Warwick Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarships

University of Sanctuary

The University of Warwick is located on the outskirts of the city of Coventry which is recognised as a 'City of Sanctuary'. The 'City of Sanctuary' movementLink opens in a new window is committed to building a culture of hospitality and welcome, especially for those seeking sanctuary from war and persecution. The University of Warwick is committed to creating a culture of welcome for people seeking sanctuary within, and beyond, our campus, and was awarded University of SanctuaryLink opens in a new window status in 2017.

You may also be able seek support from cara.ngoLink opens in a new window, who help academics from any country in the world, on any continent, who are being forced to flee.

Applications for the Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarship are open now for 2025 entry. Please apply below.

Contact us

Emily Watkins

Widening Participation Lifecycle Officer

Email: lifecycleteam@warwick.ac.uk

Ask us a question about the UG Sanctuary Scholarships

Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarship Overview

Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarships are available to students who are seeking sanctuary in the United Kingdom and are not entitled to receive Government Student Financial Support from Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales, Student Finance Northern Ireland or the Student Awards Agency for Scotland.

Please note that there are 4 UG Sanctuary Scholarships available for 2025 entry and not all applications will be successful. We would therefore encourage you to explore alternative sources of fundingLink opens in a new window if you plan to apply for the scholarship.

Apply here for 2025 entry

Applications for the UG Sanctuary Scholarship 2025 entry are now open. Please read the eligibility criteria below, and apply using the link above.

Award Details

There are up to 4 UG Sanctuary Scholarships available for 2025 entry. Each scholarship includes:

Financial support

Full tuition fee support: Students will be offered a non-repayable 100% tuition fee waiver for each year of study (up to a maximum of 4 years).
Maintenance/living cost support: Students will be awarded a non-repayable grant equivalent to the maximum government Maintenance Loan towards living costs and course-related expenses for each year of study (up to a maximum of 4 years).

For 2025-26, this is £10,544 for students living away from the parental home and £8,877 for students living in the parental home.
Warwick Bursary: Awarded scholars also will be eligible for additional funding equivalent to the maximum undergraduate Warwick Bursary (up to £2,500 per year of study, up to a maximum of 4 years).
Warwick Scholars Bursary: Awarded scholars also will be eligible to join the Warwick Scholars Undergraduate Programme, which will include the maximum Warwick Scholars Bursary of £2000 (further details below).

Accommodation support

Students will be eligible for 52 week on-campus accommodation where required during their studies. There will be a charge for this accommodation (for more information, please see the FAQs below) and Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholars can choose to deduct some of this cost from their scholarship payment.
Please note that students are required to move rooms as part of the University's 52-week campus accommodation package. Should UG Sanctuary Scholars wish to live on campus for the entire year, they will have a 40/44 week term-time room, followed by alternative accommodation over the summer vacation and pre-term shut down period (in early September).
There is more information about the term-time accommodation Warwick offers hereLink opens in a new window and you can find out more about the 52-week accommodation package (including summer accommodation and accommodation costs) in our 52-Week Campus Accommodation FAQsLink opens in a new window.

Warwick Scholars Undergraduate Programme

Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholars are invited to join the Warwick Scholars Undergraduate ProgrammeLink opens in a new window when they enrol at the University. This programme provides students with access to bespoke activities, along with academic, personal and professional development opportunities (such as internships and mentoring experiences) while students are at Warwick. Students who join the programme will be eligible for the maximum Warwick Scholars Undergraduate Bursary (£2,000).

Pastoral support

The Widening Participation Lifecycle Team will support you throughout your studies and will share information about opportunities that might be relevant to you. We can also signpost you to other areas of support across the university.

Eligibility Criteria

Please note that you must be able to provide documentary evidence to verify your circumstances in relation to each criteria. Applicants who do not meet the full criteria will not be considered for an award. If you have any questions, please contact the Widening Participation Lifecycle Team at .

