Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to education, and higher education must be accessible to all on the basis of merit.
As a University of Sanctuary, the University of Kent stands firmly by this principle. We believe asylum seekers and students from forced migration backgrounds deserve the same opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed as anyone else.
We are committed to breaking down barriers and opening doors to higher education to ensure that displaced students can thrive.
Sanctuary Scholarships
The University of Kent, in partnership with the Article 26 Project, offers up to five Sanctuary Scholarships for undergraduates entry each academic year. The Sanctuary Scholarship offers a comprehensive package of support to help students seeking asylum in the UK access higher education.
Tuition fees waived for the duration of your programme of study, or until you are able to access other Student Finance funding.
Financial support in the form of a single bursary payment of £2,000 at the start of each academic year, to help with costs such as travel and course materials. This payment does not need to be repaid.
Dedicated staff support from Student Support and Wellbeing. A Senior Welfare Adviser will meet regularly with all Sanctuary Scholars to provide pastoral support and guidance throughout their academic journey.
Additional funding opportunities through a ringfenced fund available to Sanctuary Scholars to cover further short term costs.
Complimentary Gulbenkian Membership, giving access to the University of Kent’s Arts Centre, which includes a cinema, theatre, concert hall, and café/bar.
Unlimited bus travel with a South East Student Rider pass, provided in partnership with Stagecoach South East.
Quotation
I am the first person to go to university in my family. Without your kind donations I would not be here. Coming from a low income background the scholarship has made a massive difference to my life."
Scholarship value
Tuition fee waiver
Deadline
The deadline for applications for the 2026-27 academic year is 15 May 2026.
To be considered for the Sanctuary Scholarship,
applicants must:
Be an asylum seeker, or the partner/dependent of an asylum seeker, a refugee or have other forced migration status.
Hold a conditional or unconditional offer of undergraduate study
at the University of Kent, having applied through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).
Be currently attending a school, college, community or voluntary
group that can provide a supporting reference.
Not have access to mainstream funding such as Student Finance or a
local authority grant.
Live within commuting distance of the University of Kent (within the county of Kent).
Be able to cover their own living expenses and accommodation costs.
Please note the following courses are not currently available under the Sanctuary Scholarship at Kent: programmes dependent on NHS funding, Dentistry, Foundation degrees, Medicine and Pharmacy.
Case Studies
Fathima Zainab Riyaldeen
Fathima was a recipient of the Sanctuary Scholarship Fund who sought asylum in the UK in 2010. She
studied Accountancy and Finance and graduated in 2019 with a First from Kent
Business School.
"I was not
able to apply for a student loan because of my immigration status. The Article
26 scholarship gave me the opportunity to come to this university and get a
degree.
"By the time I had graduated, I knew I wanted to mentor students in my
area. I live in one of London’s poorest boroughs and I hope to encourage the
kids in my neighbourhood to go to university.
"The Article 26 Scholarship has literally
changed my life."
Dr Saeed Akkad
Dr Akkad from Syria undertook his PhD research into Cancer-related
nano-therapeutics at the University of Kent through the work of CARA (Council
for At-Risk Refugees).
Dr
Saeed speaks of his gratitude to the University and to CARA:
“I
had always wanted to do a PhD and so after talking to CARA they said that the
University of Kent would be happy to accept my proposal… The more I heard about
it [the University], the more I loved it. I loved it even before I arrived.
Ajay,
originally from Nepal, studied for a BA in Social Work at the University
through an Article 26 scholarship. Ajay describes how we was unable to continue
his studies due to a personal setback and that the scholarships were the
opportunity he was looking for:
“I kept
asking myself: am I good enough? But there were a lot of people supporting me.
There were times when everything was going wrong.
“On my
interview day I felt very anxious. However, when I was in front of the panel, I
felt very comfortable. They just said to me: ‘Tell us what you know and why you
want to study and what you want in the future.’ That made me more comfortable.
Everything eventually worked out…
The University of Kent made my life very easy
while I was doing my course.”
