Brunel University Sanctuary Scholarship 2026-2027

The Brunel Sanctuary scholarship is an extremely important step towards enabling people who have fled persecution and are seeking asylum in the UK to be given the opportunity to attend higher education. The scholarship was introduced in 2018 and we’re proud to continue offering the scholarship to new applicants who have received an offer to study on a full time Undergraduate course at Brunel University London or the Brunel Pathway College (BPC) starting in September 2026.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineApril 23, 2026
• Study LevelUndergraduate
• SponsorBrunel University London
• City to studyLondon
• School to studyBrunel University London
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• A full tuition fee waiver per year of the chosen course.
• Guaranteed allocated and paid for on campus room accommodation in an ensuite room, per year for a maximum of 52 weeks, depending on the applicant’s circumstances (there is no cash alternative for applicants living off-campus). Students will be placed in the lowest band ensuite room available.

Requirements

a) University of Brunel will consider applications from applicants with the following ‘immigration status’:

• Asylum Seeker-approved application (provided no conditions have been imposed by the Home Office that prohibits study or restricts study to another institution)
• Refugee status obtained (this includes the Syrian Vulnerable Person Relocation Scheme or similar schemes.
• Discretionary Leave to Remain as the result of an asylum claim.
• Humanitarian Protection.
• Immigration settlement in the UK as a result of the Family Reunion scheme.
• Limited leave to remain in the UK as a family member (aged under 18) of a refugee.
• Limited leave to remain granted on Human Rights grounds.

To be considered for the Scholarship applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Must have submitted an application to study at Brunel for the 2026/27 academic year, the Sanctuary Scholarship application will not be considered if a Brunel application has not been submitted.
• Must hold an offer of a place on a full time Undergraduate course.
• Offer must be ‘Unconditional Firm’ (UF) by the date the Scholarship Allocation Panel make their formal awards in October (i.e. applicant must have met all offer conditions and firmly accepted the place).
• If an applicant selects Brunel as their Insurance choice they will no longer be considered for the scholarship and will lose any provisional scholarship award that has been made to them.
• Must be classed as a Home fee paying student based on the UK government regulations. Applicants who are unsure of their fee status should note Brunel uses the information they have provided in their application form to assess fee status against regulations set by the UK government. Applicants with recognised asylum seeker status may be granted Home fee’s at the discretion of the University. In such cases applicants will be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire. Where an applicant cannot be allocated discretionary Home fees and are allocated International fees they will not be eligible for the scholarship. For information on these regulations please visit the independent organisation UKCisa’s website.
• Has an immigration status listed above, which would also permit registration at Brunel University London.
• Must commence the course in the upcoming academic year (applicants for deferred entry will not be considered for a scholarship and must apply in the year they start their course and not in the year of their course application).

b) Those not eligible for this Scholarship

• Applicants classed as Overseas or Channel Islands/Isle of Man for fees purposes based on the UK government regulations, or those with an unresolved fee status. For 2026/27 entry, European fee payers who are not eligible for home fees under the UK government regulations will not be eligible.
• Applicants entering a course with the Brunel Language Centre (BLC).
• Applicants entering a course at FHEQ Level 5 (year 2) or FHEQ Level 6 (year 3) will not be considered for any scholarship or bursary.
• Applicants who have already obtained an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification in any country.
• Students currently enrolled on a course at Brunel University of London or Brunel Pathway College.

c) Eligibility Definitions

Asylum Seeker	A person who has left their home country as a political refugee and is seeking asylum in another. An asylum seeker is someone who has lodged an application for protection on the basis of the Refugee Convention or Article 3 of the ECHR.   The Refugee Council
Refugee status	Refugee status is awarded to someone the Home Office recognises as a refugee as described in the Refugee Convention. A person given refugee status is normally granted leave to remain in the UK for 5 years, and at the end of that period can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. The Refugee Council
Discretionary Leave to Remain as the result of an asylum claim	Discretionary leave is a form of immigration status granted to a person…. This is determined by the Home Office. The Refugee Council
Humanitarian protection (HP)	Where an individual is found not to be a refugee under the Refugee Convention but they are nevertheless at risk of serious harm on return to their country of origin. HP can only be granted if the individual does not fall to be recognised as a refugee but requires protection nonetheless. Home Office Humanitarian Protection version 5.0 (dated 7 March 2017). or Humanitarian protection is a form of immigration status. It is granted by the Home Office to a person who it decides has a need for protection but who does not meet the criteria for refugee status. The Refugee Council
Limited leave to remain in the UK as a family member (aged under 18) of a Refugee	A person aged under 18 at the point of application granted leave to remain in the UK with a limited timeframe, on the basis of having a family member recognised as a Refugee or Beneficiary of Humanitarian Protection (see definitions above).

d. Proof of Eligibility (evidence)

Applicants must be able to verify their immigration status and are required to provide evidence in the form of a:

• Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
• Home Office letter confirming immigration status
• Passport with vignettes
• Application registration card (asylum)

Applicants are required to submit all evidence of immigration status alongside their scholarship application.

The University is required to verify an applicant’s immigration status by contacting the Home Office. Applicants will be asked for consent to do so in the Scholarship application form.

e. Submission of evidence

Applicants will be required to submit evidence as part of their scholarship application and by the given scholarship application deadline. Applicants who fail to provide evidence of Immigration status by this deadline will not be considered. Evidence of immigration status will be verified by the Brunel Immigration Team. Only full applications will be accepted and considered by the Scholarship Allocation Panel.

Applicants who cannot provide the required evidence by the scholarship deadline date will not be considered for a Scholarship.

For applicants not eligible for the scholarship please visit Student Action for Refugees (STAR) for further information regarding other sources of funding for access and pre-sessional programmes.

Application Deadline

April 23, 2026

How To Apply

Are you qualified and interested in this opportunity? Kindly go to Brunel University London on forms.office.com to apply

For more details, visit Brunel University Scholarship webpage