Humanitarian (Sanctuary) Scholarships in the UK

If you’ve been affected by armed conflict, war, or displacement and want to continue your education, UK universities run a genuinely wide network of Humanitarian (Sanctuary) Scholarships specifically built for exactly this circumstance. These are university-funded packages, typically covering full tuition and providing substantial maintenance support, aimed at students who fall outside the UK’s mainstream student finance system because of their displacement or protection status.

Don’t Miss: Top Fully Funded Scholarships for International Students

This list brings together five of the strongest UK university Sanctuary Scholarships — LSTM, UCL, Manchester, Oxford Brookes, and Glasgow — and it’s worth understanding upfront that eligibility differs meaningfully between them: some accept international applicants broadly, some are restricted specifically to those already in the UK with refugee or asylum status, and getting this distinction wrong before applying wastes real preparation time.

Also, Check Out: Top Fully Funded Master’s Scholarships in Europe

Humanitarian (Sanctuary) Scholarships in the UK Summary

Understanding the Two Different Applicant Pools

This is the single most important distinction to grasp before applying to any of these five. LSTM, UCL, and Manchester’s scholarships are built for applicants outside the UK who hold recognised refugee status or humanitarian protection under the 1951 Convention, or who’ve been forced to flee within the past three years — they explicitly exclude applicants already residing in the UK.

Oxford Brookes and Glasgow’s scholarships work in the opposite direction: they’re built specifically for asylum seekers and people with protection status already living in the UK, who fall outside mainstream UK/Home student finance eligibility. Applying to the wrong category — say, someone already settled in the UK applying to Manchester’s scheme, which explicitly states it can’t accept UK or EU residents — means automatic disqualification regardless of how strong the rest of your application is.

1. Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) Humanitarian Scholarship

LSTM’s Humanitarian Scholarship isn’t open to anyone broadly affected by conflict — eligibility specifically requires evidenced Refugee Status or Humanitarian Protection as recognised under the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees, or, for Ukrainian nationals, EU temporary protected status held while resident in an EU state. Your application must include a 700-word statement covering three things: the specific risk you’ve faced, how your intended course connects to your academic and research goals, and the concrete impact your studies will have on reducing health inequality or building health leadership in emergency settings.

Scholarship Name ⇒ LSTM Humanitarian Scholarship
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ Master’s
Click Here for LSTM Humanitarian Scholarship Application Process

Join Lucy’s Scholarship Mentorship Group

Get step-by-step guidance, live group reviews, and exclusive support to find, apply, and win global scholarships.

Join Now, Let's Waka Together →

2. UCL Humanitarian Scholarship

UCL is explicit and strict about its applicant pool: candidates must be from any country outside the UK, and the university states plainly it does not accept applications from those already residing in the UK — a direct contrast to Oxford Brookes and Glasgow below. The maintenance payment (roughly £20,000) is structured with a specific accommodation option built in: if you take up UCL’s guaranteed single-room accommodation offer, the accommodation cost is deducted directly from that £20,000 figure rather than provided as a separate, additional benefit.

Scholarship Name ⇒ UCL Humanitarian Scholarship
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ Master’s
Click Here for UCL Humanitarian Scholarship Application Process

3. University of Manchester Humanitarian Scholarship

Manchester’s eligibility list is genuinely the most detailed and specific among these five, worth reading in full before applying: you must be at serious risk due to war or conflict, have left your home country (or moved within it) in the past three years because of that conflict, be unable to start or finish a degree as a result, and — critically — have never studied in the UK or EU before. Like UCL, Manchester explicitly cannot accept applicants currently living in the UK or EU, reinforcing the “outside the UK” applicant pool this scholarship and the two above share.

Scholarship Name ⇒ Manchester Humanitarian Scholarship
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ Undergraduate
Click Here for Manchester Humanitarian Scholarship Application Process

4. Oxford Brookes University Humanitarian Scholarship

This is where the applicant pool flips: Oxford Brookes’ scholarship is specifically for individuals seeking asylum, or holding a form of protection from an asylum claim, who cannot access UK government student finance — meaning applicants are typically already physically present in the UK navigating the asylum system, not applying from abroad. Worth knowing directly: for the 2026/27 entry, only one scholarship place is available, making this genuinely the most numerically selective single award among these five.

Scholarship Name ⇒ Oxford Brookes University Humanitarian Scholarship
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ Undergrad & Master’s
Click Here for Oxford Brookes Humanitarian Scholarship Application Process

5. University of Glasgow Sanctuary Scholarships

Glasgow’s scholarship is explicitly restricted to UK refugees and asylum seekers, placing it firmly in the same “already in the UK” applicant category as Oxford Brookes rather than the international, outside-UK pool that LSTM, UCL, and Manchester serve. Two of its benefits carry specific access conditions worth reading carefully: accommodation is available only to students with no access to public funds, and the full tuition waiver applies specifically to students not eligible for mainstream UK student finance — meaning your specific immigration and public funds status directly determines which components of this scholarship you can actually draw on.

Scholarship Name ⇒ University of Glasgow Sanctuary Scholarships
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ Undergrad & Master’s
Click Here for Glasgow Sanctuary Scholarships Application Process

Documents Typically Required (Across These Scholarships)

• A completed admission application form for your chosen course.
• Academic transcripts or certificates.
• English language qualification, or proof of English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL) if required.
• A personal statement.
• A CV.
• Reference letters.
• An international passport or identification document.
• Evidence of your refugee, asylum, or humanitarian protection status — required across every scholarship on this list, though the specific accepted proof varies by university.

How to Apply — General Steps

1. Confirm which applicant pool you fall into first — outside the UK with recognised refugee or humanitarian protection status (LSTM, UCL, Manchester), or already in the UK as an asylum seeker or protection-status holder (Oxford Brookes, Glasgow) — since applying to the wrong category results in automatic disqualification regardless of your other qualifications.
2. Choose your preferred undergraduate or postgraduate course at your target university and confirm your qualifications meet standard entry requirements.
3. Submit your admission application for that course first, since most of these scholarships require a conditional or unconditional offer before your scholarship application is even considered.
4. Visit the specific scholarship page for your target university and identify the exact eligibility conditions and required proof of status.
5. Complete the separate scholarship application form where one is required.
6. Submit before the specific university’s deadline — these vary meaningfully across the five, from late March through late May, so don’t assume one date applies universally.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply if I’m already living in the UK?

It depends which scholarship. LSTM, UCL, and Manchester explicitly exclude applicants currently residing in the UK or EU. Oxford Brookes and Glasgow are specifically built for people already in the UK as asylum seekers or protection-status holders — check which category you fall into before applying to any of these five.

Which of these is undergraduate-specific?

Manchester’s Humanitarian Scholarship is the only one on this list restricted to undergraduate study specifically. LSTM and UCL are Master’s-only; Oxford Brookes and Glasgow cover both undergraduate and postgraduate.

Which of these has the fewest available places?

Oxford Brookes, with just one scholarship available for the 2026/27 entry year, is the most numerically selective single award among these five.

Does distance or part-time study qualify for any of these?

LSTM specifically extends tuition support to its part-time distance learning MSc Global Health programme, alongside its standard on-campus courses — the other four scholarships on this list are structured around full-time, in-person study.

Disclaimer: All scholarship details, award values, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from official university sources as of August 2026. Because all listed deadlines have passed, always confirm current application status and next-cycle dates directly on each university’s official Sanctuary Scholarship page before applying. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with any of the universities listed above.