Sanctuary scholarships
These scholarships will be awarded to access and taught postgraduate students who are seeking asylum or staying in the UK on humanitarian grounds.
Key facts
Fee status
Your country/region
Level
Access courses
Number of awards
Multiple
Value of awards
Deadline
For information on the Access programme, please see below.
Applications for postgraduate courses with September 2026 start dates are now closed.
For the Access programme, although the original deadline for scholarship applications has passed, we may still be able consider applications for a limited period. If you wish to be considered for this, please complete the form below as soon as possible.
The scholarship includes a fee waiver (until such time as the student is eligible to receive support from the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) or an equivalent body). It also includes support, generally in the form of in-kind contributions, to help students meet travel and other essential study costs, up to a value of:
- £2,000 for access programmes
There are only a limited number of scholarships available each year. The scholarships are allocated depending on the number and quality of applications received. This means that meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee you will be awarded a scholarship. We usually receive a much higher number of applications than the number of scholarships available, especially for postgraduate programmes.
Eligibility and availability
Applications will be considered from potential students who:
- are already in the UK; and
- have applied for a place on a postgraduate taught or access programme at the University of Stirling for 2026-2027; and
- did not enter the UK on a Student Route visa; and
- have an official Home Office status that is one of the following:
- asylum seeker;
- refugee;
- humanitarian protection with forced migration background;
- limited leave to remain with forced migration background;
- discretionary leave to remain with forced migration.
Housing costs are not covered by the scholarship, and applicants must live within a commutable distance of the university at the point of application.
How to apply
Please complete the application form for the Access programme only.
Other sources of support
If you are looking for financial support for undergraduate courses, the Student Action for Refugees website has information about nationwide scholarships and other grants.
Some displaced students may be eligible for support from the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) – please check their website for latest information.
Contact us
Potential applicants should contact the Student Recruitment Team (Scotland Widening Participation). If you call 01786 467046, please ask to speak to Student Recruitment Team for Scotland Widening Participation.