University of Salford Sanctuary Scholarship

What it gives

full tuition waiver · travel costs · application support

up to £1,100

£1,100/yr for 3 years (2 instalments of £550) for travel/course costs, plus fee waiver until student-finance-eligible status gained

Who it is for

asylum seeker (claim pending) · limited or discretionary leave · dependant of a person with status · other categories — see terms

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.

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.

Get a conditional or unconditional offer from Salford for a course starting in September, via UCAS or direct application
Complete sections 1–3 and 6 of the online application form: personal details, education history, UK immigration status with Home Office reference number, and eligibility declarations
Have your referee (school/college principal or senior community-group manager) complete sections 4–5, including a supporting statement up to 500 words
If shortlisted after form review, attend an interview
Panel decision is final — Salford states there is no appeal

What to prepare

Proof of Right to Study (BAIL 201 documents or Home Office correspondence)
Home Office Reference Number
Referee's supporting statement (max 500 words)

How they select

application form · 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: January 2027

Where the date comes from: “2027/28 cycle opens January 2027»

Deadline

2026/27 applications closed; 2027/28 cycle opens January 2027

When applications open

2026/27 applications closed; 2027/28 cycle opens January 2027

How many places

approx 4 (recent cycle: 4 places for 60+

For how many years

Renewed for the following years of the course, as long as you keep studying.

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

University of Salford, Greater Manchester. Preference goes to applicants who can commute to or relocate within the local area; the page notes asylum seekers get home fee status regardless of whether they win the scholarship. Recent cycle: 4 places from over 60 applicants.

There are adults, but they are a minority. 19.2% of students are over 30 and 31.8% are over 25 — an average picture for a UK university.

In detail about University of Salford: 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 →