Criteria 1: Sanctuary Eligibility Criteria

1. You must be living in the UK at the time of your UG Sanctuary Scholarship application. The UK includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We will not accept applications from students living outside of the UK.

2. In addition, you must meet ONE of the following Sanctuary criteria:

You have sought asylum from the UK government (you are an asylum seeker) or were included as a dependent (spouse/child) on an application for asylum. Please note: Spouses/civil partners must have been the spouse/civil partner on the date on which the asylum application to the UK government was made. Children/step-children must have been aged under 18 on the date on which the asylum application to the UK government was made.

You have received a decision on your claim for asylum but your new visa status does not allow you to access UK Government Student Financial Support (i.e. Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans) nor does it give you Home Fee status. For example, if your decision contains the words "no public funds", this means that you cannot access UK student loans, therefore you would be eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Please note: If you have been granted refugee status or protection under specific schemes that make you eligible for 'Home fee' status and student loans from the UK government, such as the Ukraine Schemes Link opens in a new windowor Afghan SchemesLink opens in a new window, you will not be eligible for the Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarship.

If your new visa status means that you are eligible for student financial support from the UK Government, we would advise you to contact the relevant student loans company for more information:

Criteria 2: Education Eligibility Criteria

You must also meet BOTH of the following educational criteria:

1. You must hold a conditional or unconditional offer (or be awaiting a decision) for one of the following courses starting in September 2025:

International Foundation Programme
Undergraduate course:
- Full-time course which lasts up to 4 years
- Part-time course
- These include courses leading to either a Bachelors degree (eg BA, BSc) or an Integrated Masters (eg MA, MSc)
- For a full list of Undergraduate courses, please see the University's Undergraduate course listLink opens in a new window

Please note the following courses are not eligible:

Courses taught at Partner Colleges or Universities
4-year graduate entry MBChB course
Year 1 Foundation courses in the Warwick Business School
Module based courses
Non-degree awards (Higher Education Diploma, Higher Education Certificate, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma)

2. You have not obtained an undergraduate degree or degree equivalent qualification from another institution or country.

Application Process

The UG Sanctuary Scholarships scheme is now open for applications for 2025 entry. The deadline for applications will be 18:00pm on Friday 16th May 2025.

Please read through all of the eligibility criteria and then follow the steps below to apply.

APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

Application Stages

1. Students should have submitted their undergraduate admissions application through UCAS by the 29th January 2025 deadline.

2. You should submit a separate UG Sanctuary Scholarship applicationLink opens in a new window by 18:00pm on Friday 16th May 2025. You are asked to provide the following information on your scholarship application form:

Your personal details and contact information
Evidence of your Sanctuary, Financial and Educational eligibility for the scholarship, along with evidence of your right to study
A supporting statement (maximum of 750 words)
A reference (maximum of 750 words) and your referee's contact details (this should be someone who knows you in a professional capacity, such as a teacher, social worker or solicitor)
For more information and guidance about the application form, please see our 2025 entry guidance notesLink opens in a new window

3. UG Sanctuary Scholarships applicants will be reviewed and assessed by a panel after the application deadline (Friday 16th May 2025). If you do not meet the eligibility criteria and are therefore ineligible for the scholarship, we will aim to inform you as soon as possible after you have submitted your application so that you can explore alternative funding options.

4. Outcomes of eligible UG Sanctuary Scholarship applications will be communicated to applicants by 30th May 2025.

Please note: A very small number of UG Sanctuary Scholarships may be available to students who join the University in 2025 through Clearing. The same eligibility criteria will apply with the exception that applicants will have been made an offer through Clearing. More information about this will be shared after the main scholarship application cycle has taken place in Spring 2025.

What if I'm not eligible?

Refugee status, Ukraine schemes and Afghan schemes

If you are not eligible for an Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarship because you have been granted refugee status or protection under specific schemes that make you eligible for 'Home fee' status and/or student loans from the UK government, such as the Ukraine Schemes or Afghan Schemes, the following support may be available to you:

Contextual offers

We know that grades can be influenced by a range of factors so to make the processes fairer, we offer contextual admissionsLink opens in a new window on undergraduate courses for refugees – meaning we may offer a reduced grade requirement or remove other additional requirements.

