Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-25396609-20160425022934/@comment-26397825-20160427074228

Blake never went to a combat school. She discussed this with Ozpin. We know that she learnt everything from the White Fang, but the excuse she gives Ozpin is that she grew up outside of the Kingdoms. And as for how she got into Beacon...they probably have payment plans set up for the less fortunate. You get a school debt, and then they take part of your earnings from missions over the years until you have paid it off. They'd probably take a hefty chunk though, to try and get as much money as possible as quickly as possible, just in case you die on a mission or something.

Also, I've always sort of headcannoned that Orphans like Nora and Ren can get scholarships to attend Combat Schools, since Huntsmen are a very important part of Remnant's society and more Huntsmen is never a bad thing, but must maintain a certain gradepoint in order to keep it. And then after they graduate a combat school they're on their own, since they are technically 'adults' because they graduated school.

That being said, he is not an orphan. He's a runaway. If he tried applying for the orphan scholarship he'd be found out and takne back home, as that's what Child Services tend to do; they tend to return the runaway child to their parents. He'd certainly find it extremely tough to obtain the orphan scholarship and it's doubtful that he'd never be found out.

Really, I think this is what Initiation is for. The piece of paper that says they have passed all their tests gets them accepted to Beacon (or in the case of people who didn't graduate a combat school, they may have to take a physical and theory aptitude test), and then Initiation is to weed out the people who aren't ready, despite what their certifications or entrance tests may have said.