Refugee Application Support

Introduction

This page is written by Anki Deo, Co-President of the Cambridge Refugee Scholarship Campaign (October 2019), and was updated in September 2023 by the InsideUni team.

Coming to Cambridge as a person from a background of instability and conflict can seem unrealistic and scary, but be reassured that there are plenty of organisations both inside and outside Cambridge rooting for your success!

Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentships

The Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentships 🔗 🌟 are full-cost scholarships for either undergraduate or postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge. They are specifically provided for students who face severe barriers in coming to the university.

Please note that the criteria for eligibility for the studentship are not strict: you DO NOT need to have official refugee or asylum seeker status to be considered for the scholarship. To be eligible, applicants (undergraduate or graduate) need to:

(1) Hold a conditional offer of admission to the University of Cambridge for any degree
(2) be from an area of instability or zone of conflict
(3) be, or have been, at risk of discrimination, persecution, suffering, violence or other abuse of their human rights.

For more information about applying to the Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentships check out the Cambridge Refugee Scholarship Campaign website 🔗 and get in touch with them via Facebook or email. There is a team of people dedicated to helping answer your application questions.

Useful Links

UCAS Student Finance for Refugees and Asylum Seekers 🔗 🌟 – information about funding UK degrees
UCAS guides 🔗 on applying to study in the UK as an international student
Cambridge Refugee Scholarship Campaign website 🔗 🌟 - a campaign dedicated to helping answer any and all of your application questions
Student Access for Refugees 🔗 - provides information and resources on applying to university as a refugee
Further education for asylum seekers and refugees 🔗 – information and guidance on how to progress in further education as an asylum seeker or refugee from Refugee Education UK (formerly the Refugee Support Network)
Article 26 🔗 – a project by the Helena Kennedy human rights charity with information about bursaries for access to higher education for those who have fled persecution
Coram Children’s Legal Centre 🔗 – website providing free legal information and advice to children, families and carers. Can be helpful if you are unsure about your immigration status.
UK Council for International Student Affairs 🔗 - information and advice about student visas, coming to study in the UK from abroad including culture shock and advice on settling into life in the UK
University of Cambridge visa information 🔗 - for international students, links to other useful websites for obtaining visas for study
Matt’s story 🔗 - video of a PhD student from a refugee background talking about his experience at Cambridge
Cambridge University Students Union Alternative Prospectus 🔗 – information about Cambridge University written by students