If you are seeking asylum in the UK and want to study at a London university, your biggest headache is probably funding. You cannot access Student Finance. Most mainstream scholarships want you to have settled status or be a UK citizen. So where does that leave you?
Right here, actually. At least 11 London universities now run sanctuary scholarships, covering tuition fees and sometimes living costs too. The problem is that every university publishes its own page with its own rules, its own deadlines and its own eligibility criteria. Nobody puts them all in one place. Until now. Below you will find every London sanctuary scholarship compared side by side, so you can see exactly which ones you qualify for, what they are worth and when to apply.
Quick Answer
London has 11 universities offering sanctuary scholarships for asylum seekers, refugees and people with temporary leave from an asylum claim. The highest-value undergraduate package is at Imperial College (tuition + £16,500 stipend + £1,500 equipment grant). City St George’s offers up to £17,635 per year including tuition. QMUL gives up to £14,135 in living costs on top of a full fee waiver. Most 2027/28 applications open between January and March 2027, with deadlines falling April to July 2027. The UCAS deadline for most courses is 29 January 2027.
Contents
- What Are Sanctuary Scholarships?
- Every London Sanctuary Scholarship Compared
- Which London Scholarships Are Worth the Most?
- Eligible Immigration Statuses Explained
- Application Deadlines for 2027/28 London Entry
- How to Strengthen Your Application
- Getting the Right Funding Combination
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Sanctuary Scholarships in London?
A sanctuary scholarship is funding specifically for people who cannot access Student Finance England because of their immigration status. That typically means asylum seekers, people with Discretionary Leave to Remain, those on Humanitarian Protection and, at some universities, recognised refugees too.
The word “sanctuary” comes from the University of Sanctuary movement. Over 70 UK universities have signed up, but not all of them actually offer scholarships. In London, at least 11 do. The packages vary wildly though. One university might cover your tuition and hand you £16,500 for living costs. Another might give you £6,000 total. So knowing which ones exist is only half the picture. You need to know which ones are actually worth applying to for your situation.
Good to know: Sanctuary scholarships are separate from university bursaries by immigration status. Bursaries are usually smaller amounts on top of Student Finance. Sanctuary scholarships replace Student Finance entirely for people who cannot access it.
Every London Sanctuary Scholarship Compared
This table uses 2026/27 figures since most universities have not published their 2027/28 amounts yet. Amounts and places tend to stay similar year to year, but always check the university’s own page once 2027/28 applications open.
2026/27 Figures at a Glance
| University | Level | Places | Tuition | Living Costs / Maintenance | Accommodation | Key Eligible Statuses | 2026/27 Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial College London | UG | 1 | Full waiver | £16,500/year + £1,500 equipment grant | No | Asylum seekers, refugees, Humanitarian Protection, Ukraine scheme holders | 24 Apr 2026 |
| King’s College London | PG (1-year) | Up to 12 | Full waiver | Up to £20,000 stipend | No | Asylum seekers, people with limited leave from asylum claim, conflict-displaced | 5 May 2026 |
| City St George’s | UG | Up to 3 | Full waiver | Maintenance grant + £3,500 bursary (£17,635 total package) | No | Asylum seekers, Discretionary Leave, temporary leave from asylum/HR claim | 1 May 2026 |
| Queen Mary (QMUL) | UG | Up to 2 | Full waiver | £14,135/year (independent) or £9,118 (parental home) + £1,700 bursary | No | Asylum seekers, Temporary Leave, DLR, Humanitarian Protection | 15 May 2026 |
| SOAS | UG | Not stated | Full waiver | £12,000/year | No | Asylum seekers, DLR, Humanitarian Protection, refugees, Ukraine/Afghan scheme holders | 3 Jul 2026 |
| Goldsmiths | UG + PG | Up to 4 (2 UG, 2 PG) | Full waiver | £8,825 allowance | Yes, up to £200/week in halls | Refugees, asylum seekers, Ukraine scheme holders | Closed (date not published) |
