Sanctuary Scholarship

Award details

We are pleased to announce that we will be awarding several scholarships for forced migrants in 2023. Sanctuary Scholarships all comprise a full tuition fee waiver and a living cost scholarship and will be awarded through two pathways:

• Pathway 1 is open to any undergraduate asylum seekers;
• Pathway 2 is open to students at all levels of study (UG, PGT, PGR) from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus who are displaced and/or at risk of persecution, violence and conflict.

Please make sure to read the detailed eligibility criteria below before applying as you might be eligible to apply for more than one pathway.

Sanctuary Scholarship (Pathway 1)

The Sanctuary Scholarships (Pathway 1) are available for undergraduate students and will comprise a full tuition fee waiver and a living cost scholarship of £13,022 per year of study.

Successful applicants will receive a Jesus the Light Sanctuary Scholarship.

The supporter of the Jesus the Light Sanctuary Scholarships is delighted to create a series of scholarships to help students seeking sanctuary in the UK. The name ‘Jesus the Light’ is a celebration of the supporter’s own personal faith, compelling him to help others because of his faith. It not only reflects King’s historic Church of England foundation but also our diverse community of all beliefs and backgrounds today. Both the Bible and the Qur’an refer to Jesus as ‘light’, and this description is not intended to impinge upon the religious beliefs of others.

The scholarships are open to all regardless of faith, political creed, or nationality, and have been created to help students who wish to undertake their education at King’s College London.

Sanctuary Scholarship (Pathway 2)

A new stream of scholarships will be available in the academic year 2023-24, for students from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus who are displaced and/or at risk of persecution, violence and conflict.

These scholarships are open to students at (Bachelors, Masters, PhD) with some scholarships prioritised for STEM subjects, in particular Maths and Physics. King’s College London is the grant-holder for this fund.

Each scholarship will comprise a full tuition fee waiver and a living costs bursary, for a maximum of 3 years, starting September 2023. The scholarship can cover:

1. Home Tuition Fees anticipated in the region of:

• Undergraduate (Bachelors), £9,250 per annum
• Postgraduate Taught (Masters), £11,040 per annum
• Postgraduate Research (PhD), 7,050 per annum

Where required, the university will top up the donation (which covers home level tuition fees) for students who have to pay international fees.

2. Living costs bursary that is at least equivalent to a full maintenance loan from Student Finance England, to cover living expenses. This will be in the region £8,400 - £13,022 per annum depending on your circumstances and whether you need full year accommodation.

3. An additional accommodation award for a limited number of scholars, depending on your circumstances. The maximum additional accommodation award will be £6,978 per annum.

Individual allocations will be confirmed, in writing, to each successful student upon allocation of the award.*

*Please note that a living cost bursary can jeopardise asylum support and eligibility to access Legal Aid-funded legal representation (subject to income and capital assessment). Upon receipt of funds, there is a risk that the individual will be deemed not destitute and asylum support can be withdrawn. This could include the withdrawal of subsistence support and accommodation provided under Section 4 or 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS).

Eligibility criteria

Sanctuary Scholarship (Pathway 1):

To be eligible, you must have been granted one of the immigration statuses below:

• granted a temporary form of leave (limited leave to remain, discretionary leave to remain) as the result of an asylum application or human rights application;

or

• an asylum seeker, child of an asylum seeker or an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child*

*Please note that a living cost bursary can jeopardise asylum support and eligibility to access Legal Aid-funded legal representation (subject to income and capital assessment). Upon receipt of funds, there is a risk that the individual will be deemed not destitute and asylum support can be withdrawn. This could include the withdrawal of subsistence support and accommodation provided under Section 4 or 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS).

You must also:

• have applied to King's College London for 2023 entry, and providing you have received a response from King's, been given a conditional or unconditional offer*
• by virtue of your immigration status, be unable to access Tuition Fee Loans or Maintenance Loans from Student Finance England/Wales/NI/SAAS
• not hold an undergraduate and/or postgraduate degree, awarded in the UK and/or abroad
• currently reside in the UK

*Please note, we accept applications from current students if they meet all the eligibility criteria but were unaware they were not eligible for student finance at the point of application; or if they became an asylum seeker whilst on course.

Course eligibility

• All undergraduate 3 year programmes.
• Dentistry (A205) and Medicine (A100) undergraduate programmes, and the Enhanced Support Dentistry Programme and Extended Medical Degree programme are not eligible for Sanctuary Scholarships.

Please note that meeting the eligibility criteria alone does not guarantee a successful outcome.

Extra considerations

Please be aware that some courses will require eligibility to work in the UK to complete integral work placements. Therefore, if your course incorporates a compulsory work placement and your current immigration status does not permit work, we will be unable to award the scholarship.

 

Sanctuary Scholarship (Pathway 2):

To be eligible, you must:

• be a person normally domiciled in Ukraine, Russia or Belarus who is displaced and/or at risk of persecution, violence or conflict.
• be unable to access or complete higher education in your home country for your chosen degree.
• have applied for an offer of admission for entry in Sept 2023. This includes applicants who are holding conditional or unconditional offers for degrees that begin in September 2023 as well as those who are still awaiting a decision from admissions.
• have one of the following migration statuses:

- leave to enter or leave to remain granted under Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.

- leave to enter or leave to remain granted under Ukraine Family Scheme.

- leave to remain granted under Ukraine Extension Scheme

- leave to remain on the grounds of 'humanitarian protection'

- Refugee status 

- Asylum seeker status/leave to remain as the results of an asylum application or human rights application

- International student visa 

Please note, the university will undertake checks on your eligibility for the scheme (e.g. fee status, immigration, and offer conditions for admission).

Course eligibility

All undergraduate (Bachelors), postgraduate taught (Masters) and postgraduate research (PhD) course are eligible. A number of scholarships will be prioritised for STEM subjects, in particular for Maths and Physics. We are not currently able to support pre-university Foundation programmes, Summer Schools, Study Abroad or Exchange programmes.

Extra considerations

This fund can only cover 3 years of tuition fees and you will need to make other arrangements for any additional year(s) of your programme if your degree includes a Year Abroad or Placement/Industry year, or if you interrupt your studies.

Application process

How to apply for Sanctuary Scholarship (Pathway 1):

1. Before applying, read this application overview. This outlines the questions you need to answer, and the supporting evidence required to complete your application
2. Complete this eligibility checker.This will give you guidance on whether you are eligible to apply.
3. Complete this online application from.

Please note, it is not possible to save and return to your application. You will therefore need to complete the application in one sitting.

How to apply for Sanctuary Scholarship (Pathway 2):

1. Before applying, read this FAQs document. You will find additional information on the eligibility and the application process.
2. Complete this online application form.

Please note, it is not possible to save and return to your application. You will therefore need to complete the application in one sitting.

Key Dates

Applications are open and will close on 11.59pm 24th March 2023.

We aim to contact all candidates during the week commencing 5^th June 2023 with a decision.

If you have any queries about the application process, please contact the Widening Participation Department on priority-groups@kcl.ac.uk.

 

 

Selection process

Disclaimer

The College has tried to give students an early opportunity to begin their research of student funding. Although every effort has been made to ensure that information provided is both helpful to prospective candidates and accurate at the time of its publication, it is possible that some information may be outdated or superseded before the start of the 2023-24 academic year.