A fundraising drive has been launched at Bermuda High School for Girls to help students who can’t afford their tuition fees.Head of School Linda Parker said there were between 20 and 30 pupils who may not be able to return to the school in September for financial reasons.Ms Parker is compiling a list of students whose families are struggling and is seeking donations from companies and individuals for the Support a Student scheme.“As a school we have tried to be creative and proactive in this,” she told The Royal Gazette. “I have met with families. I am finding out if they are returning to BHS.“Those that are struggling financially, we are doing what we can at the school to help them stay at the school.”She said the school’s enrolment figures had been stable for the last couple of years, despite the tough economic climate, with 653 students enrolled this academic year.But she added she had noticed a growing number of families having difficulty with fees.“We got our predicted enrolment figures in January [for September 2013]. The ones that had questions marks, I have asked them to come for one-to-one interviews,” she said.“The ones that say ‘I’m struggling’, I’m profiling for my list so that I can reach out to individuals and corporates that are prepared to help towards fees.“The ‘profiled’ students must have financial need, do their best academically and behaviourally, and be good ambassadors.”Ms Parker said a number of events had already taken place to raise funds for student financial aid, with more planned, including a golf tournament and a Havana-themed dinner dance.“Our aim is to keep the students here and not have tuition be a reason for leaving,” she added.“It has to be based on the fact that there is financial need and that they are doing well at school. Obviously they have got to be worthy of continuing at the school.”Other private schools told this newspaper they’d noticed an increase in the number of families unable to meet the financial commitments of a paid-for education and needing help with fees.Amanda Skinner, director of admissions at Saltus Grammar School, said: “In regards to the economy, we have had an increase in financial aid applications from our current students and are making every effort to offer adequate support to these families.“For the 2013/14 school year, the amount of financial support that is being provided to our students is $1,430,438.”She added: “While we have not held a specific fundraiser for financial aid, we do have external scholarships available as well as internal financial merit awards and financial assistance.”Bermuda Institute principal Lois Tucker said the school had offered financial assistance to about 20 of its 335 students this academic year.“That’s about five or six percent [of the school population]. [The increase has been] noticeable this year.”She said the school was able to help because of donations from members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, with which it is affiliated, and by “tweaking” its budget.“For a limited budget, that’s a lot of money,” said Dr Tucker. “Enrolment, when we opened our doors in August, was down.“We then did a recruitment drive and we had to find additional financial assistance and we ended up getting about six students over last year’s enrolment, but at a cost.”Mount Saint Agnes principal Sue Moench said: “We do have families that are struggling but these are families that are committed to Catholic education and so they are making every effort to try and keep their kids here.”She said there were two or three students a year who needed financial aid, adding: “We do have a bursary programme. Families that are in need can apply. It’s an individual problem so we will meet with families to see if we can help them.”Warwick Academy reported a year ago that it was “desperately trying to keep our family together” after soaring numbers of parents lost their jobs and were struggling to pay fees.Principal Maggie McCorkell said this week that about 100 students were assisted this academic year with bursaries and 110 would receive help in the next academic year.“We have raised a lot of money over the last three years with our Student Assistance Fund, through in-house fundraising events organised by our staff, corporate assistance, as well as our Annual Giving Appeal to our Alumni, Friends and Families,” she said.“We take great pride in the fact that we have managed to keep our Warwick family together through what has been and continues to be difficult economic times. We can all hope this will improve for the next academic year.”