University of Bradford’s Sanctuary Scholarship scheme now open

The University of Bradford is offering free tuition fees and annual grants of up to £4,000 a year to refugees and asylum seekers.

Applications are now open for the University of Bradford’s 2022 Sanctuary Scholarship scheme.

Launched last year, the scholarships are designed to make it easier for asylum seekers and refugees to enter higher education.

Under the scheme, each applicant can apply for a £4,000-a-year grant, subject to terms and conditions.

Prof Zahir Irani, Deputy Vice Chancellor, said: “This is a concrete example of our commitment to inclusion. It demonstrates our commitment to social mobility and positive action. We want to engage as many students as possible, to give them a welcoming environment in which they can co-create knowledge and make a meaningful contribution to society.

“This scheme also shows that we’re serious about improving social mobility – indeed, we have just been ranked number one in England for the second year running by the Social Mobility Index, which is a new way of ranking universities based on their ability to improve people’s chances in life.”

Successful ‘sanctuary scholarship’ applicants already receive a ‘no tuition fee’ place at the University but prior to the introduction of the new scheme in 2021, the annual study support grant stood at £500. This was increased to £4,000. The University of Bradford awards 10 sanctuary scholarships each year.