Sanctuary Award

What it gives

full tuition waiver · living costs

up to £800

Full tuition fee waiver + £800 scholarship; up to two awards

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.

First secure a conditional or unconditional offer of a place on an undergraduate programme at Edge Hill
Complete the Sanctuary Award application form, following the published guidance notes
Provide evidence that you sought asylum on arrival in the UK and that your asylum application is under consideration

What to prepare

Evidence of seeking asylum on arrival in the UK / that the asylum claim is under consideration

How they select

application form · 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

Dates not published — ask the university

The provider's page gives no date. Write to them — it is the first question in the list below.

Deadline

2025/26 places fully allocated and closed; 2026/27 status not confirmed — could not verify directly, see notes

When applications open

2025/26 places were fully allocated and applications closed at time of check; 2026/27 status not confirmed on the page

How many places

up to 2

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.

Is the scholarship for one year or for the whole course?

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

Edge Hill University, based in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England; the award is for those who, by virtue of their immigration status, cannot access UK Government student finance.

Adults are a visible share. Roughly one student in four is over 30 (26%), and 34.7% are over 25.

In detail about Edge Hill 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 →

Institution page 403'd on every WebFetch attempt (both the original guidance-notes PDF page and the current live scholarships page). […]