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De Montfort University · England · East Midlands

Sanctuary Scholarship (formerly Article 26 Scholarship)

What it gives
full tuition waiver · living costs · accommodation
up to £3,500
Full fee waiver + up to £3,500/yr living costs; one recipient additionally gets free DMU halls accommodation for 3 years (must be under 25 on 1 Sept 2026)
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.

How to apply

You do not need to wait for an offer — the scholarship application can run alongside admission.

  1. Apply for a full-time undergraduate course at DMU for Sept 2026
  2. You may submit the scholarship application even before your DMU course offer arrives
  3. Complete the Sanctuary Scholarship application form (PDF download)
  4. Attach evidence of immigration status (create a UKVI account for your eVisa if your BRP has expired)
  5. Get a reference letter on headed paper from a professional contact, not a relative or friend (e.g. tutor, support worker, employer)
  6. Submit between 9am, 5 Jan 2026 and 9am, 11 May 2026
  7. No reply within 10 days of the 11 May deadline means the application was unsuccessful

What to prepare

  • Evidence of immigration status (UKVI account/eVisa if BRP expired)
  • Reference letter on headed paper from a professional contact (not a relative or friend)

How they select

application form · references · evidence of circumstances

There is no interview — the decision is made on documents. On most routes there are no subject entrance exams either: the main hurdle on the way into university is proving your level of English. The exceptions are medicine, dentistry and creative courses, where tests and portfolios do appear.

Dates

Can you apply now · as of 6 September 2026
Opens: January 2027
Where the date comes from: “closes 9am 11 May 2026, for 2026/27 entry»
Deadline
Opens 5 Jan 2026 9am, closes 11 May 2026 9am, for 2026/27 entry
When applications open
Annual; opens 9am 5 January, closes 9am 11 May each year, for September entry
For how many years
Renewed for the following years of the course, as long as you keep studying.

Ask before you apply

We do not fill in the gaps for the institution. Here is what its own page leaves unclear — these are normal questions, everyone asks them.

  • What happens to the payments if I am granted refugee status mid-year?

Who to write to: transitions@dmu.ac.uk

If this scheme is not for you

About the institution

Leicester, UK (main campus); DMU also has overseas campuses (Cambodia, Dubai, Kazakhstan, London) not tied to this scholarship on the page.

There are adults, but they are a minority. 15.7% of students are over 30 and 27.3% are over 25 — an average picture for a UK university.

In detail about De Montfort University: all schemes, student ages, study modes →

Source

Every fact on this page we opened and read on the institution's own site, rather than taking it from an aggregator. Checked on: 22 August 2026.

The scheme page on the institution's site →

Page is now branded 'Sanctuary Scholarship' though the URL slug still says article-26-scholarship.