Ukraine Conflict Sanctuary Scholarships

These scholarships are available in the academic year 2024/25, 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 all levels (Bachelors, Masters, PhD), at the University of Leicester and three other partner universities, with some scholarships prioritised for STEM subjects, in particular Mathematics and Physics.

King’s College London is the grant holder for this fund.

The University of Leicester is currently working with the following partners (which form the Pathway 2 Universities Network) to deliver these Ukraine Conflict Sanctuary Scholarships (which are also referred to as Pathway 2 Sanctuary Scholarships):

• King’s College London
• Newcastle University
• Open University

King’s College London is the lead coordinating partner.

The scholarship will comprise a full tuition fee waiver and a living costs bursary, for a maximum of 3 years. An additional accommodation award will be made for a limited number of scholars who need full year accommodation. The scholarship can cover:

• Home tuition fees anticipated in the region of £11,040 per annum (for postgraduate taught Masters degree)

Where required, your university may be able to supplement the award to cover the ‘fee difference’ for a limited number of students who must pay international fees.

• A living 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 - £13,348 per annum depending on your circumstances.
• An additional accommodation award for a limited number of scholars who need full year accommodation (e.g. in a university residence). The maximum additional accommodation award will be £6,978 per annum depending on circumstances.

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

This fund is only available for one year starting September 2024, 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.

The scholarship is open to those who have applied to a partner university to start a degree course in the academic year starting September 2024. The scholarship process is separate to the degree application process. You must apply for admission to a degree programme first. You can then apply for a scholarship.

Your application will be considered by the scholarships panel, if you have a conditional offer or unconditional offer to study for a degree at any of the partner universities.

If you hold an offer at another university (one that is not listed in the partner institutes above), you are not eligible for this scheme. We recommend you check your own university’s sanctuary scholarships or see Refugee Education UK for further guidance.

As part of the scholarship process, your university will undertake checks on your eligibility for the scheme (e.g. fee status, immigration, and offer conditions for admission).

All postgraduate taught (Masters) courses are eligible. STEM subjects will be prioritised, in particular for Mathematics and Physics. We are not currently able to support pre-university Foundation programmes, Summer Schools, Study Abroad or Exchange programmes.

Applicants must be a person normally domiciled in Ukraine, Russia or Belarus who are displaced and/or at risk of persecution, violence, or conflict. The Ukraine Conflict Sanctuary Scholarships are open to these groups to remedy the disadvantage faced by these particular groups of students in accessing higher education, following the war on Ukraine.

There is no age limit for the scholarship.

Most higher education providers in England charge two different levels of tuition fees for on campus degree courses. The Home tuition fee is lower than the International tuition fee. This is due to the way higher education is funded in England. Your fee status may also affect your eligibility for certain funding or scholarships, and sometimes for a particular course (usually where linked to National Health Service funding/places).

For further guidance see the eligibility categories provided by UKCISA (the UK Council for International Student Affairs).

If you are shortlisted, we may need to discuss your immigration history and status with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). As a Higher Education Provider, we have a legal responsibility to ensure that everyone registered to study with us has the correct immigration permissions to do so. Unfortunately, we are unable to consider applications from students where their current immigration status is unclear or who do not currently hold an immigration status which allows study.

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted to obtain your immigration history from UKVI via the UKVI consent form.

After the deadline for applications, we will contact UKVI who should respond to us with your immigration history and status within seven days. We will send shortlisted applicants a copy of these checks so you can respond to us if you think there are errors. You will be set a deadline to notify us of any errors. If you miss this deadline, we will assess your application based on the information received in the immigration check.

Yes – applications for Ukraine Conflict Sanctuary Scholarships will be considered even if you are eligible for governmental loans through Student Finance. In the event of oversubscription, priority will be given for those students who cannot access governmental loans. Your living bursary will be adjusted accordingly, based on your circumstances.

No – applicants should apply for a university place with at least one university within the Pathway 2 University Network. You should then apply for the scholarship.  If you have applied for a university course but are still awaiting an offer, please make that clear on the application form.

Yes– if you are an asylum seeker you may also consider applying to our existing Sanctuary Scholarships (general).

We actively encourage applicants to apply to as many sources of funding as possible. Securing alternative funding does not exclude you from applying and will not negatively impact your application. Please note down on the application form if you have applied, or have been successful in gaining another scholarship.

Yes – we actively encourage applicants to apply to other Pathway 2 universities. You will be asked if you have applied to another Pathway 2 university on the application form. If you are not accepted onto a degree programme at one Pathway 2 university, but are accepted at another Pathway 2 university, this will enable the panel to still consider your scholarship application.

Eligible applicants should apply using the online application form. Please be advised that we will only accept applications via this online application form.

The application deadline will be clearly stated on the application form. We are unable to accept applications after this deadline.

Once you begin, you will not be able to save the online application form and return to complete it later. Therefore, please allow at least one hour to complete the form. Please have your personal statement ready before you submit this form. Please be advised that we will only accept applications via this online application form.

Yes, you can apply on behalf of a student. However, you will need to know some specific information about the student in order to complete the online form and get their permission. Please be advised that we will only accept applications via the online application form.

There is no advantage for individuals who submit their applications first, so please take your time and fill in the form carefully. We do not consider incomplete applications.

Our preference is that you apply using the online application form. You may be able to use a computer/the internet at your local library, college, or community centre. In exceptional circumstances we can post a hardcopy of the application form for you to fill out and return. However, the deadline for returned hard copies is the same as the online application deadline.

Your data will be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act (2018). For more information, read the University's privacy policy. All information will be stored securely, and access limited to University employees essential to administering the scholarship. All your responses will be deleted from our records in line with the University's published records and information retention schedule.

After the deadline, applications are considered and shortlisted by each Pathway 2 university. Applicants may then be requested to evidence their current immigration status with documentation such as a Biometric Residence Permit, Home Office letters, or a solicitor's letter.

We aim to contact all candidates during the week commencing 3 June 2024 with a decision.

You must notify us by emailing sanctuary@le.ac.uk immediately if any of your circumstances change during the application process, in particular in respect to your immigration status. It is also important that you update us if you change your telephone contact number or email address during the application process.