Equal Access Scholarship

What it gives

full tuition waiver · living costs

up to £14,880

UG: £12,300/yr maintenance (2 places); PGT: £14,880/yr maintenance (1 place); both include full fee waiver

Who it is for

asylum seeker (claim pending) · limited or discretionary leave · indefinite leave to remain · humanitarian protection · 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.

Apply to the University of York for an eligible undergraduate course and hold a conditional or unconditional 2026 offer
Apply online via the scholarship form using your UCAS personal ID (10 digits) and York Application ID (9 digits), both found on your offer letter
Provide evidence of your asylum status, e.g. a biometric residence permit or a UKVI share code
Answer three supporting questions, each 1,000–1,500 characters (about 250–300 words)
You may be invited to an informal interview with the scholarship awarding panel

What to prepare

UCAS personal ID (10 digits, from offer letter)
York Application ID (9 digits, from offer letter)
Evidence of asylum status, e.g. biometric residence permit or UKVI share code

How they select

application form · essay · interview · references

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

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: “Deadline mid-May each year (2026: Monday 18 May, 9am BST)»

Deadline

Monday 18 May 2026, 9am BST for both UG and PGT 2026/27 entry (closed)

When applications open

Deadline mid-May each year (2026: Monday 18 May, 9am BST); outcome by 1 June

How many places

2 (UG) + 1 (PGT)

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 York — Heslington campus in York; the international office (international@york.ac.uk) administers the Equal Access Scholarship for both undergraduate and postgraduate taught study.

Mostly school leavers. Only 10.7% 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 York: all schemes, student ages, study modes →

Source

We found this scheme in the STAR Network and Displaced Student Opportunities lists, but the institution's own site was unavailable when we checked: the page returned an error or blocked automated access. The record is therefore built from an archived copy and open sources — check the terms with the institution before you apply. Checked on: 22 August 2026.

The scheme page on the institution's site →

IMPORTANT: aggregator's UG/PGT amounts were swapped — verified directly on institution pages: UG=£12,300, PGT=£14,880 (not the reverse). Excludes Hull York Medical School, 2yr LLB.