At Magistra Mea, we believe that a Classical education and bespoke academic mentoring should be available to all.

That’s why we created Ad Astra (to the stars). Ad Astra is our scholarship initiative offering free or subsidised tutoring and mentorship to students who face financial barriers to academic support.

Whether you’re a state school student without access to Latin, a passionate learner from an underrepresented background, or a young Classicist navigating hardship, Ad Astra is here to help.

10% of all fees from paying clients who work with Magistra Mea are directed into the Ad Astra fund. We also welcome one-off donations or prolonged pledges to support the Ad Astra programme. If you’d like to support, please check out the section below.

Each academic year we offer a minimum of 5 bursary places for free or subsidised 1:1 tuition and academic mentoring. Short term mentoring is also available. We hope to be able to expand this as our funding increases.

Applicants are assessed sensitively, not competitively. We prioritise need, potential and passion. We will always try to take on as many Ad Astra clients as possible.

Ad Astra clients receive the same high-quality support as paying clients, no tiers, no exceptions.

Ad Astra scholarships are open to:

• For academic mentoring: students aged 11-20 in the UK who cannot afford private tuition. This may include students from low-income households, students in care, young carers or those with refugee or asylum status.

• For Classics tuition: students from State schools with limited or no access to Classical subjects.

• For either academic mentoring or Classics tuition: students who have historically faced barriers to academic progression, including: first generation university applicants; neurodivergent students or students who identify as having a disability; students from minority ethnic backgrounds.

In the UK today, access to Classical Subjects and bespoke academic mentoring is often dictated by postcode and privilege.

Many state schools have been forced to cut Classical subjects altogether and the pressures on the education system in both the state and private sectors are leading to increased class sizes and budget costs, meaning that teachers no longer have the time to get to know their students or provide 1:1 advice and mentorship. Talented, curious students are left behind, not because they lack ability, but because they lack opportunity and support.

Ad Astra exists to change that.

We know that a single mentor who listens and shows belief in a student's potential can alter the entire course of their life, and widening access to Classical subjects is important to us, because they offer develop rigour, imagination, adaptability, empathy, and critical thinking: skills for school, for university, and for the world beyond.

But more than that, they offer young people a connection to something bigger: to stories of resilience, to voices from the past, to questions about justice, courage, beauty, and truth.

That heritage belongs to everyone, not just to those who can afford it. Ad Astra was created to help level the playing field.