Sanctuary Scholarship

What it gives

full tuition waiver · travel costs · application support

up to £1,200

£1,200/yr study and travel support + fee waiver until awarded status entitling access to statutory student support

Who it is for

asylum seeker (claim pending) · limited or discretionary leave · dependant of a person with status

Level of study: undergraduate

The student finance condition

Only if you cannot access student finance

This scheme is for people without access to government student finance — usually asylum seekers and some limited-leave categories. If you have refugee status and can access student finance, this is normally not for you.

Important warning

Payments stop if you are granted status during the course. Ask in advance what happens to the money: a decision can arrive mid-course.

How to apply

You need a place first: apply to the programme and wait for an offer. Scholarship applications are only considered from people who already hold one.

Apply for and firmly accept an offer for a full-time undergraduate course at CCCU
Submit the Sanctuary Scholarship application during the annual window (opens 1 April, closes 30 June)
University does an initial assessment and contacts you on whether your application progresses
If taken forward, attend an interview to verify the information in your application
If successful, agree to keep the university's Immigration Compliance team updated on your immigration status throughout

How they select

application form · interview · evidence of circumstances

There is an interview here. It is a conversation about your situation and your study plans, not a subject exam: nobody tests the school syllabus or tries to catch you out. You can answer calmly, in your own words.

Dates

Can you apply now · as of 6 September 2026

Opens: April 2027

Where the date comes from: “Opens annually 1 April, closes 30 June»

Deadline

Applications open annually 1 April–30 June; 2026/27 window closed as of Aug 2026

When applications open

Opens annually 1 April, closes 30 June; 2026/27 window was closed as of August 2026

How many places

not numerically stated (limited/competit

For how many years

Renewed for the following years of the course, as long as you keep studying.

If this scheme is not for you

See the full list of schemes — it has a filter for your status and for whether student finance is available to you.
Check whether you are entitled to student finance — if it is, a scholarship stops being the only road.
Foundation year and Access to HE — routes for people who only have a school certificate.
Education hub — where to start if you have not chosen a route yet.

About the institution

Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, Kent — the scholarship runs in partnership with the Archdeacon of Canterbury / Canterbury Cathedral under the Article 26 Project. Direct site fetch of the scholarship page was blocked by page length, so these details come from the institution's own text as indexed by search rather than a direct read — worth a follow-up confirmation before publishing.

Many adult students. More than a third of students are over 30 (61.5%). You certainly will not be the oldest in the room.

In detail about Canterbury Christ Church University: all schemes, student ages, study modes →

Source

We found this scheme in the STAR Network and Displaced Student Opportunities lists, but the institution's own site was unavailable when we checked: the page returned an error or blocked automated access. The record is therefore built from an archived copy and open sources — check the terms with the institution before you apply. Checked on: 22 August 2026.

The scheme page on the institution's site →

Full-time undergraduate only — postgraduate applicants explicitly ineligible. Must not require separate accommodation funding support.