The University of Leeds is proud to offer the Sanctuary Scholarship, an initiative aimed at supporting individuals who have been forcibly displaced from their home countries. This scholarship provides an opportunity for eligible students to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate taught (Masters) degrees without the financial burden of tuition fees. If you meet the eligibility criteria, this could be a transformative chance to further your education and secure a brighter future.

Key Details

• Scholarship Name: Sanctuary Scholarship
• Institution: University of Leeds
• Application Deadline: 12:00 PM (noon) on Monday, 7th April 2025
• Level:
  • Bachelor
  • Master (taught )

Scholarship Coverage:

The Scholarships cover the following:

• Full tuition fee waiver
• £10,000 per year for study-related costs
• Optional pre-sessional language course (6 or 10 weeks in Summer 2025) for those needing to meet language requirements

Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for the Sanctuary Scholarship, applicants must:

• Be a forced migrant to the UK, meaning they have been displaced due to political, economic, ethnic, environmental, or human rights reasons.
• Be unable to access mainstream student funding, such as Student Finance England or local authority grants.
• Have already applied to study at the University of Leeds for the 2025/26 academic year.
• Not already hold a degree from a UK university at the same or a higher level than the course they intend to study.
• Be eligible for UK tuition fees (those classified as international students must confirm their fee status via the fee assessment process).

Eligible Residency Statuses

Applicants must hold one of the following residency statuses:

• Asylum Seeker (pending asylum application) or Refused Asylum Seeker (with a fresh claim in process)
• Limited or Discretionary Leave to Remain
• Indefinite Leave to Remain

Additionally, individuals with the following statuses may qualify only if they hold a non-UK degree at the same level as the course they are applying for:

• Refugee status or dependent of a refugee
• Humanitarian Protection status or dependent of a humanitarian protection holder
• Section 67 Leave (or a dependent child of someone with this status)
• Calais Leave
• Stateless Person Leave (or spouse/child of someone with this status)
• Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) / Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS)
• Ukraine Family Scheme / Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme / Ukraine Extension Scheme

It is important to note that immigration status must allow study for the entire duration of the course. If immigration permission changes and study is no longer permitted, the scholarship may be withdrawn.

Scholarship Benefits

Recipients of the Sanctuary Scholarship will receive:

• Full coverage of tuition fees for the duration of their course
• £10,000 per year to assist with study-related costs
• Optional pre-sessional English language support (if required to meet language proficiency conditions)

How to Apply

Applications for the 2025/26 academic year are currently open and will close at 12:00 PM on Monday, 7th April 2025.

Apply to your desired program at the University of Leeds,

Apply now

Important Notes:

• Applying for the Sanctuary Scholarship does not equate to applying for a place on a course. You must submit a separate application for your chosen degree programme.
• If your application to study at Leeds is rejected, your Sanctuary Scholarship application will also be withdrawn.
• To apply for a course, search for your programme on the University of Leeds website and follow the application instructions.

For any queries or to submit supplementary evidence, contact the Sanctuary Scholarships team at [email protected].