Foundation Year (Year 0): complete guide for refugees

0️⃣ What Year 0 is ✅ IFY or a private programme 💷 How much it costs ⬆️ Moving up to Year 1 🎓 Sanctuary and Year 0 🚨 Red flags

01

What is a Foundation Year?

Year 0, the preparatory year

A Foundation Year (Year 0) is a bridging year of university-level study for students whose current qualifications do not meet the requirements for direct entry into Year 1. It is most relevant for Cohort A students (Attestat holders) and some Cohort F students (once their English is strong enough).

Cohort A — the CIS Attestat Your school certificate is assessed at GCSE level — what that means and which routes are open to you. Cohort F — no English yet ESOL Entry 1 → Level 2 → Access to HE or Foundation Year → university.

02

Two types: Integrated vs Private

the funding difference

✅ Type 1: Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) — suitable for refugees

An IFY is owned and delivered by the university itself. It forms a single four-year course (Year 0 + Years 1-3). You apply through UCAS for the four-year course code. Student Finance England treats the whole programme as one "long degree" and funds all four years, including Year 0. This is the route eligible home-fee students should use.

🚫 Type 2: Private International Foundation Programme — NOT for refugees

These are run by commercial providers (Study Group, INTO, Kaplan, NCUK) who may rent space near a university. They are designed for international students who pay full international fees (£15,000–£22,000 for one year). They are not part of the degree — after completing one you must make a separate UCAS application. They are not eligible for SFE tuition fee loans.

Refugees and others with home-fee status must not sign contracts with private foundation providers expecting SFE to fund it. It will not.

03

Foundation Year fee caps

as of 8 May 2026

For integrated foundation years at approved providers:

Classroom-based subjects (business, humanities, social sciences):
The maximum fee is capped at £5,760 at providers that hold a TEF award (Teaching Excellence Framework — the government rating of teaching quality) and an Access and Participation Plan (APP). Providers without TEF or an APP may charge less — some charge as little as £3,735.

Lab-based subjects (sciences, engineering, medicine and allied subjects):
The fee cap follows the standard undergraduate maximum — £9,535 for 2025-26 and £9,790 for 2026-27. Always check the specific course page.

💷 What SFE covers

SFE gives Tuition Fee Loans up to the applicable cap, and your Maintenance Loan keeps being paid throughout Year 0.

04

Moving up from Year 0 to Year 1

not automatic

Progression is structured, but not automatic.

Humanities, business and non-regulated subjects: you must reach a pass threshold (usually 40–50%) across the foundation modules.

Nursing, social work and allied health: on top of the pass mark, you must pass a professional interview, an Occupational Health assessment (a health check for working with patients) and get a clear DBS certificate (Disclosure and Barring Service — a criminal record check) during Year 0. Failing any of these means you cannot move on to the regulated degree.

Regulated professions — the extra checks Medicine, nursing, social work: interview, Occupational Health, DBS.

05

Sanctuary Scholarships and Foundation Year

check every university

Not all Sanctuary Scholarships automatically cover Year 0. Check with each university separately:

Oxford Brookes University: the Sanctuary Scholarship covers the full four-year duration for students on Integrated Foundation Courses, provided they pass Year 0 and move on to the degree.

University of Sheffield: the Sanctuary Scholarship gives £10,300 a year towards living costs. Foundation course applicants should contact Sheffield to discuss eligibility — they are not included automatically.

University of Gloucestershire (Michael Perham): tuition fee waivers are for undergraduate or postgraduate taught degrees only. Foundation years are NOT covered.

Sanctuary Scholarships — the full picture Who qualifies, which schemes do not rule you out if you already have SFE, and how to apply.

06

Red flags

4 common mistakes

⚠️ What to avoid

Signing a contract with a private foundation provider and expecting SFE to fund it.
Confusing a Foundation Year (Level 3, leads to Year 1) with a Foundation Degree (Level 5, a two-year vocational qualification).
Not checking the exact course-level progression requirements, especially for health or regulated professions.
Not checking whether your Sanctuary Scholarship covers Year 0 — many do not cover it automatically.

💡 An alternative that does not use up a year of funding

The Access to HE Diploma is Level 3, not higher education, so it does not use up your SFE funding years. The details are on the Access to HE in detail page.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Foundation Year and why does it exist?

A Foundation Year (Year 0) is a bridging year of university-level study for students whose current qualifications do not meet direct Year 1 entry requirements. It is most relevant for CIS Attestat holders (Cohort A) and students whose English has reached a sufficient level (Cohort F).

Does Student Finance England fund a Foundation Year?

SFE funds only an Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) — a programme that is part of a four-year degree and applied for through UCAS as a single course code. Private international foundation programmes from Study Group, INTO, or Kaplan are not funded by SFE. Refugees with home-fee status must not sign contracts with private providers expecting SFE to pay.

How much does an Integrated Foundation Year cost?

For classroom-based subjects (business, humanities, social sciences): maximum £5,760 per year. For lab-based subjects (sciences, engineering, medicine-allied): up to £9,535 for 2025-26 and £9,790 for 2026-27. Always check the specific course page for the confirmed fee.

Do students automatically progress from Year 0 to Year 1?

No. Progression is structured but not automatic. For most subjects you must reach a defined pass threshold (typically 40-50%). For medicine, nursing and other regulated professions you must also pass a professional interview, an Occupational Health assessment, and obtain a clear DBS certificate during Year 0.

Do Sanctuary Scholarships cover Foundation Year?

It depends on the university. Oxford Brookes covers all 4 years. University of Sheffield considers foundation applicants individually — not automatically. University of Gloucestershire (Michael Perham) does not cover Foundation Year at all. Always verify with the specific university.

Sources: GOV.UK · Student Finance England UCAS · applying for a four-year course OfS Register · all official UK HE providers Access to HE Diploma (QAA) — the alternative to Year 0 STAR Network · Sanctuary scholarships Refugee Education UK (REUK)

Last updated: 8 May 2026. Sources: GOV.UK — Student Finance England, UCAS, OfS Register, STAR Network. Fee caps, progression requirements and Sanctuary Scholarship rules change every academic year — check them on the course page and the official sites before you apply.

Foundation Year (Year 0): everything you need to know