure form on an annual basis or whenever required by BET.

3.     Disclose any material change in financial circumstances to the Beacon School and BET. Should financial circumstances improve, there may be some re-negotiation of the proportion of fees paid by parents/guardians/sponsors.

4.     Give one full term’s notice to both the Beacon School and BET should parents/guardians/sponsors change their minds about their child continuing as a Beacon Scholar.

  • Pay all fees and invoices related to their share of costs as required by the policies and procedures of the Beacon School.
  • Sign and comply with an Award Condition requiring opening an Education Fund Bank account to be used for the future education costs for the candidate.
  • In the first year of the Scholarship, the Education Fund bank account should contain a minimum balance in it, by 20 June or 15 October for SA Schools, preceding commencement of the Award, of the 1/3 parental share of tuition fees for the next academic year.
  • For the second year of the Award onwards, Pre-pay to the Beacon Partner School the 1/3 parental share of tuition fees for the next academic year from the Education Fund account prior to 20 June, or 15 October for SA schools. Evidence of the Pre-payment will be submitted as part of The Beacon Scholarship Continuation Application each year.

The parent/guardian/sponsor commitment is more than financial.  Parents/guardians/sponsors must become an active part of the team educating the Beacon Scholar. They are expected to take an involved interest in the Beacon Scholar’s progress at the school and to communicate regularly with teachers, attend parent/teacher conferences and participate in school events. They must also communicate regularly and as required with BET.

5. Pastoral Care

The Beacon Mentor at a Beacon School will be the link between a Beacon Scholar and BET. They will monitor the development of the Scholar and report progress to BET and parents/guardians/sponsors on a termly basis.

6. Contract

The parents/guardians/sponsors, the Beacon School and Trustees of BET will be required to sign an agreement called the Award Acceptance Form once a Beacon Scholarship for Schools is awarded.

7. Disciplinary

Beacon has a disciplinary policy and procedure independent of Partner Schools. When there has been a breach of the Beacon Code of Conduct or a violation of school rules, Beacon will independently investigate the level of severity/magnitude. On an attribution of guilt, sanctions are adjudged using a ‘three strikes and out’ framework. Should an offence take place at school Beacon will take into account the school’s investigation and sanction. Any Beacon sanction will be consistent with the Partner School’s process, but may have different implications for the Scholar and their Beacon Scholarship.

8. Data Privacy

Data collected and processed for The Beacon Scholarship is governed by The Beacon Equity Trust Privacy Notice.

9. Conflict of Interest – Scholarship Nomination and Application

A Head of School, or School Staff member cannot nominate a candidate when their personal, financial, or professional interest (eg relatives, business partners, supervisors, or colleagues) could reasonably be seen to affect their objectivity in the application process.

A Beacon Scholarship cannot be awarded to an applicant who is related directly or indirectly by way of personal, financial, or professional interest to any member of Beacon Staff or any Beacon Contractors.

In all cases, the decision to accept a Nomination or Application is entirely at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee.

10. Renewal of Scholarship

The Beacon Scholar and their parents/guardians/sponsors must apply annually for the renewal of The Beacon Scholarship for Schools – not later than 20 June each year, or 15 October for SA Schools with a January school year start.  Performance against the undertakings in the Award Acceptance Form will also be considered as part of the application review by BET.

The academic and general progress of the Beacon Scholar will be assessed, including their achievements as a ‘Changemaker’, along with their disciplinary record, parents’/guardians’/sponsors’ participation and any other factors which were considered in the initial awarding of The Beacon Scholarship.  Parents/guardians/sponsors are also expected to furnish BET with details of any material changes to the information supplied in the initial Financial Disclosure.

Beacon Scholars monitor their own leadership development by setting goals and their performance against them. These goals are recorded on a form called a Target Sheet, submitted to BET on a regular basis, highlighting their progression on leadership qualities ie academic performance, level of participation in sport, music or drama, social influence, and citizenship.

BET reserves the right to withdraw a Beacon Scholarship for Schools from any individual Scholar in the event of:

  • Repeated failure by the Scholar to achieve key leadership and performance targets; or
  • Improvement in parents’/guardians’/sponsors’ financial circumstances so that they can comfortably afford to pay for the Scholar’s full education costs; or
  • Failure to supply a bank statement of the Education Account showing evidence of pre-payment of fees; or
  • Failure of parents/guardians/sponsors to honour the terms of The Beacon Scholarship or undertakings in the Award Acceptance Form.