Hogwarts: a meritocracy

[alhewison]

No: HPFGUIDX 36492

I just thought I should explain my statement about acceptance to 
Hogwarts being based on merit.

Of course, Harry (and all the other students) are put down for 
Hogwarts at birth. This means Hogwarts takes children on innate 
ability. It is this rather than money which means they can take up a 
place. 

I have used merit to mean "innate ability" - as opposed to money -
which is arguably wrong, so sorry for any confusion.

All children of magicing ability are invited to the school. If money 
was a deciding factor in whether they take up their place what would 
there be to stop a parent of guardian refusing to pay (as Uncle 
Vernon did) so that the child was then prevented from going? Harry's 
circumstances might be exceptional, but I am sure that other 
guardians would have refused to pay for tuition, even if they had 
stacks of money. Other children would surely not also discover that 
they had a vault load of money hidden under London?

I believe that money for tuition does not change hands over Hogwarts. 
How is it funded then? Perhaps I will take up a seat on the fence:
1) Founding Endownment and
2) Wizarding tax and
3) Ongoing donations and perhaps some other form of fundraising - 
just because a school is state funded doesn't mean that it doesn't 
attract funds from other sources. My daughter's primary school is 
constantly getting (or trying to get) money. I can certainly imagine 
donations being used to bolster up services.

Ali