Asylum-Seeker Support

You must ensure meet ALL of the eligibility criteria outlined below and be able to provide documentary evidence to verify your circumstances. Applicants who do not meet the full criteria will not be considered for the Scholarship.

• You will be studying at the University of Suffolk in Ipswich, Great Yarmouth or Lowestoft (includes the Ipswich campus, Suffolk New College, and East Coast College); AND
• You are resident in Suffolk or Norfolk; AND
• You have sought asylum in the UK or were included as a dependant (spouse/child) on an application for asylum*; AND
• You have yet to receive a decision on your asylum claim, or you have received a decision on your claim for asylum which has resulted in an award of DLR (Discretionary Leave to Remain), Humanitarian Protection or Limited Leave to Remain as a result of an asylum claim; AND
• You have been offered a full-time place on either an undergraduate or postgraduate course at the University of Suffolk, starting in September 2024 AND
• You are unable to access Financial Support (Tuition and Maintenance Loans) from Student Finance England because of your current immigration status; AND
• You do not have a qualification that is equal or higher than the course you are applying to.

*Spouses/civil partners must have been the spouse/civil partner on the date on which the asylum application was made. Children/step-children must have been aged under 18 on the date on which the asylum application was made.

These scholarships are payable in each academic year of your course until you (or your parents or spouse/civil partner) are granted Refugee Status (Leave to Remain) in the UK. Your award will then stop from the start of the next academic year.

Complete the application form. Applicants will be informed of the outcome by 30 September 2023 for entry in September 2023.

If more applications are received than Scholarships available, the University of Suffolk Asylum-Seeker Scholarship will be awarded by a Selection Panel. The decision of the panel will be final.

Preference will be given to applicants based on the following criteria:

• Asylum-seekers resident in Suffolk and Norfolk
• Academic potential
• Academic history

Please direct any enquiries to Miles Cole, Head of Access.

The University of Suffolk Asylum-Seeker Scholarship is awarded to Asylum-Seekers or applicants who have been granted Discretionary Leave/Humanitarian Protection and do not qualify for support from Student Finance England.

Eligibility

1. To be eligible for this Scholarship, applicants must:

• be studying at the University of Suffolk in Ipswich, Great Yarmouth or Lowestoft (includes the Ipswich campus, Suffolk New College, and East Coast College); AND
• are resident in Suffolk or Norfolk; AND
• have sought asylum in the UK or were included as a dependent (spouse/child) on an application for asylum*; AND
• have yet to receive a decision on your asylum claim, or you have received a decision on your claim for asylum which has resulted in an award of DLR (Discretionary Leave to Remain), Humanitarian Protection or Limited Leave to Remain as a result of an asylum claim; AND
• have been offered a full-time place on an undergraduate course at the University of Suffolk, starting September 2024 AND
• are unable to access Financial Support (Tuition and Maintenance Loans) from Student Finance England because of your current immigration status; AND
• do not have a qualification that is equal or higher than the course you are applying to
• have applied for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree at the University of Suffolk and meet the academic conditions of the offer to study

2. Preference will be given to applicants:

a. Resident in Suffolk and Norfolk

b. Academic potential

b. Academic history

Value of award

3. The Scholarship awards the student honorary Home fee status, and pays for:

a. Undergraduate level: the Home rate (£9,250* per annum) and an annual bursary (£2000) for up to four years of study.

The annual bursary is normally paid in two instalments of £1000 in October and £1000 in March.

Selection process

4. In the event that more applications are submitted than there are Scholarships available, the Scholarship will be awarded by a University of Suffolk panel, whose decision is final.

5. The recipient will be chosen on the basis of:

a. Resident in Suffolk and Norfolk

b. Academic potential

b. Academic history

Scholarship terms

6. The Fee Scholarship is awarded once the recipient has completed the University’s enrolment process. The Bursary component will be payable in in two payments as noted above.

7. If two or more candidates are deemed to be of equal merit, the Scholarship will not be divided.

8. If no candidate is judged to be of sufficient merit, the Scholarship will not be awarded.

9. No person will be awarded the Scholarship more than once.

10. In the event that a recipient’s asylum application is refused by the UK Government, the recipient will be allowed to study pending an appeal on their asylum claim. The University reserves the right to suspend studies following notification from the Home Office.

11. In the event that a recipient’s asylum claim is upheld and refugee status (Leave to Remain) is granted by the UK Government, the applicant will be removed from the scholarship effective from the next academic year, where the applicant will then be able to apply for support from Student Finance England.

12. In the event of an intercalation or withdrawal the fee scholarship and bursary will be reduced pro-rata as per the University’s advertised cut-off dates.

13. The recipient may be asked to participate in marketing or promotional activity about their experience at the University of Suffolk.

14. The Scholarship is subject to these terms and conditions which must be formally agreed to by the recipient before the award is made.

*Increases for subsequent years of study will be covered by the scholarship.