Sanctuary Scholarship 2026-27

What it gives

full tuition waiver · living costs · travel costs · visa fee and IHS

up to £20,000

Up to £20,000/yr living stipend + full fee waiver + travel/visa costs (Sanctuary Scholarship, PGT, in-person 1yr Master's only)

Who it is for

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

This scheme does not accept recognised refugee status — its terms narrow the field of applicants.

Level of study: taught postgraduate

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 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 to an in-person, one-year Master's programme at King's starting September 2026
Complete the Sanctuary Scholarship application form online, answering personal statement questions, between 2 Feb 2026 10:00 and 5 May 2026 10:00 UK time
Email supporting documents to sanctuary@kcl.ac.uk (specific list given in the scheme's FAQ document and information session)
Decisions communicated by 6 July 2026

What to prepare

Supporting documents (specific list in the scheme's FAQ document, not itemised on this page)

How they select

application form · personal statement

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: February 2027

Where the date comes from: “closes 5 May 2026 10:00 UK time»

Deadline

5 May 2026, 10:00 UK time, for 2026/27

When applications open

Opens 2 Feb 2026 10:00, closes 5 May 2026 10:00 UK time; decisions by 6 July 2026, annually for September entry

How many places

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: sanctuary@kcl.ac.uk

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

King's College London is based in London (Strand campus). The page does not describe how fee status is assessed.

There are adults, but they are a minority. 16.2% of students are over 30 and 28.5% are over 25 — an average picture for a UK university.

In detail about King's College London: 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 →

KCL also runs a separate Dr Monica Malik Refugee Bursary: £10,000/yr, refugee/humanitarian-protection status only, no funding-access requirement, deadline 10 Jul 2026.