| University of Greenwich | UG + PG Taught | 2 | Full waiver | £10,000/year | Yes, Avery Hill or Greenwich campus | Asylum seekers, DLR, limited leave from asylum claim, dependants | 30 Apr 2026 |
| Brunel University London | UG | 5 | Full waiver | No cash maintenance | Yes, 52-week ensuite room on campus | Asylum seekers, refugees, DLR, Humanitarian Protection, Family Reunion | 23 Apr 2026 |
| University of Roehampton | UG | 1 | Full waiver | Maintenance grant equal to max government loan | Yes, 52-week on-campus room | Asylum seekers, refugees, Humanitarian Protection, DLR, UASC leave | 30 Jun 2025 (2025/26 cycle) |
| London Metropolitan University | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | Reopens 22 Feb 2027 |
| UAL (University of the Arts) | UG | 8 | No (Home fee status required, so likely accessing SFE) | £6,000/year | No | Refugees, ILR, Humanitarian Protection only (NOT asylum seekers) | 26 Jun 2026 |
Important: The deadlines above are from the 2026/27 cycle. For 2027/28 entry, expect similar dates but check each university’s page from January 2027 onwards. We will update this table as 2027/28 details are confirmed.
Which London Sanctuary Scholarships Are Worth the Most?
The table is useful but the numbers alone do not tell you everything. A scholarship with free accommodation might actually be worth more than one with a bigger cash stipend, because London rent eats through money fast. So let us break this down properly.
Highest Cash Value (Undergraduate)
Imperial College tops the list for pure cash. You get full tuition (£9,535 Home fee rate, or more if classified overseas) plus £16,500 a year for living costs plus a one-off £1,500 for a laptop or equipment. That is roughly £27,500 in your first year alone. But there is only one place. One. The competition is fierce.
QMUL is strong too if you live independently. The living cost grant of £14,135 plus the £1,700 bursary plus full tuition puts your total annual package at around £25,625. And you get two chances since they offer two places.
Best Packages With Accommodation Included
If you do not have a settled place to live, this is what really matters. Roehampton covers tuition, gives you a maintenance grant equal to the maximum government loan and throws in 52 weeks of on-campus accommodation. You are fully covered, year round, even during summer when most students lose their halls. The catch? One place per year.
Brunel is a smart alternative. Five places (the most of any London university offering accommodation), full tuition waiver and a guaranteed ensuite room for 52 weeks. There is no cash maintenance, so you would need to find money for food and transport. But having housing sorted in London is genuinely worth thousands. Brunel’s campus in Uxbridge is also cheaper for day-to-day living than central London. You are looking at Zone 6, with good Piccadilly line access.
Greenwich offers tuition, £10,000 maintenance and accommodation at their Avery Hill or Greenwich campus. That combination is seriously competitive, though only two places are available.
Postgraduate Options in London
Your options narrow a lot at postgraduate level. KCL is the standout, with up to 12 places and a stipend of up to £20,000 on top of a full fee waiver. That is the most generous PG sanctuary package in London by some distance. Goldsmiths offers two PG places with tuition, an £8,825 allowance and accommodation. Greenwich also accepts PG taught students.
Worth knowing: If you currently receive Home Office asylum support (Section 95 or Section 4), a scholarship stipend could affect your benefits. KCL specifically warns about this. Check with a legal advisor or your asylum support caseworker before accepting any cash maintenance payments.
Eligible Immigration Statuses for London Sanctuary Scholarships
This is where it gets complicated, because every university defines eligibility slightly differently. Here is a rough guide to which statuses are accepted where.
Asylum Seekers (Awaiting a Home Office Decision)
Most London sanctuary scholarships accept you if you have an active asylum claim and have not received a final decision yet. Imperial, QMUL, City St George’s, SOAS, Goldsmiths, Greenwich, Brunel and Roehampton all include asylum seekers. KCL does too, though only for postgraduate study.
