Postgraduate Scholarship for Students Displaced from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine 2023/24

Postgraduate Scholarship for Students Displaced from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine 2023/24

In partnership with King’s College London

We are delighted to announce that The Open University will be awarding several scholarships for forced migrants in 2023/24. These new scholarships comprise a full tuition fee waiver and a living cost bursary.

Please make sure to read the detailed eligibility criteria below before applying.

The scholarships will be available in the academic year 2023/24, for students who have been displaced from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine as a result of being at risk of persecution, violence and conflict.

The scholarship is open to students starting a masters degree in the 2023/24 academic year, starting study in October or November 2023, with some scholarships prioritised for STEM subjects, in particular maths and physics. King’s College London is the grant-holder for this fund.

Each scholarship will cover the full cost of your tuition fees and a living costs bursary, for a maximum of 3 years, starting October 2023. 

Tuition Fees - the scholarship will cover the full tuition fee costs for each successful student’s chosen masters degree.

Living costs bursary – this will vary for each student, depending on the cost of their chosen masters degree, to help with living expenses. 

Individual allocations will be confirmed, in writing, to each successful student upon allocation of the award.*

*Please note that a living cost bursary can jeopardise asylum support and eligibility to access Legal Aid-funded legal representation (subject to income and capital assessment). Upon receipt of funds, there is a risk that the individual will be deemed not destitute and asylum support can be withdrawn. This could include the withdrawal of subsistence support and accommodation provided under Section 4 or 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS). It is each applicant’s responsibility to check how receiving a scholarship will affect their status.

Who is eligible?

To be eligible, you must;

• be a person normally domiciled in Belarus, Russia or Ukraine who is displaced and/or at risk of persecution, violence or conflict
• be unable to access or complete higher education in your home country for your chosen master’s degree
• be ordinarily resident in the UK on 1 September 2023
• be enrolled or intend to enrol on an Open University masters qualification starting in the 2023/24 academic year, starting study in October or November 2023
• meet the entry requirements of your chosen masters degree
• be studying a minimum of 60 credits per academic year
• complete the qualification in no more than 3 years

Please note, the university will undertake checks on your eligibility for the scheme.

Course eligibility

All Open University masters courses are eligible. A number of scholarships will be prioritised for STEM subjects, in particular for maths and physics. 

How to apply

1.   Before applying, read the FAQs document. You will find additional information on the eligibility and the application process.

2.    Complete this online application form.

Please note, it is not possible to save and return to your application. You will therefore need to complete the application in one sitting.

Key dates

Applications are open and will close at 11.59pm on 24th March 2023.

We aim to contact all applicants by Monday 5th June 2023 with a decision.

If you have any queries about the application process, please contact Student Fees by emailing, studentfees@open.ac.uk  

Extra considerations

This fund can only cover 3 years of tuition fees.