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University of Birmingham · England · Birmingham

Sanctuary Scholarship

What it gives
accommodation · full tuition waiver · living costs
up to £5,000
£5,000/yr study-cost payment (paid monthly) + full fee waiver + fully-funded accommodation
Who it is for
asylum seeker (claim pending) · humanitarian protection · limited or discretionary leave · dependant of a person with status
Level of study: undergraduate, 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

  1. Submit a separate application to the University of Birmingham for your chosen course starting September 2026
  2. Complete the Letter of Authority form, which authorises Birmingham to confirm your status with the Home Office
  3. Use the link in the confirmation message to complete the main scholarship application form (a reference if possible, plus short personal-statement-style questions)
  4. Submit by 23:59 on 8 March 2026
  5. Funding team checks completeness and the International Student Team verifies eligibility with the Home Office, then a panel reviews and shortlists candidates for interview (Edgbaston campus or online)
  6. Successful candidates are notified by early June; English language testing may follow in June/July via the Birmingham International Academy

What to prepare

  • Letter of Authority form
  • Reference (if possible — can be from a non-UK professional)
  • Personal-statement-style answers on the main form

How they select

application form · personal statement · references · 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: December 2026
Where the date comes from: “Applications will reopen in December 2026.»
Deadline
Дедлайн 8 марта 2026 для набора в сентябре 2026 прошёл; приём откроется снова в декабре 2026
When applications open
Annual cycle for September entry; webinar mid-February, application deadline 8 March, decisions by early June
How many places
5
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: sanctuaryawards@contacts.bham.ac.uk

If this scheme is not for you

About the institution

University of Birmingham, Edgbaston campus, Birmingham.

Mostly school leavers. Only 12.7% of students are over 30. If you are over 35, look at other universities on the list — there are more adults there.

In detail about University of Birmingham: 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: 24 August 2026.

The scheme page on the institution's site →

Проверено 24.08.2026: пять мест, £5,000 в год помесячно плюс оплата обучения и полностью оплаченное жильё. Вуз просит сообщить, если статус изменится до или во время учёбы, но что будет с деньгами — не пишет: спросите заранее. Ставка за обучение у просителей убежища — зарубежная; при получении статуса беженца она может смениться на домашнюю, но задним числом не пересчитывается.