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University of Southampton · England · Southampton

University of Sanctuary Scholarship

What it gives
full tuition waiver · application support · accommodation
Full tuition fee waiver + annual bursary (amount not published) + accommodation support + welcome pack
Who it is for
asylum seeker (claim pending) · limited or discretionary leave · 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.

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.

  1. Get an offer to study an undergraduate or postgraduate taught course at Southampton starting September 2026
  2. Complete the relevant online application form (separate forms for undergraduate and postgraduate applicants, linked from the scholarship page)
  3. Submit your admissions offer letter, a reference, and evidence of your immigration/asylum claim — an Application Registration Card for asylum seekers, or an eVisa share code / other documentation for those with Limited Leave, Discretionary Leave, or UASC status
  4. The Sanctuary Officer processes applications and may request more information, then a panel reviews completed applications after the deadline and selects who to offer
  5. If offered, you accept or decline a conditional offer (conditional on enrolling and passing a Right to Study Check); unsuccessful places are reoffered if others decline
  6. In August, confirm you've met your course conditions; if you need accommodation, apply for it and then complete the Right to Study check; the university rechecks eligibility in early September before you relocate

What to prepare

  • Admissions offer letter
  • Reference
  • Evidence of immigration/asylum status (Application Registration Card, or eVisa share code/documentation for Limited/Discretionary Leave or UASC)

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
2026/27 round closed · next date not announced
Next year's round usually opens in winter or spring. Write to the university early: ask for the date and to be added to their mailing list.
Where the date comes from: “postgraduate deadline 6 May 2026»
Deadline
UG 4 May 2026; PG 6 May 2026, for 2026/27
When applications open
Undergraduate deadline 4 May, postgraduate deadline 6 May, for September entry each year
How many places
4

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@soton.ac.uk

If this scheme is not for you

About the institution

University of Southampton, based in Southampton (Highfield and other campuses); a Right to Study Check and separate Fee Status assessment are both part of confirming eligibility.

Mostly school leavers. Only 8.4% 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 Southampton: 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 →

Sanctuary Coordinator: Claire Giles.