Scholarship Student: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}
In most stories set at an expensive and prestigious school largely populated by rich kids, there will be one -- and usually only one -- student who's middle-class or even poor. Usually this student is there on a scholarship (as the trope name indicates), but sometimes there's another reason for their being there -- maybe one of their parents teaches there so their tuition is discounted or free, or maybe their parents just scraped together the money to give their child the best education they could.
In most stories set at an expensive and prestigious school largely populated by rich kids, there will be one—and usually only one—student who's middle-class or even poor. Usually this student is there on a scholarship (as the trope name indicates), but sometimes there's another reason for their being there—maybe one of their parents teaches there so their tuition is discounted or free, or maybe their parents just scraped together the money to give their child the best education they could.


This character will nearly always be the protagonist, presumably because they're more similar to most of the audience (in terms of socioeconomic status if nothing else) and because there is a lot of [[Fish Out of Water]] comedy and/or drama to be milked from their situation. In comedic series, the character is also frequently the [[Only Sane Man]] amongst all those eccentric rich kids. In British boarding school literature, this character may be part of a [[Five-Token Band]]. For those who can barely afford food, see [[Starving Student]]. Also see [[Penny Among Diamonds]].
This character will nearly always be the protagonist, presumably because they're more similar to most of the audience (in terms of socioeconomic status if nothing else) and because there is a lot of [[Fish Out of Water]] comedy and/or drama to be milked from their situation. In comedic series, the character is also frequently the [[Only Sane Man]] amongst all those eccentric rich kids. In British boarding school literature, this character may be part of a [[Five-Token Band]]. For those who can barely afford food, see [[Starving Student]]. Also see [[Penny Among Diamonds]].
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* Scholarship students are the lifeblood of [[Boarding School of Horrors|Montague School]]- ''literally'' - in John Connolly's short story ''The Ritual of the Bones.'' More specifically, they are sacrificed to temporarily resurrect the school mascot, a horrific cross between a spider and a scorpion, in a ritual that apparently [[Blood Magic|strengthens the ties of blood and allegiance between the upper-class students]]; the is the unfortunate fate of the narrator's friend Smethwick, and nearly the narrator himself.
* Scholarship students are the lifeblood of [[Boarding School of Horrors|Montague School]]- ''literally'' - in John Connolly's short story ''The Ritual of the Bones.'' More specifically, they are sacrificed to temporarily resurrect the school mascot, a horrific cross between a spider and a scorpion, in a ritual that apparently [[Blood Magic|strengthens the ties of blood and allegiance between the upper-class students]]; the is the unfortunate fate of the narrator's friend Smethwick, and nearly the narrator himself.
* [[Billy Bunter|Greyfriars]] has Mark Linley, a Lancashire lad who worked in a factory, and Tom Redwing, a (temporarily) orphaned fisherman's boy. Both have strong [[Gary Stu]] overtones and both were very popular with readers.
* [[Billy Bunter|Greyfriars]] has Mark Linley, a Lancashire lad who worked in a factory, and Tom Redwing, a (temporarily) orphaned fisherman's boy. Both have strong [[Gary Stu]] overtones and both were very popular with readers.
* Sam in ''The Four Dorothys'' (her mom is a teacher and she gets a discount on tuition -- she is also very useful for PR whenever the school is accused of elitism).
* Sam in ''The Four Dorothys'' (her mom is a teacher and she gets a discount on tuition—she is also very useful for PR whenever the school is accused of elitism).
* Referenced in ''Journey to an 800 Number'' be E.L. Konigsburg. The narrator's mother has a custodian job at a private school that provides them with a cottage and free tuition . She marries a rich man before he begins, though, partly so he won't be labeled as a janitor's kid.
* Referenced in ''Journey to an 800 Number'' be E.L. Konigsburg. The narrator's mother has a custodian job at a private school that provides them with a cottage and free tuition . She marries a rich man before he begins, though, partly so he won't be labeled as a janitor's kid.
* Peekay in ''[[The Power of One]]'' wins a scholarship to the Prince of Wales School and nearly has to turn it down because he can't afford the uniform. He gets involved in several successful money making schemes after admitting to his best friend that he literally has no money of his own.
* Peekay in ''[[The Power of One]]'' wins a scholarship to the Prince of Wales School and nearly has to turn it down because he can't afford the uniform. He gets involved in several successful money making schemes after admitting to his best friend that he literally has no money of his own.
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