In support of our values and vision, University of Cumbria is pleased to offer one Cumbria Sanctuary Scholarship per year to forced migrants who are not eligible for student finance.Please ensure you meet all of the following Sanctuary Scholarship eligibility criteria before applying:
1. You must meet the entry criteria for your chosen programme of study and have been offered a place (conditional or unconditional) on a University of Cumbria course.
Courses include full-time undergraduate degrees (up to four years in duration, including foundation degrees) or full-time taught postgraduate programme (up to two years in duration) located at our Ambleside, Carlisle and Lancaster campuses. Please note that Distance Learning programmes, programmes running from our London and Barrow campuses, and courses indicated as being delivered in partnership with another college (e.g. Robert Kennedy College) are not included in the Sanctuary Scholarship at this time.
All students will need to prove their English Language ability via an IELTS or acceptable English Language test at a minimum of overall 6.0 with no element less than 5.5 (some programmes will have higher entry requirements than stated above and you will need to meet those to be eligible for entry to the programme). There will be access to additional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) support for students once they have started their programme of study.
2. You have read and accepted the Sanctuary Scholarship Terms and Conditions.
3. You must not be eligible for student finance.
The Sanctuary Scholarships are only available to students who are ineligible for funding through Student Funding England (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) or any other type of UK Government funding or grants. Your eligibility for UK government financial support depends on many factors, we recommend you use the following to assist you in determining your eligibility for Government funding:
• The Government Student Finance - Who Qualifies page
• The UCAS website has information on student finance eligibility and other useful information for undergraduate applicants from refugee communities.
• The Refugee Education UK toolkit.
4. You must not have a degree from a UK university of the same level or higher than the course you want to study at University of Cumbria.
5. You must be able to demonstrate your immigration status is connected to an asylum application that is ongoing or you have made in the past prior to making your Sanctuary Scholarship application. You must be residing in the UK. You must hold one of the following immigration statuses at the time you make your sanctuary scholarship application:
• An asylum seeker- a person who has made a claim with the UK for refugee status.
• Refused Asylum Seeker (application for refugee status has been denied and a fresh claim is in process)
• A person with refugee status or has humanitarian protection status who is not eligible for Government funding or has been refused Government funding (before you apply for this scholarship, you will be expected to have first applied for UK student finance if you are eligible for it.)
• An individual who has been granted some form of temporary status as an intermediate status or outcome of your asylum application – such as limited leave to remain or discretionary leave to remain or humanitarian protection.
• A Resettled refugee under a government resettlement scheme without access to student finance.
• Lived in the UK for the last half of life which was not for the principal purpose of study and has a form of immigration permission. This can include Limited Leave to Remain (LLR)
• A dependant or partner of someone who has been granted one of the above immigration statuses and is therefore not eligible for government funding such as Finance*.
* Please note spouse/civil partners must have been the spouse/civil partner on the date on which the asylum application was made. Children/stepchildren must have been aged under 18 on the date on which the asylum application was made.
