Oxford Brookes University Humanitarian Scholarship 2026

Getting into university is hard enough without also carrying the weight of an asylum claim, no access to student finance, and often years of educational disruption behind you. Oxford Brookes University built what it officially calls the Sanctuary Scholarship specifically for that situation, one full scholarship a year, reserved for a person seeking asylum or already holding a form of protection status, who genuinely cannot access government funding through any other route.

It covers full tuition, a £4,000 cash bursary, up to £10,000 in accommodation support, and a dedicated welfare advisor who meets with you regularly throughout your degree. This year’s application window closed on 25 May 2026, and the next round is expected to open around May 2027. If you’re in this situation, or supporting someone who is, this post lays out exactly what the scholarship covers, who qualifies, and what to prepare well before the next window opens.

Oxford Brookes University Humanitarian Scholarship Summary

Why Oxford Brookes Runs This Scholarship

Oxford Brookes has been building toward formal recognition as a University of Sanctuary, and this scholarship sits at the centre of that effort. The university has said publicly that it’s aware of at least 48 current students with refugee or asylum backgrounds, though the real number is likely higher, since students aren’t required to disclose that status unless they’re applying for this specific scholarship.

Beyond the funding itself, Oxford Brookes runs a Migration and Refugees Research Network, partners with local organisations like Asylum Welcome and Refugee Resource, and hosts a Student Action for Refugees society. This scholarship isn’t a standalone gesture; it’s one part of a wider institutional commitment the university has been building for years.

If you successfully receive a scholarship, you will also have a Student Welfare Advisor to support you throughout the course of your study. Throughout the academic year, you should meet with your welfare advisor at least four times. These meetings will cover both academic and welfare support. If you fail to attend these meetings, this may affect your ability to receive support through the Sanctuary Scholarship scheme if you need to repeat a year of study for any reason. This support will be available for every year of your full-time study.

Students will be provided with a wide range of services to help them stay both physically and mentally healthy. Services include:

• Support with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties.
• Counselling
• Disability services
• Multifaith Chaplaincy

What the Scholarship Covers

• A full tuition fee waiver, you pay nothing toward tuition for the standard duration of your course.
• A £4,000 cash bursary, paid directly to support your living costs alongside your studies.
• Up to £10,000 in accommodation support. If you live in university halls, this is provided automatically. If you live elsewhere, you’ll need to provide proof of your accommodation costs to receive the equivalent support.
• Guaranteed accommodation in university halls for 52 weeks a year, if you choose to live on campus a genuinely rare provision, since most student halls contracts run term-time only, leaving gaps over holidays that can be especially difficult if you don’t have family housing to return to.
• A dedicated Student Welfare Advisor, who meets with you at least four times a year to cover both academic and welfare support, for the entire duration of your studies, not just your first year.
• Renewal every year of your course, rather than a one-time award, though payments are suspended if you withdraw or take a leave of absence, and attending your welfare advisor meetings matters for maintaining this support if you ever need to repeat a year.
• Access to broader wellbeing services, including support for dyslexia and specific learning difficulties, counselling, disability services, and multifaith chaplaincy.

If you’re on an Integrated Foundation Course specifically, the scholarship extends across all four years of your combined foundation-plus-degree pathway automatically, provided you pass your foundation year and progress into your full degree.

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Who this Scholarship is for

• Be seeking asylum, or hold a recognised form of protection from an asylum claim, this includes limited leave to remain, discretionary leave to remain, being an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child, or being a dependent family member with “in line” or “dependent” status tied to one of these categories
• Not be in receipt of, or eligible for, UK government student financial support
• Have received an offer, or are awaiting a decision, for a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate taught course, including foundation year courses
• Meet the standard academic entry requirements for your chosen course
• Not applying to a course taught at one of Oxford Brookes’ partner colleges, these are explicitly excluded from eligibility
• Provide evidence of your current immigration status through documents such as an Application Registration Card or official Home Office correspondence
• Submit a signed and dated Referee Supporting Statement alongside your application
• Be willing to attend an interview if you’re shortlisted

Worth knowing if you’re applying for undergraduate study specifically: if your immigration status is refugee or humanitarian protection (or similar), Oxford Brookes offers a contextual admissions route with entry requirements up to three grades below the standard threshold — a meaningful accommodation if educational disruption has affected your qualifications.

