Sanctuary Scholarships

• five fee waivers each year covering the tuition fees for our 11-week English language programme (starting in June each year) for local applicants* - £4,345 in 2021
• four bursary awards of £5,000+ each year of study for new applicants to undergraduate courses** with refugee or humanitarian protection status
• one bursary award of £10,000+ (pro-rata-ed for part-time students) for new applicants to postgraduate taught courses with refugee or humanitarian protection status
• one scholarship comprising of fee waivers and a bursary of £14,200+ for each year of study for new applicants to undergraduate courses ** with asylum seeker status
• one scholarship comprising of fee waivers and a bursary of £14,200+ (pro-rata-ed for part-time students) for new applicants to postgraduate taught courses with asylum seeker status

*preference will be given to those with a RG postcode.

** includes all three or four-year Undergraduate programmes, including those for degrees with an integrated foundation year or integrated master’s year, excluding the stand-alone International Foundation Programme.

+bursary payments are made in termly instalments.

For all awards, you must:

• be granted a temporary form of leave (limited leave to remain, discretionary leave to remain, refugee status, humanitarian protection) in your own right as the result of an asylum application or human rights application; or be an asylum seeker;
• have applied to the University of Reading for 2021 entry and received either a conditional or unconditional offer;
• not already hold an undergraduate or postgraduate degree awarded in the UK and/or overseas;
• currently reside in the UK

The different awards have different additional eligibility, which are explained below:

For the pre-sessional English fee waiver you must: 

• be applying for the 11 week course starting in June
• be living in the local area (preference will be given to those with an RG postcode) and
• have sat an academic IELTS test or placement test offered by the University of Reading’s International Study and Language Institute (ISLI) before you can be offered a place. We recognise that IELTS tests can be expensive so ISLI can assess your Academic English Level free of charge. 

For the bursary awards your immigration status:

• must currently allow you to access tuition Fee Loans or Maintenance Loans from Student Finance England/Wales/NI/SAAS. 

For the fee waiver and bursary award, your immigration status must currently not allow you to access Tuition Fee Loans or Maintenance Loans from Student Finance England/Wales/NI/SAAS.

Scholarship awards for the following year are decided each May for pre-sessional English awards and over the summer for undergraduate and postgraduate taught awards. To be considered for a scholarship you must already hold an offer from the University of Reading, so you must apply no later than the date stated in the above. 

We will notify applicants of the Scholarship decisions by the end of May for Pre-sessional English courses and in September 2021 for undergraduate and postgraduate taught applicants (awards can only be given to students who meet the requirements of any offer made by the University, and so time is given for applicants to do this). 

Any questions?  Contact us at refugeescholarship@reading.ac.uk.

By submitting a Sanctuary Scholarship application, you agree to comply with, and be bound, by these Terms and Conditions.

University of Reading Fees and Funding pages:

• Undergraduate fees and funding
• Postgraduate fees and funding
• Student Financial Support Team
  
  

Support for Refugees:

• Student Action for Refugees
• Reading Refugee Support Group
• Red Cross
• RefuAid

UK wide student advice

• Student Action for Refugees
  
• Reading Refugee Support Group
• Red Cross
• RefuAid

UK wide student advice

• UKCISA – information on Government Student Support
• UKCISA – information on fee status in Higher Education