Mendee CIC · Not immigration advice (s.84 IAA). For your case — a regulated solicitor.
Find your route to university
In short
Answer 3 questions — the quiz will identify your educational route and send you to the right page. Takes about 1 minute.
3
questions
in this quiz
1
minute
to complete the quiz
6
routes
possible outcomes
You have an unfinished quiz.
Question 1 of 3
Your route
School leaver with foreign certificate
You hold a secondary school leaving certificate from a CIS country. UK ENIC rates it as GCSE level — one tier 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 options are funded through Student Finance.
You do not have a school leaving certificate. The first step is completing secondary level in the UK — through GCSE courses or ESOL with Functional Skills components.
The route is longer but achievable: FE college, GCSE, then Access to HE or Foundation Year. Free options exist for refugees at each stage.
You have higher education credits but no degree. This is a valuable asset: some UK universities may credit your years of study and admit you directly to 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 all universities accept RPL, but many post-92 institutions consider it.
You hold a Bachelor's, Specialist, or Master's degree. Since 2025 the ELQ rule (restriction on a second degree) has been removed — you can access Student Finance for a new programme in the UK.
Options include: applying for a second undergraduate degree, applying for a Master's (subject to English level and qualification assessment), or using UK ENIC comparability for 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 are entitled to free education in the UK. UCAS and Student Finance come after A-levels at 18. Your chances of getting into a Russell Group university are higher than for adults who arrived later.
English is the first and essential step. Without it, university is not yet possible — but learning English for free is very achievable right now.
ESOL courses at FE colleges are completely free for refugees (funded by the Adult Skills Fund). Once your English reaches B1–B2, you can return to this quiz and choose an educational route.
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.
⚠️ StartNewLife is an information project — not regulated by the IAA (Immigration Advice Authority). We do not provide immigration advice within the meaning of Section 84 of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999. All content is general information only and does not replace advice from a regulated lawyer (IAA / SRA / BSB) about your specific case.
