SOAS Sanctuary Scholarships 2026/27

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.

Table of Content

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

Summary

• Application DeadlineJuly 3, 2026
• ValueFully Funded
• Study LevelUndergraduate
• SponsorUniversity of London
• City to studyLondon
• School to studyUniversity of London

Benefits

• The SOAS Sanctuary scholarships include a full tuition fee waiver (Home fee rate only) for any full-time undergraduate degree of 3 years duration, along with £12,000 maintenance per academic year to contribute towards living costs.

Requirements

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.

Alternatively, applicants must 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:

• Be resident in the UK.
• Be assigned Home Fee status.
• Have received an offer of study for a 3-year undergraduate course beginning in September 2026. 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 [email protected] by the end of the scholarship application deadline. Applicants should also provide evidence that they have had their Student Finance loan application rejected if this is the case.

Check also:
Free Ongoing Fully Funded Scholarships Guide 2026 (Download Now)

Application Deadline

How To Apply

Step 1 

• Apply for your programme via UCAS. For more information on how to apply, please see the How to apply for undergraduate study page. 
• Having an offer of study 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.  

Step 2

• Apply for the scholarship by 12 noon UK local time on 3 July 2026. You must apply for this scholarship via the?admissions portal and will need to have applied for a course to get login credentials for this.

For any enquiries regarding the scholarship application procedure, please email [email protected]

For more information, kindly visit SOAS University scholarship webpage.