SOAS Sanctuary Scholarships 2025/26
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Key information
- Deadline date
- Amount
- Tuition Fees and Maintenance Stipend
Scholarship overview
The SOAS Sanctuary scheme to support displaced people was launched in 2015. It is designed to support those who might otherwise be blocked from embarking on a university degree especially those with precarious forms of immigration status and who do not have access to Student Finance.
The SOAS Sanctuary scholarships include a full tuition fee waiver (Home rate fees only) for any full-time undergraduate degree of 3 years duration, along with £12,000 maintenance per academic year to contribute towards living costs.
Eligible Programmes
- Any full-time undergraduate degree programme of 3 years duration
Candidate criteria
Applicants must be a displaced person that falls into one of the following groups:
- Asylum Seeker or you have submitted a claim for asylum in the UK or are actively appealing a negative decision on claim for asylum in the UK
- Discretionary or Limited Leave to Remain
- Humanitarian Protection status or the spouse or child of someone with Humanitarian Protection status
- Refugee status or you are the spouse or child of someone with refugee status.
- The dependant of any of the above status groups, in recognition that they are also from asylum-seeking or refugee backgrounds.
Or have come to the UK under one of the following,
- UK Refugee Resettlement Scheme (UKRS)
- Afghan citizens Resettlement Scheme
- Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)
- Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) and Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS)
- Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine)
- Ukraine Family Scheme
Applicants must also
- Not have access to Student Finance funding, due to immigration status ineligibility.
- Be resident in the UK.
- Have received an offer of study for a 3-year undergraduate course beginning in September 2025. You will still have to meet the conditions of your offer of a place to be accepted onto the degree programme and receive the scholarship.
- Not have already studied at an equivalent or higher level.
- Provide evidence of their immigration status to scholarships@soas.ac.uk by the end of the scholarship application deadline. Applicants should also provide evidence that they have had their Student Finance loan application rejected if possible.
Candidate assessment
- Candidates will be assessed based on the information provided in your scholarship application and in your online application for admission by a Selection Panel of at least three members.
- The Selection Panel will consider the information you have provided in your admissions application:
- Your rationale for choosing the degree you wish to study at SOAS.
- Your learning trajectory including academic achievements and obstacles you have overcome.
- How well the degree will serve your future plans and intentions.
- Your supporting references.
- In addition, we will consider the information you provide in your scholarship application about your immigration situation and why you are applying for this scholarship. It is important that you provide clear information about this and any supporting documents, so that we can understand your situation. Any relevant documents should be emailed to scholarships@soas.ac.uk.
- You must submit a complete application of your programme as soon as possible and then submit an application for this scholarship in order to be considered. Please note that complete applications for admissions can take up to 4 weeks to be considered by the Department, although this duration can vary depending on the time of the year. You should be prepared to wait up to 6 weeks in busy periods.
- You will need to have an offer for your programme by the time the Scholarship Panel meet.
- Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Scholarship application procedure
Step 1: Apply for your programme via UCAS (Undergraduates)
- For more information on how to apply for an undergraduate degree programme, please see Undergraduate applications
Having a place at SOAS is necessary to be considered by the Sanctuary Scholarship selection panel, although you may submit a scholarship application before you receive your offer of a place from Admissions. .
Step 2: Apply for the scholarship by 12:00pm (midday) UK local time on 21 March 2025
- You must apply for this scholarship via the online application form.
- You should save a copy of your application form for your records. If you wish to print a copy of the application, then please do so before submitting it.
Notification of results
The scholarship shortlisting and awarding period is expected to be completed by the end of May at the earliest. Successful candidates will be contacted first, and once all awards have been allocated, unsuccessful candidates will be notified.
Should no suitable candidates be nominated by the panel, this award will reopen for applications in May 2025. Please check this webpage for updates during this period to confirm whether the award is open for applications or contact the Scholarships Team at scholarships@soas.ac.uk.
Enquiries
- For enquiries regarding your programme application procedure please email undergradadmissions@soas.ac.uk.
- For any enquiries regarding the scholarship application procedure, please email scholarships@soas.ac.uk.