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Southridge has a rich legacy of providing students with a first-rate education
Many Lower Mainland parents would like to consider sending their children to an independent school, yet most assume that a private education is not a financially viable option for them—unaware that thousands of dollars in financial aid, bursaries and scholarships are available every year, to open the door for families who otherwise would be unable to afford it.
According to the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) association, more than 6,700 private-school students received a total of $75 million in assistance in the 2016-17 school year.
Southridge School, located in South Surrey, is mindful of the fact that hard-working families make significant sacrifices, of both money and time, to send their children to the school. Despite being a young school, the school’s board of governors has made it a priority to work with families by offering up to $200,000 in bursaries (based on need) and scholarships (based on merit) annually to new high school students from Grades 8 to 12.
“Not only does financial assistance help families afford a Southridge education, we know that a socio-economically diverse population is good for our students,” Southridge’s director of admissions Reneé Lepp says.
Offering financial assistance to families is the ethos of non-profit, independent schools such as Southridge.
“Helping to make a quality education more affordable to more students is a tangible way we can live our mission of making a difference in our community,” says Lepp. “The mark of a great student is not a child from a family with the ability to pay. The mark of a great student is a child with a strong mind and a good heart who brings their best every day.”
Each year, Southridge offers three $5,000 Merit Scholarships, which are renewable each year until graduation. That’s a total of $25,000 per student from Grade 8 to Grade 12. “Scholarships are awarded to remarkable young people who can tell us how they will contribute in meaningful ways to our school community—and to society at large,” says Lepp.
“There is a common misconception that merit scholarships are awarded solely based on academic achievement, but that is definitely not the case,” says Lepp. “Our admissions policies are based on the whole person—and that same lens applies to scholarship applicants.”
Founded in 1995, Southridge is a co-ed Kindergarten to Grade 12 independent school of 680 students. The school has a rich legacy of providing students with a first-rate education, as well as instilling in each student integrity, compassion and confidence.
“Not only does Southridge prepare students extremely well for post-secondary education, their time with us also results in students who have a strong desire to make the world a better place,” says Lepp.
Lepp encourages parents to explore all the options available to them.
“The scholarship and bursary application processes are straightforward, and we are here to assist you every step of the way,” says Lepp. “Investing just a little extra time applying for a bursary or scholarship could open the door to a whole new world of opportunities for your child.”
For more information, visit www.southridge.bc.ca. Application deadline for September 2019 is December 1, 2018.