More parents are opening up about struggling to pay independent school fees, while many are trying to find ways to keep at least one child in private education.
Parents are increasingly talking to independent schools about difficulties paying school fees as the cost of private education continues to put pressure on family finances, new research from School Fee Plan has found.
The research, carried out among parents with children at independent schools, found that 59% of parents who have struggled to pay their fees have discussed the issue with their school.
That is more than double the figure recorded in the same research last year, when just 29% said they had spoken to their school about difficulties paying.
Almost four in 10 parents have struggled with fees
School Fee Plan found that around 39% of parents currently or previously have found it difficult to pay independent school fees.
For some families, the financial pressure is becoming serious enough to consider leaving the independent sector altogether. Around 12% of parents say they are planning to withdraw their children from independent schools because of the cost.
However, for many families, the decision isn’t necessarily an all-or-nothing one.
Nearly half (47%) of parents who are planning or considering withdrawing their children say at least one of their children will continue to receive a private education.
This appears to be a trend schools are increasingly seeing too. Around 79% of independent school headteachers and bursars say they are aware of parents withdrawing some children while continuing to pay for at least one child to remain at the school.
Exams are influencing parents’ decisions
For parents choosing to keep one child in independent education, upcoming exams are a major factor.
More than a third (36%) say the child is about to start their GCSEs, while 30% say their child is about to start or is currently studying for A levels.
Meanwhile, around a third (33%) believe that one of their children is simply better suited to an independent school than another.
The figures highlight the difficult choices some families are making as they try to balance household finances with their children’s education.
School fees expected to continue rising
The research also looked at how independent schools themselves are responding to financial pressures.
Headteachers and bursars surveyed expect fees at their own schools to rise by an average of 3.7% at the next fee review, although more than one in five (21%) expect their fee increase to be below 3%.
Looking further ahead, however, 82% expect independent school fees to rise faster than the historic rate of between 3% and 6% over the next three years.
Around 16% expect fees to rise significantly faster than this historic rate, while just 15% believe fees will change very little over the period.
The independent education sector has also faced additional financial pressure following the introduction of VAT on private school fees in January 2025.
Families looking for ways to spread the cost
The amount being borrowed through Premium Credit’s School Fee Plan (SFP) also appears to be increasing.
The total amount lent through the scheme last year was around 9% higher than in 2023, while the average amount of funding is now approximately £24,288.
That’s an increase of 12% compared with 2024 and 24% compared with 2023.
Stewart Ward, Director Education Sector & Head of School Fee Plan at Premium Credit, said independent schools were working hard to limit necessary fee increases while recognising the value parents place on private education.
He said:
“Parents clearly value independent schools, but some are having to make difficult decisions on keeping one child in private education.”
He added that payment schemes could help families manage their budgets by allowing them to spread larger termly payments into monthly instalments.
Schools, he said, could support parents by working with companies offering these types of payment schemes.
For more information about School Fee Plan, visit School Fee Plan.
