The University of Sheffield offers Sanctuary Scholarships for those who have sought asylum in the UK, for example students who have been displaced or affected by a conflict in their home country, or have another reason for their forced migration to the UK.
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University of Sheffield Sanctuary Scholarships Undergraduate Scholarship
Aim and Benefits of University of Sheffield Sanctuary Scholarships Undergraduate Scholarship
- The five fully-funded Sanctuary Scholarships for 2026 entry cover the cost of tuition and provide a £10,300 award to support living costs for each year of study.
Requirements for University of Sheffield Sanctuary Scholarships Undergraduate Scholarship Qualification
To be eligible for the scholarship, you are required to meet the criteria below:
- You have been granted humanitarian protection or limited leave to remain in the UK; or be a dependant or partner of someone with humanitarian protection or limited leave to remain; or you or your parent/guardian or partner are an asylum seeker and have submitted a claim within the UK for refugee status and have not yet received a decision from the Home Office on that application.
- You have applied for asylum on arrival in the UK, and before you have applied for a place at university.
- You currently attend a school, college or community/voluntary group that will provide a reference in support of your application.
- You hold an offer from the University of Sheffield to study an undergraduate or postgraduate taught course starting in September 2026. Students who require a foundation or conversion course as part of their offer to study at the University should contact us to discuss their eligibility.
- You do not hold a qualification equal to or higher than the one you are applying for. Contact the Student Fees and Funding team if you have withdrawn from a previous course.
- You are ineligible for other University scholarships, for example, Access to Sheffield Scholarships or a University bursary for undergraduate studies.
- You are not eligible to receive support from a UK funding agency, for example, Student Finance England.
You are not eligible to apply for the scholarship if any of the following criteria apply:
- You are eligible for support from a UK funding agency, for example, Student Finance England.
- You have exhausted all appeal rights and have not submitted a fresh claim for asylum or an application to remain in the UK under another immigration category. If your status changes at any stage of the application process, you must notify us immediately.
- You have a ‘no study’ immigration bail condition or a ‘restricted study’ condition that prohibits study in higher education.
Application Deadline
June 29, 2026How to Apply
Interested and qualified? Go to
University of Sheffield on finance.ssid.shef.ac.uk to apply
1. You will need to provide some personal details
This will include answering some questions about your studies and the scholarship. Your answers will then be sent to a panel of senior University staff, who will assess all eligible applications.
This is a competitive process and applications will be judged using the selection criteria below:
- The applicant has provided a clear rationale for applying for a course at the University of Sheffield.
- The applicant has clearly articulated future ambitions; these goals relate to the degree they have applied for.
- The applicant has outlined personal circumstances that have presented a challenge to academic progress and has detailed how any barriers have been overcome successfully. Please note, you do not need to give detailed information about the events that led to you seeking asylum.
2. You will need to provide a supporting statement from your referee from the school, college or community/volunteering/support group you currently attend
You can attach this to your application form or submit it by email at a later date, ahead of the application deadline (our contact details are at the bottom of this page).
What should your referee's statement include?
Your referee must provide their contact details and confirm that the school, college, community/voluntary group that they represent wishes to support your application.
The supporting statement should be no longer than 750 words and should answer the following questions:
- What are the applicant's personal and financial circumstances and what barriers have they overcome to continue their education?
- How well suited is the applicant to the higher education course that they plan to take and how realistic are the student's ambitions?
- What contribution, to your knowledge, has the student made to college life and/or their community?
- Is there any other information that you believe is relevant to the student's application?
- How do you think the student would benefit from the scholarship offered by the University of Sheffield?
3. You will need to provide us with all the documentation that you have received from the Home Office in relation to your asylum claim and your referee’s statement
You can attach this to your application form or submit it by email at a later date, ahead of the application deadline (our contact details are at the bottom of this page).
4. You will need to complete and attach the Client care, data confidentiality, responsibility and service agreement form 2026
If your application is successful we will ask UK Visas and Immigration to confirm your immigration history. To do this we need your permission by completing the form below. You can download, complete and attach this document to your application form using the link below.
Client care, data confidentiality, responsibility and service agreement form 2026 (Word doc. 1.7kb)
5. You should submit your application and all required documentation before the deadline
- If evidence is not provided, your application may not be considered.
- Late applications will not be considered.
6. All eligible applicants will be notified of the outcome of their scholarship application
- If at any point during the application process or after you start your studies we are informed that your immigration status has changed, as such that you are no longer permitted to study at the University, you will no longer be eligible for the scholarship.
Contacts for prospective students
For more information, kindly visit University of Sheffield scholarship webpage.
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