Sanctuary Scholarship

The Sanctuary Scholarship scheme enables individuals seeking asylum and refugees who are not able access student finance to study at the University of Exeter.

Eligibility

Immigration Status

As well as meeting the academic requirements for your chosen programme of study you will also need to demonstrate that:

• You have submitted a claim for asylum within the UK and are awaiting a response (this includes submission of a fresh claim) or
• You have  been granted Limited Leave to Remain (formerly Discretionary Leave to Remain) on the grounds of seeking protection in the UK and are not eligible for funding via Student Finance England or
• You have been awarded ‘Humanitarian Protection’ or Refugee status in the UK but are not eligible for funding via Student Finance England or
• You have left care in the UK and are assessed as international for tuition fee purposes and are not eligible for funding via Student Finance England or
• (For applicants to postgraduate research programmes only) You have been granted refugee status* by the UK Home Office or
• You are the family member of someone with one of the immigration statuses listed above with ‘in line’ or ‘dependent’ status

Please note: if you are a Ukrainian national who has been granted a visa under the Ukraine Extension Scheme, the Ukraine Family Scheme or the Homes for Ukraine scheme and are currently resident in the UK, you will be eligible to apply for funding via Student Finance England, and so will not be eligible for this scholarship. 

We have produced our eligibility criteria to help you understand whether you meet our definition of a sanctuary seeker. The criteria are intended to capture the majority of situations, but we appreciate that there are highly individual circumstances that might not be captured. If this is the case, please do get in touch with us for further clarification.’

Programme of Study

Sanctuary Scholarship applications will be considered from students applying to the following programmes:

• Full-time undergraduate degree programmes
• Full-time Doctorate level programmes (eg PhD, EngD,EdD)

The following programmes are not eligible for Sanctuary Scholarship funding:

• BMBS Medicine – this is due to a cap imposed by the NHS on the number of home students we can recruit to the programme.  Any change to the fee status of a student during their studies would put the University in breach of this cap
• Any taught or research Masters programmes (eg MA, MSc, MPhil, MbyRes)

Value of Scholarship

• Undergraduates – a full tuition fee waiver plus a grant for living costs of £11,500 for each year of study.
• Undergraduate students will also receive a £2000 Access to Exeter Bursary during each year of study
• Doctorate Students (STEM disciplines) - a full tuition fee waiver plus an annual living cost grant of £19,237.  A research allowance of £5000 per year will also be paid.  All funding will normally be for a maximum of 3.5 years.
• Doctorate Students (HASS disciplines) -a full tuition fee waiver plus an annual living cost grant of £19,237.  A research allowance of £750 per year will also be paid. All funding will normally be for a maximum of 3 years.

How to apply

In order to make a decision on  your application for the Sanctuary Scholarship you must apply for a place at the University, and have submitted the required documentation, by 18th April 2025.  Before doing this you might wish to check our information on applying for undergraduate study or postgraduate study.

Applications for the Sanctuary Scholarship must be made using our online application form.

You will be required to upload proof of your immigration status and a reference.  Your reference should be from someone who is aware of your education history and can testify to your academic ability, ambition and potential.

If you are applying to study as a postgraduate research student, you will also need to include a research proposal.

We aim to be able to communicate all decisions by 3rd June 2025.

Summary