Discretionary Leave and Temporary Leave
If you have Discretionary Leave to Remain or another form of temporary leave granted through an asylum or human rights claim, most scholarships still cover you. QMUL, City St George’s, SOAS, Greenwich and Brunel all specifically list these statuses. This matters because DLR holders are usually treated as ineligible for Student Finance unless they meet the long residence rules.
Refugees and Humanitarian Protection
Here is where it gets a bit unusual. If you already have refugee status in the UK, you can normally access Student Finance England. So technically you do not need a sanctuary scholarship for tuition or maintenance. But some universities still include refugees, especially for the extra support that comes with it, like mentoring, accommodation or additional bursaries.
Imperial, SOAS, Goldsmiths, Brunel and Roehampton all accept refugees. UAL is specifically for refugees (plus ILR and Humanitarian Protection holders) but offers a £6,000 top-up rather than a full funding package, since these students can usually access SFE already.
Ukraine, Afghan and Other Resettlement Schemes
If you came to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, the Ukraine Family Scheme, the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme or the Afghan Relocations scheme (ARAP), you are explicitly eligible at several London universities. SOAS, Imperial and Goldsmiths all mention these schemes by name. Others may accept you under their broader “displaced persons” criteria, but it is worth contacting them directly to check.
Application Deadlines for 2027/28 London Sanctuary Scholarships
Most universities have not published their exact 2027/28 scholarship dates yet. But based on previous years, here is the timeline you should plan around.
| When | What You Should Be Doing |
|---|---|
| October to December 2026 | Research courses. Decide which universities you want to apply to through UCAS. Start your personal statement. |
| 29 January 2027 | UCAS deadline for most undergraduate courses. You need to have submitted your UCAS application by this date to be considered for sanctuary scholarships at QMUL, Imperial and others. |
| Late January 2027 | Greenwich 2027/28 applications expected to open. London Met reopens 22 February 2027. |
| February to March 2027 | Most scholarship application forms go live. Start filling them in as soon as they open. Do not wait until the deadline. |
| April to May 2027 | Most scholarship deadlines fall here. Imperial, Brunel and Greenwich tend to close in April. City St George’s, KCL and QMUL usually close in May. |
| June to July 2027 | Later deadlines at UAL, Roehampton and SOAS. Decisions from earlier applications start arriving. |
Do not forget UCAS: Most sanctuary scholarships require you to hold a conditional or unconditional offer from the university. That means your UCAS application needs to go in by the January deadline, even though the scholarship deadline is months later. If you miss the UCAS deadline, you may still be able to apply through UCAS Extra or Clearing, but check with the university whether late offers still qualify for the scholarship.
How to Strengthen Your Sanctuary Scholarship Application in London
Every university says applications are “competitive.” But what does that actually mean in practice? Here is what selection panels are looking for, based on the published criteria.
Get Your Documents Ready Early
You will need proof of your immigration status. That could be your ARC (Application Registration Card), a BRP or eVisa with a share code starting with “S”, a Home Office decision letter or your IS96/Bail 201 notice. Some universities also want a letter from a school, college or community organisation that can vouch for you. Collect these before applications open. Chasing documents at the last minute is stressful and completely avoidable.
Write a Strong Personal Statement
Most sanctuary scholarship applications ask you to explain your circumstances, why you want to study, what barriers you have faced and how the scholarship will help. This is your chance to stand out. Be specific. Do not just say “education is important to me.” Explain what you plan to do with your degree, how your experiences have shaped your goals and what difference the scholarship would make to your life. Imperial weights the personal statement equally with academic record. KCL bases selection on the quality of your answers.
Apply to Multiple Universities
This sounds obvious, but many students apply to just one sanctuary scholarship and hope for the best. With places this limited, you should apply to as many as you are eligible for. UCAS lets you apply to five universities. If you pick universities that all offer sanctuary scholarships, you have five shots instead of one. You can apply for the university through UCAS and then apply separately for each sanctuary scholarship, since these are separate application forms.
