Fees

We understand that school fees involve real sacrifice for many families. That is why we strive constantly to offer excellent value for money.

School fees include all tuition, meals and snacks, travel for School matches and careers counselling. If you are a boarder they also include 24-hour supervision and care and all laundry, excluding dry-cleaning. 

Fees Summary 2020-2021

	Age(s) of Pupil	Boarding Fee per Term	Day Fee per Term
IV Form and above	13 – 18	£11,730	£8,510
II and III Form	11 – 12	£8,390	£5,660
J4 to I Form	7 – 10	£7,220	£5,010

View the Merchiston School Structure.

There is a premium for direct entry into the VI Form, equivalent to 5% of the Senior School Boarding fee for each of the two VI Form years.

Sports Academies	In addition to School Fees
Tennis Academy Elite Squad	£1,395 per annum
Tennis Academy Development Squad	£660 per annum
Golf Academy Elite Squad	£2,430 per annum
Golf Academy Development Squad	£1,320 per annum

Occasional Boarding	£51.50 per night
English as an Additional Language	£190 per term

Extra Items

Once your son has started, his school fee account may also include charges for ‘Extra Items’. Most charges for ‘Extra Items’ are added to fee notes in the term following the activity for which the charge is raised.

Fee concessions

You may qualify for a fee concession:

• if you have more than one son attending Merchiston at the same time (5% for your second child, 20% for your third child and 40% for your fourth child).
• if you have a daughter at our ‘sister’ school: St George’s School for Girls, Edinburgh you will receive a 20% discount for the third child (across Merchiston and St George's only). Discount only applies whilst all siblings are at the schools.
• if you have a daughter at our ‘sister’ school: Kilgraston School, Perthshire you will receive a 5% discount for your second child (across Merchiston and Kilgraston only). Discount only applies whilst all siblings are at the schools.
• if you are/your son's father is a Merchistonian (10%). The remission is only offered against the first year’s fees and would apply to new pupils joining from January 2020. 
• Boarding children of serving Service Personnel (10%)

Please note that only one concession is available per pupil and does not extend to Additional or Extra Charges. 

Financial Assistance

Merchiston offers financial assistance by means of a Bursary Fund designed to enable your son to have access to a Merchiston education, irrespective of his financial circumstances. More information about support with fees can be found here.

Option 1	Option 2
Cheque / Bank Transfer Termly, due on or before the 1st day of new term	Direct Debit Spread over 12 months, taken on the 28th of each month

Term	Fees Issued
Autumn Term	July
Spring Term	December
Summer Term	March

The first term’s fees will be payable by the first day of term, and an invoice is sent out in June or July. Unless agreed otherwise by the School, fees are payable termly and must be paid by the first day of term. There are 3 terms in each year. Other arrangements for fee payment may be available on application to the Assistant Bursar (Finance), Mrs Caroline McIntosh.

If, after your son joins the School, fees are outstanding, the School reserves the right to refuse to allow him to continue attending the School (or may withhold references) whilst fees remain unpaid. The School reserves the right to charge interest on sums which are outstanding.

It is a requirement of entry to Merchiston that your financial obligations to other schools must be fulfilled before your son can join Merchiston.

Culture – Merchiston breeds well mannered, considerate yet determined young gentlemen that stand out in terms of attitude and behavior from other equally priced and storied schools. There is a great story from a shop in town, near another private school, when a Merchiston boy in casual clothes held open the door for an old lady and she said “Thank you - I guess you are from Merchiston then”.

Current Parent Sixth Form