Education Grants (Grants and Advocacy Programme)

What it gives

partial fee support · living costs · travel costs

up to £4,500

Up to £4,500 (most grants smaller); covers tuition/exam fees, transport, study costs

Who it is for

asylum seeker (claim pending) · recognised refugee status · limited or discretionary leave · other categories — see terms

Level of study: Access to HE, foundation year, 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

Have an education or welfare organisation complete a referral form on your behalf (self-referral accepted only in exceptional circumstances, with a professional reference contact)
Provide proof of immigration status — a Home Office document or a solicitor's letter; applications are not accepted without this evidence
List other charities you've applied to and the amounts requested, since Hope for the Young will not fund tuition fees in full
Application is reviewed by funding panels made up of past grant recipients, staff, and trustees
Outcome given end of June (Round 1) or end of August (Round 2)
Not currently accepting external applications (Spring 2026) — existing grantees are being prioritised

What to prepare

Proof of immigration status (Home Office document or solicitor's letter)
Referral form completed by an education/welfare organisation, or a self-referral with a professional reference contact in exceptional circumstances
List of other charities applied to and amounts requested

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

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.

Where the date comes from: “no active 2026 external cycle; not opening for external applications in Spring 2026»

Deadline

Not opening for external applications in Spring 2026 (existing grantees prioritised); no active 2026 external cycle

When applications open

Two rounds a year normally (Round 1 outcomes end of June, Round 2 end of August); no external round open in Spring 2026

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

Who to write to: ef@hopefortheyoung.org.uk / 07448 155126 (Tue–Thu, 9am–5:30pm)

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.

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 →

UK-wide charity, not tied to one institution; funds Entry Level up to first UG degree (Level 6) only, no postgrad.