Pastoral support

Students who are refugees are also able to access a wide range of support from the university. This includes:

Student Funding SupportLink opens in a new window, such as the Warwick Bursary of up to £2,500 per year (this is a means-tested bursary based on your household income); for more information about this and how to apply for UK Student Financial Support, please visit our UK student loansLink opens in a new window webpage
Wellbeing SupportLink opens in a new window
Disability ServicesLink opens in a new window
Accommodation Support from the Residential Community TeamLink opens in a new window
Students UnionLink opens in a new window

Each student also has a personal tutor who they can reach out to for additional support when they study at the University. There is more information about the student support services on offer at Warwick on this webpage.Link opens in a new window

If you are not eligible for an Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarship because you have not sought sanctuary from the UK government please, or you are not eligible, visit our Scholarships search toolLink opens in a new window to find out about other scholarships which you may be able to apply for.

Further Information

Application assessment

All eligible scholarship applications will be assessed by a panel. The panel will take into account your:
- Eligibility for the scholarship, based on the criteria above
- Previous qualifications and educational experience
- Supporting statement
- Reference
We will aim to notify eligible applicants of their application outcome by 30th May 2025.

Please ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria in full and read the guidance notesLink opens in a new window before completing the application form.

Successful applicants

UCAS firm choice: Warwick must be your 'firm choice' on UCAS in order for you to take up an Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarship offer. The deadline for students to confirm their 'firm' and 'insurance' choices on UCAS for 2024 entry is Thursday 5th June 2025.
Terms & Conditions: Warwick Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarships are payable in each academic year of your course. If you (or your parents or spouse/civil partner) are granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK, and you become able to access UK Government Student Financial Support (Tuition and Maintenance loans), your award will still continue for the duration of your studies. This is outlined in the Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarship Terms and Conditions, which will be sent to you before you enrol.
Right to Study: Successful applicants must have the right to study in order to take up their University of Warwick place and UG Sanctuary Scholarship. You will be asked to provide evidence of your right to study on the application form.
UK bank accounts: At this time we are only able to make Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarship payments into a UK bank account. You may find our webpages on opening a UK bank accountLink opens in a new window useful.
National Asylum Support Service (NASS) and legal aid: If you are currently in receipt of National Asylum Support Service (NASS)Link opens in a new window and/or legal aidLink opens in a new window we recommend you seek advice from your immigration solicitor before accepting the award, as receiving this scholarship could have implications on your ongoing NASS entitlement and eligibility for legal aid.

Deferring your studies: If you are awarded an Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarship but do not meet all your academic conditions, your scholarship offer cannot be deferred. If you defer your course entry start date in order to achieve your offer conditions, you will have to apply again for Sanctuary Scholarship for your new year of entry. If you meet the academic conditions of your offer and wish to defer your start date to 2026 you must first obtain approval to defer from both your academic department and the Sanctuary Scholarships team.

Unsuccessful applicants

If you meet your academic course conditions but are not awarded an Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarship, you can still start your studies using alternative scholarship fundingLink opens in a new window or on a self-funded basis.

Useful links:

Buttle UKLink opens in a new window – a charity providing funding for young people
Coram Children’s Legal CentreLink opens in a new window – free legal advice for children and young people, including education and immigration issues
Displaced Student PortalLink opens in a new window – a place to search for Sanctuary Scholarships
Refugee Education UKLink opens in a new window– a charity offering support and guidance to young refugees or asylum seekers around Further Education and Higher Education progression
Student Action for Refugees (STAR)Link opens in a new window– student-led network for supporting students who are seeking asylum or are refugees
UKCISALink opens in a new window– information and support on immigration statuses and fee statuses
We BelongLink opens in a new window – an organisation supporting migrant students