Words by
Momina Rameez
Did you know that Over 80 universities offer scholarships and fee waivers for migrants without access to student finance in the UK?
The Student Action for Refuges (STAR) website has an extensive list which highlights the scholarships on offer; Please see the link below:
https://star-network.org.uk/access-to-university/scholarships/list/
We Belong has worked with many universities, training cross-departmental staff on issues young migrants face. We are excited to highlight that one of the institutions, the University of Bath have an array of funding opportunities and concessions for young migrants. Please see below:
Scholarships and bursaries
Tuition fee status- If you are an asylum seeker in the United Kingdom, you will be charged home tuition fees rather than international tuition fees.
The University of Bath will offer 1 undergraduate sanctuary scholarship for asylum seekers in the UK who are full-time students during the 2022/24 academic year and unable to obtain student funding due to their immigration status. The university will also provide a £5000 bursary to cover travel expenses, stationary, books, and so on. Personal one-on-one assistance will also be provided to help overcome any barriers.
Those with Refugee status, Humanitarian Protection, or who have been granted Leave under Ukraine Schemes will receive the same assistance as those in other vulnerable groups, which will include 365-day university housing, a non-repayable bursary of £1000 per academic year, an additional £1000 to help with start-up costs, and an additional £1000 when graduating (a maximum of £7,000 over a 5-year programme including a placement year).
Undergraduate Mentoring, information and Additional support
There is a page dedicated to students' experiences at Bath University, which can be found here; https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/forced-migration-student-experiences-at-bath/
You can sign up for 1:1 Text-Chat Mentoring with a present or former Bath student who has first-hand experience with forced migration by clicking on this link. They will assist you with your current studies, or if you're looking into alternative possibilities, applying to universities.
If you are searching for additional one-on-one assistance and guidance with financial support, eligibility requirements, and application guidance, you can email the university at studentsuccess@bath.ac.uk.
Doctoral Sanctuary Studentship
There is 1 Faculty of Engineering & Design University Research Studentship Award (URSA) set aside for a Candidate with Refugee, Humanitarian Protection, or Asylum Seeker status. There is a maintenance stipend of £17,668 per year (2022/23 rate), training support allowance of £1,000 per year, and up to 3.5 years of student finance at the home rate available. You can find more details on. https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/doctoral-sanctuary-studentship-in-engineering-and-design/.
The We Belong website offers you tons of resources on Student Finance eligibility, you can even use the eligibility calculator! Find out more here: https://www.webelong.org.uk/get-help-we-can-help/information-guidance/university-eligibility
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