Refugees, asylum seekers and other statuses | University of Westminster, London

Before starting your course

It's essential to get advice about your funding entitlement and fee status before enrolling on your course. Failure to do so could result in you being personally liable for tuition fee costs.

Asylum seekers waiting for a Home Office decision

If you're an Asylum Seeker and the Home Office has not reached a decision on your asylum claim, you should be assessed by the University Admissions Office as an overseas student for fees purposes.

You won't be eligible for a Student Finance England Tuition Fee Loan or any of the other loans and grants normally available. This means that you will be liable to pay the course tuition fee yourself.

Refugee Status, Humanitarian protection, Calais Leave, Stateless Leave or Section 67 Leave

Eligibility for home tuition fees

To be considered for the home rate of tuition fee and to be eligible for Student Finance England funding you must be ordinarily resident in the UK on either the first day of the first academic year of your course and have been granted one of the above statuses by this date OR the first on the day on which the first term of the academic year actually begins. This is dependent on which year you are applying for your home fee status or student support.

You can read more about these requirements and required dates in this Ukcisa link.

In some circumstances, spouses and children of someone granted one of the above statuses can also qualify for home fees.

If you're awarded a status partway through your course

If you're awarded one of these statuses after the relevant date, partway through a year of your course, you may be eligible to receive some Student Finance England funding for your course and may become eligible to pay the home rate of tuition fee from the start of the next academic year.

You can read more about the qualifying eligibility rules for home fees on the UKCISA website. UKCISA also provides information about the eligibility rules for Government Student Support.

Discretionary Leave

If the Home Office awards you Discretionary Leave or another status please read our Long UK residence and funding page.

Settled status: SFE Funding - Acquiring settled status after Sept 2024 or part way through your course

Addition of settled status to the categories of in-year qualifying ‘events’ for SFE funding.

Students with settled status (other than those granted settled status under the EU settlement scheme) are currently required to hold that status on the first day of the first academic year of the course if they are to access student finance and home fee status.

If this is not the case, they are ineligible for support or automatic home fee status for the duration of their course, even if they acquire settled status during their period of study. Certain other immigration categories are treated as ‘in year qualifying events’ (‘events’) in the Student Support Regulations, which allows the student to become eligible for support after they have acquired that status, even if they are part-way through their studies.

For 2024/25, settled status is included as an ‘in year qualifying event’ in the Student Support Regulations. This means that undergraduate students who were unable to meet the requirement to hold settled status on the first day of the first academic year of the course, but later acquire settled status, can pick up student support for the rest of their course.

In addition, students gaining settled status part way through the course will qualify for home fee status and become a qualifying person for any associated fee limits in the years following the acquisition of this status. These changes will apply in respect of an academic year starting on or after 1 August 2024.

Corresponding changes will apply to students undertaking a Postgraduate Master’s or Doctoral Degree course so that they qualify for postgraduate master’s loans and postgraduate doctoral degree loans respectively.

Previous study

If you previously studied on a higher education course anywhere in the world or hold an equivalent qualification, you should also read our previous studies page, as any previous studies can eliminate and/or reduce any student funding entitlement for a new course.

If you gain British citizenship

If you have (or a relevant family member has) Refugee Status and you (or they) are considering applying for British (or any other) citizenship, be aware that the application could have an effect on your fee status or your eligibility for student support.

When a refugee obtains a new nationality, eg when a refugee gains British citizenship, their Refugee Status is revoked and this may affect your funding entitlement.

Ukraine Scheme

If you're a Ukrainian student studying in the UK who has been granted leave under the Ukraine Family Scheme, the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, or the Ukraine Extension Scheme, you'll be eligible for home fee status, if you also meet specific residency criteria.

Some students who meet additional eligibility rules may also be eligible for Student Finance England funding. Please book an appointment to speak to an Adviser from Student Advice to discuss your individual circumstances further.

External organisations

The Refugee Council and Refugee Education UK provide advice and information for young refugees about accessing higher education in the UK.

You may also wish to contact the following private, charitable organisations:

Further advice

The funding and tuition fee rules are very complex. If you're unsure of your entitlement and would like to discuss this further, please get in touch with Student Advice before enrolling on your course.

It's crucial to get advice before you start your course as you may be liable for tuition fees if your immigration status doesn’t allow you to apply for Student Finance England funding.