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University · Route finder · Information current8 May 2026· Next review: 1 Sep 2026
Information current
8May2026
Next review: 1 Sep 2026
Find your route to university
Answer 4 questions — the test finds your education route, shows who pays for study with your status, and sends you to the right page.
It takes about 1 minute. There are six routes in total: from “no English yet” to “I already have a degree”.
💷 Money with your status: you are waiting for a decision.
Government student finance is not available until you have a decision. The route into university is the university's own scholarship (Sanctuary) or waiting for status. Each university sets your fee rate itself: most treat you as “overseas”, some give the home rate — ask this first.
Free ESOL at college — if you have lived in the UK for 6 months and there is no decision yet; in council care — from day one. You cannot work, so apprenticeships and NVQs that require a job are closed.
💷 Money with your status: you already have status.
Full student finance from day one of status: a loan for tuition and for living costs. The three-year residence rule does not apply (Schedule 1, para 4). Free ESOL up to Level 2 from day one. Unrestricted right to work — apprenticeships are open.
Exception: discretionary leave — not treated as a refugee; the three-year rule applies, with the long residence route.
Student finance is not available. Free ESOL — if you have lodged an appeal and it has been pending for 6 months, or you are on Section 4 support, or in council care. You cannot work.
University — only through the university's own scheme: some Sanctuary scholarships accept you after a refusal while the appeal is ongoing. Ask in advance what happens if your status changes mid-course.
You hold a secondary school leaving certificate from a CIS country. UK ENIC rates it as GCSE level — one step below what universities require. This is not a dead end.
There are four clear routes: Foundation Year, Access to HE, adult A-levels, or direct entry at some post-92 universities. Most of these options are funded through Student Finance.
You do not have a school leaving certificate. That means your first step is to finish school level here in the UK, through GCSE courses or ESOL with Functional Skills.
The route is longer, but it works: FE college, GCSEs, then Access to HE or a Foundation Year. There are free options for refugees at every stage.
You have higher education credits but no degree. That is a valuable asset: some UK universities can count the years you have already studied and admit you straight into Year 2 or Year 3.
The key step is a UK ENIC Statement of Comparability and a conversation with admissions about Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Not every university accepts RPL, but many post-92 universities will consider it.
You hold a Bachelor's, Specialist or Master's degree. For courses starting from January 2027, the ELQ rule (the limit on funding a second degree) is lifted together with the launch of the LLE — applications open from September 2026, and you will be able to get Student Finance for a new programme. For earlier start dates ELQ still applies (medicine and some healthcare courses are the exceptions).
Your options: apply for a second undergraduate degree, apply for a Master's (if your English and your qualifications allow), or use UK ENIC comparability to move onto a professional route.
You are 14–17 years old. At this age the path to university runs through the UK school system: GCSEs (age 14–16) and A-levels or BTEC (age 16–18).
Refugee children have the right to free education in the UK. UCAS and Student Finance come next, after A-levels at 18. Your chances at a Russell Group university are higher than for adults who arrived later.
English is the first step, and you cannot skip it. Without English university is not possible — but learning English for free is realistic right now.
ESOL courses at an FE college are usually free for refugees and asylum seekers on a low income (Adult Skills Fund) — check the exact conditions with the college. Once your English reaches B1–B2, you can come back to this test and choose an education route.
The quiz does not look at your immigration status
It only shows your educational route. Your right to Student Finance (the government loan for study)
and to scholarships depends on your status, not on your level of education. What you get with which status
is on the page “Student Finance — who qualifies”.
Your answers stay in your browser
The quiz saves your answers locally, in the browser: you can close the page and come back — it will offer
to continue from the same place. Once your route is decided, the address bar shows a link like ?route=A —
you can copy it and send it to anyone.
If none of the options fit
Open all 6 routes and choose by hand — the descriptions there are fuller
than in the quiz result. Or message us on Telegram: @startnewlifeuk.
Frequently asked questions
What if none of the options fit my situation?
Open all 6 routes on the /en/education/university/ page and choose manually. Or message us on Telegram — @startnewlifeuk.
Does the quiz save my answers?
Yes — your answers are saved in the browser. If you close the page and come back, the quiz will offer to continue where you left off.
Can I share my result?
Yes. After the quiz shows your route, the address bar will update to show ?route=A (or whichever letter). Copy that link and share it.
Does the quiz take my immigration status into account?
No — the quiz only identifies your educational route. Your eligibility for Student Finance and scholarships depends on your status. See each route page for details.
Last updated: 8 May 2026. This quiz is a navigator for the pages in the “University” section;
the figures and conditions themselves are explained on each route page and are updated there.
Sources for the routes: UCAS,
GOV.UK — Student Finance,
UK ENIC,
Access to HE.
Entry requirements and amounts change every academic year — check them on the official sites before you apply.
