Despite the advertised cost, there may be scope for a discount – and ‘it never hurts to ask’
Paying for your children to receive a top-notch education has never been more difficult.
After the Labour Government’s triple whammy of VAT, the end of business rates relief and increased National Insurance contributions, school fees in the UK increased by 17pc in 2025 and a further 4.5pc in September 2026, according to analysis by The Telegraph.
Average fees now sit at around £22,000 including VAT for a day school and £53,928 for boarding – a stretch, even for high-earning households.
For those seeking ways to reduce the costs, there are few options. Many schools are being forced to cut back on bursaries, while the wealthiest families secure a third of available grants.
But what if you simply asked for a discount instead? We’ve enlisted the help of private education professionals to find out whether haggling could help you save on school fees and how to go about it.
Is haggling over school fees allowed?
While all schools publish their fees publicly, there may still be scope to ask for a discount – in fact, around a third of privately educated students receive some sort of help with fees, according to the Independent Schools Council (ISC), so you certainly wouldn’t be the only one.
“Negotiating discounts on school fees has become far more common since the introduction of VAT, which has seen a reduction of around 30,000 students attending private school, according to the ISC,” said Leanne Gunns, the founder of accountancy firm The Profit Hero. “It is definitely allowed and – from conversations with other parents – has been successful.”
Clare Jupp, the managing director of The School Fees Company, added: “Schools have become much more commercially aware and are offering all kinds of opportunities.
“[These include] a 5pc reduction if you pay your fees up in full, tapered discounts for the second and third sibling, and flexible payment plans.”
If these commonplace discounts aren’t published on a school’s website, a quick message to the school to find out what is available might prove extremely fruitful.
“It is always reasonable to ask whether a school offers any fee discounts, sibling discounts, reductions for advance payment or other forms of assistance,” said Vicky Collins, the founder and chief executive of Total Tutoring.
“Some of these may be published policies while others may be discretionary. The amount of flexibility will depend on the individual school and its financial position.”
Which schools are more likely to let you haggle?
It’s difficult to predict which institutions will be receptive to your discount request.
While a school with places available may have more of a financial incentive than one which is oversubscribed, they may also be less likely to be able to afford to subsidise a place.
“Charitable status, bursary funds, governing arrangements and the school’s admissions and finance policies may all affect what is possible,” said Ms Collins. It’s impossible to know a school’s individual position until the question has been asked.
How should you go about haggling for fees?
When to do it
The ideal time to approach the school about this – and when you have the most negotiating power – is before your child starts, or during the admissions process.
“There is a lot of financial assistance available but parents do need to do their research well in advance of their child starting school and speak directly with the schools they are considering to understand what financial support may be available,” said Claudia Dudman, the editor of Independent School Parent.
If your child is already at the school and you later find yourself struggling to pay the fees, it’s best to time a haggling discussion before a new academic year or new term – and, most importantly, before you go into arrears. While you may find this kind of discussion awkward, it’s not something to put off until you are really struggling.
Who to approach
This will depend on the school but it is likely to be the admissions office in the first instance and then the bursar, finance director or headteacher.
How to haggle
If you’re making an individual request, it’s a good idea to email or meet the relevant person and explain the situation.
“It is best to approach the conversation politely, explain the circumstances clearly and ask what support or flexibility may be available,” said Ms Collins. “Families should avoid presenting the discussion as an ultimatum or implying that the school is obliged to reduce its fees.”
If you know of several like-minded parents, there are examples where four or five families have banded together into consortiums and gone to a school with a proposition. This has given them more negotiating power and helped them to secure discounts for 10 to 12 children in one go.
What kind of discount should you ask for?
Instead of going into discussions with a particular figure in mind – for example, 10pc or 20pc – find out what assistance is available. The amount a school can offer, if anything, will depend on several factors and the school may ask for evidence of hardship before confirming the amount they are willing to offer.
“Any reduction would need to be justifiable in the minds of the head, finance team and/or governors. For example, there might be a clear reason relating to family circumstances, the number of siblings attending, the timing of the application or the school’s need to fill places,” added Ms Collins.
Are there risks involved in haggling?
Some parents might worry that asking for a discount will negatively impact their child in some way, potentially even risking their place at a school – but this shouldn’t be the case.
“It never hurts to ask and the school may be willing to consider individual circumstances,” said Ms Dudman.
Can you still haggle if you have a scholarship or bursary?
While they are often used in conjunction, it is important to understand the difference between a bursary and scholarship.
“A bursary is something that is awarded on the basis of family finances. A scholarship is academic, sporting, creative merit. You can be awarded both,” said Jemma Zoe Smith, the founder of Top School And Uni.
Having a scholarship certainly won’t put negotiating fees off the table – in fact, it might even make a discount more achievable, with schools wanting to attract particularly gifted children.
“A child who excels in a certain area may have more room for negotiation, particularly if they have received offers from a number of different schools,” explained Ms Gunns.
Ms Smith added: “For scholarships and changes on a standard application, you want to showcase how your child has done something that warrants this new look at finances – for example, if they have competed for a national sport team, won a particularly impressive chess competition, etc.
“If other schools have already offered a scholarship based on these talents but your ideal school hasn’t, you can mention this.”
The case is a little more nuanced if you already receive support in the form of a bursary.
These tend to be reviewed annually anyway, so if your financial circumstances have changed, this will be highlighted by the process in due course. If something happens suddenly and your bursary review is still a way off, contact the school directly and explain the situation to see whether your support package can be adjusted.