25 June 2020
Here are some of the final scholarship deadlines that are coming up and some new postgraduate scholarships that have recently been announced! If you want to see what your chosen university is like or want to check out where you might like to go – lots of universities are running “online open days“, so do check them out. We also want to know what your student or application experience has been affected by Covid-19 – be amazing if you could complete the survey below.
1. Upcoming scholarship application deadlines
2. Survey – Are you a current student with a refugee background or applying this year? Tell us how Covid-19 has affected your student experience.
3. STAR is recruiting a new Access to University Coordinator
4. The University of Essex Launches a new Sanctuary Scholarship
5. Kings College London have just opened their postgrad scholarship applications
6. Exploring Access to Higher Education in Scotland for Refugees and People Seeking Asylum – online event
7. New report! Education transitions for refugee and asylum-seeking young people in the UK.
8. Useful resources
As ever if you can get in touch with us at equalaccess@star-network.org.uk but please note that we do not have a staff member in this role at the moment, so it may take us longer to respond.
1. Upcoming scholarship application deadlines
Lots of scholarships for people seeking refugee protection are open for applications, please check the directory of refugee scholarships on the STAR website for information and links on how to apply. A list of some of the upcoming closing dates for scholarships is below.
Warwick 26 June 2020
Glasgow 30 June 2020
Nottingham 30 June 2020
SOAS, London (PG) 30 June 2020
Surrey 30 June 2020
Greenwich, London (1st or 28th?) July 2020
Newman University, Birmingham 01 July 2020
Cardiff Metropolitan 03 July 2020
Essex 06 July 2020
Leicester 31 July 2020
Kings College London (PG) 26th July
Teesside 14 Aug 2020
2. Are you a current student with a refugee background or applying this year? Tell us how Covid-19 has affected your student experience
STAR and Universities of Sanctuary are currently collecting research for a report on the support offered by the higher education sector for students from a refugee background during the Covid-19 crisis.
It would be really helpful to hear the experiences of university students from a refugee background, or those who are in the process of applying to university this year to guide the report. The information you provide can be used to help universities understand where they may need to provide more support for students in the future.
Link to survey – please complete by Wednesday 1st July.
Let us know if you have any questions, and thank you for your help!
3. Apply to be STAR’s new Access to University Coordinator
Want a job where you can really make a difference? We’re recruiting a new Access to University Coordinator who’ll lead on our successful work ensuring that people seeking asylum and refugees have equal access to higher education. If you’ve got experience of working with or in HE, making change happen and are brilliant at building partnerships then this could be the perfect role for you!
Hours: 3 days per week
Salary: £16,200 (£27,000 full-time equivalent) + up to 7% contributory pension.
Contract: 1 year initial contract
Deadline for applications: 6th July
For more info and the application pack go to:Â http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/about/job_opportunities
4. University of Essex announces new Postgraduate Sanctuary Scholarship
Exciting news! The University of Essex has recently announced a new postgraduate sanctuary scholarships for 2020-21 entry. The deadline is the 6th July. Info below…
The scholarship includes:
A full fee waiver on a one-year Postgraduate Taught Masters programme
£10,000 to support living and study costs
Find out more including eligibility and how to apply here.
5. Kings College London postgraduate sanctuary scholarship opens
King’s College London is delighted to offer the Dr Monica Malik Refugee Bursary. This bursary will support postgraduate students from a refugee or humanitarian protection background to study at King’s. This fund is intended to give students the opportunity to undertake study in an internationally recognised centre of excellence. The scholarship is worth £10,000.
Deadline for applications is the 26th July.
Click here to find out more and apply.
6. Online Event for Widening Access & Participation: Exploring Access to Higher Education in Scotland for Refugees and People Seeking Asylum
Tuesday 7th July 2020, 11am – 12 pm
Registrations open until Tuesday 30th June at 5pm
The aim of this online event hosted by SCAPP and Universities of Sanctuary is to start a conversation amongst widening access and participation colleagues across Scotland who have an interest in refugees’ and asylum seekers’ access to Higher Education.
Click here for more information and to book tickets.
7. New report! Education transitions for refugee and asylum-seeking young people in the UK
Unicef UK and Refugee Support Network have just published a report that examines the factors that hinder and support access to Further and Higher Education, drawing on the experiences of over 500 refugee and asylum-seeking young people, including young people from the STAR network. The report also provides practical recommendations for the Department for Education, Home Office, colleges, universities, schools and the voluntary and private sectors. It’s going to be really useful for our campaign work!
Useful resources
- Covid-19 university application updates from UCAS: You can find all the most recent updates about how Covid-19 is affecting the university application process and what steps UCAS is taking here.
- Online resources and webinars on STAR’s youtube channel: View recordings of STAR’s recent events including a webinar on how to access higher education and scholarships for people seeking refugee protection in the UK. Find it here.
- Access to Online English Resources with Futurelearn: Click here for a list of distance Learning Courses for Students Affected by the Coronavirus. Future Learn have compiled 12 online courses which focus on preparing students for English for academic purposes tests. See the full list of courses here.
- Struggling with access to ICT equipment? Here are some links to organisations which may be able to help: Hope for the young – emergency fund to help with digital access. Social Biz – campaign for digital inclusion helping refugees. Scottish Refugee council – donations of laptops, get in touch to see if they are distributing them. Solidaratech – refugee and asylum seeker technology providers. The government is also providing has a scheme to provide digital devices and internet access to some disadvantaged children and young people in education up to age 19. Find out more here.