Required Documents to Prepare

• Proof of your course application, whether through UCAS or a direct application to Oxford Brookes
• Academic transcripts, covering whatever qualifications you hold, even if your education was disrupted or completed outside a traditional system
• A personal statement, which the university states should cover three specific things: your reasons for wanting to access higher education, including your future aims and how your chosen course supports them; the difficulties you’ve faced in continuing your education and how you’ve tried to overcome them; and details of your financial circumstances, including any previous funding applications you’ve made
• A signed and dated Referee Supporting Statement application is only considered if this is included, so this isn’t an optional extra
• Evidence of your current immigration status, such as an Application Registration Card or relevant Home Office documentation
• Any additional documents your specific course requires

The personal statement is worth genuine care here. Oxford Brookes is explicit about wanting to understand the difficulties you’ve faced, not just your ambitions, so there’s no need to minimise disruption or hardship in your educational background; that context is part of what the university is specifically asking you to share, not something to work around.

How to Apply for the Next Application Cycle

Since this year’s window has closed, use the months ahead to strengthen the parts of this application that benefit most from time and care.

1. Start your course application through UCAS or directly to Oxford Brookes as early as you can. You need to have applied, or be awaiting a decision, before the scholarship application is considered, so this comes first.
2. Identify and approach a referee now. A strong Referee Supporting Statement, written by someone who genuinely knows your circumstances and educational background, takes time to arrange properly — don’t leave this until the scholarship window opens.
3. Gather your immigration status documentation in advance, whether that’s an Application Registration Card, Home Office correspondence, or equivalent evidence, so it’s ready when you need it.
4. Draft your personal statement over several sittings, not in one go. Given that it needs to cover your aims, the difficulties you’ve faced, and your financial circumstances, this benefits from real revision time rather than being written under deadline pressure.
5. Reach out to Oxford Brookes’ student support services or the STAR society if you have questions before applying. Given the sensitivity of what this application asks you to share, getting guidance in advance from people familiar with the process can make the difference in how confident you feel submitting it.
6. Watch for the next round to open, expected around May 2027 based on this year’s pattern, and check Oxford Brookes’ official Sanctuary Scholarship page directly for confirmed dates.

Application Deadline

This year’s Sanctuary Scholarship application closed on 25 May 2026. Oxford Brookes runs this as an annual award: one scholarship, one deadline, no second round within the same year and based on this cycle’s timing, the next window is expected to open with a similar deadline around May 2027, though the university hasn’t published confirmed dates yet.

Because only one scholarship is awarded each year, and because the personal statement and referee statement both carry real weight in a process this specific, the deadline itself matters less than starting your preparation early. Applicants who’ve already secured a course offer, lined up a referee, and drafted a considered personal statement well before the window opens are in a stronger position than those trying to assemble all of this in the weeks before a May deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Sanctuary Scholarship still open for 2026?

No. This round closed on 25 May 2026. Oxford Brookes runs this scholarship annually, with the next round expected to open around May 2027.

How many scholarships are awarded each year?

Just one. This is a single, highly targeted award rather than a scholarship pool, which makes the personal statement and referee statement especially important in a competitive process.

Can I apply if I’m still waiting for a decision on my course application?

Yes. Oxford Brookes states you can apply if you’ve received an offer or are still awaiting a decision, so you don’t need to wait for a confirmed course offer before starting your scholarship application.

What if I live outside university halls? Do I still get accommodation support?

Yes, but the process differs. If you live in halls, the £10,000 accommodation support is provided automatically. If you live elsewhere, you’ll need to submit proof of your actual accommodation costs to receive the equivalent support.

Does the scholarship cover every year of my degree, or just the first?

It’s renewed every year for the normal duration of your course, including all four years of an Integrated Foundation Course if you progress from the foundation year into your full degree. Payments are only suspended if you withdraw or take a leave of absence from your studies.

Disclaimer: All scholarship details, deadlines, award values, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from official sources as of July 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official Oxford Brookes University website before submitting your application. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with Oxford Brookes University.

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