Charities in the UK are required by law to meet certain standards in order to be allowed to operate as charities.
In Scotland, regulation of charities is carried out by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). Regulation for charities was introduced in 2005, and OSCR started the process of reviewing every charity in Scotland to ensure it meets the requirements for charitable status.
In July 2007, the High School of Dundee was the first school in the UK to retain its charitable status following a review by OSCR.
The High School is a not-for-profit organization, which means that all of its income is invested back into the School for the benefit of its pupils. As a charity, it is able to provide financial assistance to support those pupils who without that help may otherwise be unable to attend.
Bursary support is available to pupils in the Senior school, and is awarded on the basis of academic ability and financial need. Around 15% of pupils in the Senior School receive some kind of award each year. In 2006/2007, the total value of Bursary support allocated by the High School of Dundee was more than £475,000, and 63% of pupils who applied for a Bursary were granted support.
Bursaries are funded from various sources, including a number of external charitable organizations, and the School actively raises additional funds through the High School of Dundee Foundation. Most Bursaries are awarded for between 40% and 60% of the school fee, but can be as high as 100%.