Getting the Right Funding Combination in London
A sanctuary scholarship is one piece of a bigger puzzle. Depending on your immigration status and personal circumstances, you might also be able to stack other funding sources on top. Some students combine a sanctuary scholarship with university bursaries, charitable grants or hardship funds. If your status changes during your course (for example, if you receive refugee status or ILR while studying), that can open up Student Finance mid-course too.
Working out what you are eligible for across different universities, different funding sources and different immigration statuses is genuinely complicated. Wilor Education offers a free eligibility check to help you figure out which scholarships, bursaries and finance options apply to your specific situation. No fees, no catch.
Not Sure Which Sanctuary Scholarship You Qualify For?
Get a free eligibility check from Wilor Education. We help you find the right university and funding for your immigration status.
Related Articles
Student Finance
Student Finance for Refugees in the UK
Full breakdown of what refugee status unlocks for tuition and maintenance loans.
Bursaries
University Bursaries by Immigration Status
Which bursaries you can get on top of a scholarship, based on your status.
Student Life
Student Life in London: Practical Guide
What it actually costs to live and study in London, from rent to transport to groceries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can asylum seekers study at university in the UK?
Yes. There is no legal restriction on asylum seekers studying at university in the UK, provided they do not have a condition on their immigration bail that prohibits study. The main barrier is funding, since asylum seekers cannot access Student Finance England. Sanctuary scholarships exist specifically to fill that gap.
How many sanctuary scholarships are available across London universities?
Based on the 2026/27 cycle, at least 11 London universities offered sanctuary scholarships with a combined total of roughly 30 to 35 undergraduate and postgraduate places. The exact number changes each year as some universities add or remove places.
Do I need to be a recognised refugee to get a sanctuary scholarship?
No. Most London sanctuary scholarships are designed for people who do not yet have refugee status. Asylum seekers awaiting a Home Office decision, people with Discretionary Leave to Remain and those with Humanitarian Protection are all eligible at most universities. Some universities also accept recognised refugees, but those students can usually access Student Finance directly.
Will a sanctuary scholarship affect my asylum support or Universal Credit?
It can. If you receive Section 95 or Section 4 asylum support from the Home Office, receiving a scholarship stipend might affect your entitlement. KCL specifically advises applicants to speak to a legal advisor before accepting the stipend. If you are on Universal Credit, different rules apply depending on your circumstances. Always check with your caseworker.
Can I apply to more than one sanctuary scholarship at the same time?
Yes. Sanctuary scholarships are separate applications tied to each university. If you apply to five universities through UCAS and each one has a sanctuary scholarship, you can apply for all five. You would only accept one in the end, but applying to multiple dramatically improves your chances of getting funded.
What happens to my sanctuary scholarship if I get refugee status while studying?
This depends on the university. Greenwich specifically states that the scholarship stops once you receive a status that gives you access to Student Finance. At that point, you would switch to Student Finance for your tuition and maintenance loans. Other universities may allow you to keep the scholarship. Check the terms and conditions carefully, and read our guide on what happens when your immigration status changes during your course.
Are there sanctuary scholarships for postgraduate study in London?
Yes, but your options are more limited. King’s College London offers up to 12 postgraduate places with a stipend of up to £20,000. Goldsmiths offers two postgraduate taught places. The University of Greenwich also accepts postgraduate taught students. Most other London sanctuary scholarships are undergraduate only.
Do I need qualifications to apply for a sanctuary scholarship in London?
You need to meet the entry requirements for your chosen course, which vary by university and subject. If you do not have traditional UK qualifications like A Levels, you might be able to enter through a foundation year programme or an Access to HE diploma. Some universities like Brunel include the foundation year in their sanctuary scholarship, covering up to four years of study.