Cardiff Met Sanctuary Award Application Guidance Notes

This page provides guidance on how to complete the Cardiff Met Sanctuary Award Application Form. Please Read the below guidance before applying for the Scholarship.

Background Information

People seeking sanctuary, whether they are separated from or living with their families, are some of the most vulnerable people in the UK (we use the term 'sanctuary' rather than 'asylum' to avoid the negative connotations of phrases such as 'asylum-seekers').

Cardiff Metropolitan University works in partnership with the Article 26 Project, to enable people seeking sanctuary access to higher education. Successful applicants for the Sanctuary Scholarship at Cardiff Metropolitan University will be provided with:

·        Tuition Fee Support: Successful applicants will receive a full tuition fee waiver for the Cardiff Met degree course they have been offered a place for

·        Assistance toward local travel to Cardiff Met campus

·        A daily meal allowance.

·        Personal Support via a Mentor: Support will be available for each successful applicant to enable them to identify and overcome barriers to achievement on their degree programme.

Cardiff Metropolitan University will not be able to provide any financial support for accommodation or general living costs. Applicants should only apply if they are able to support these costs themselves during their university course.

How to Apply

1.     Before making an application for the Cardiff Met Sanctuary Award Scholarship, please ensure you have read this guidance and that you meet the eligibility criteria. Please note, you must have an offer to study a course at Cardiff Met BEFORE you make a scholarship application.

2.     Complete the application form

3.     Collect the required supporting documents:

·        Copy of your Cardiff Met offer letter

·        Referee's supporting statement

·        Evidence of your current immigration status

Some examples of acceptable forms of evidence are copies of:

-        Home Office letter confirming your immigration status or outcome of your asylum application

-        Home Office acknowledgement letter

-        Passport and visa/biometric residence permit (both sides)

-        Home Office letter confirming you have submitted an application and await a decision

-        A letter from a solicitor confirming you have submitted an application and await a decision

4.     Submit the completed application and documents before the deadline of 1st July 2024 at 5.00pm. Applications received after this deadline will automatically be rejected.

If you are unable to submit the application or necessary documentation electronically, please contact sanctuary@cardiffmet.ac.uk before the deadline.

Please note that the information you provide in the form will be held and processed in accordance with our Data Protection Policy. Please note that the application form has been designed to assess your eligibility and suitability for the Sanctuary Award Scholarship. You are not required to provide personal information about your reasons for coming to the UK/seeking asylum.

Eligibility Criteria

Before making an application for Cardiff Met's Sanctuary Award Scholarship, please ensure that you meet our eligibility criteria as follows:

You are one of the following:

• You are an asylum seeker
• You are the partner/dependent included on the application of an asylum seeker in the UK (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).
• You have been granted discretionary leave to remain or Humanitarian Protection
• You are a refugee
• You are in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine/Ukraine Family scheme 
  

AND

·       You have a conditional or unconditional offer from Cardiff Metropolitan University for entry in September 2024 onto a degree course

·       You are currently attending a school, college, community or voluntary group, which can provide a reference in support of your application OR you are in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine/Ukraine family scheme and your sponsor can provide a reference

·       You live within suitable distance to easily commute to university. Please note, accommodation is not provided as part of this scholarship​.

Applicants must meet ALL of this strict eligibility criteria and be in a position to verify their circumstances in order to apply. Applicants who do not meet all of the criteria will not be considered for the scholarship.

Guidance Notes for Completing the Application Form

Section 1: Personal details

Please complete the personal information section of the form – we need this information to contact you about your application. Please ensure you include your name as you would want to see it written e.g. on a certificate.

Section 2: Educational details

Please confirm the details of the course you have applied to study. In order to meet the eligibility criteria, you must have applied for a degree course of study at Cardiff Metropolitan University. The scholarship is not applicable to PhD programmes.

This section also requests information about your educational history and any interruptions to your studies.

Section 3: Eligibility for the Sanctuary Award Scholarship

This section requests information about your immigration status for assessment against the eligibility criteria for the scholarship. Please note that the information required will only be used to determine whether you are eligible for the scholarship in relation to your current immigration status in the UK. You are not required to provide details on the circumstances that brought you to the UK.

You will need to provide evidence of your current immigration status when you submit your application. See 'Required documents' section of this guidance.

Section 4: Support

This section requires information about your living arrangements and your support needs. Please be assured that any information you provide in response to question 4.3 will not negatively affect your application and will only be used to ensure that we provide you with the support you need throughout your studies, if your application is successful.

Section 5: Personal Statement for the Sanctuary Scholarship

This section is divided into 4 questions. Please provide a detailed response (approximately 250 words) to each question and ensure you have included the following information:

·        Your reasons for wanting to study at Cardiff Met, including your future ambitions and how you think your course will help you achieve these ambitions

·        The barriers you have faced in continuing your education or career and how you have tried to overcome these

·        Your current immigration status

·        Details of your financial circumstances (Please note, you may be eligible for student finance which could help with living costs: studentfinancewales.co.uk). Please confirm if you have applied/intend to apply for Student Finance.

The information contained in your application for a Sanctuary Scholarship is confidential and will be stored in accordance with the University's Data Protection Policy. The selection panel will only be able to take into account the information provided in your application form.

Section 6: Referee details

The referee's supporting statement is an important part of the selection process. Please be sure to include all of the requested information and any other information that you believe should be taken into consideration by the selection panel. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide their referee with a copy of their sanctuary application or personal statement.

The referee's supporting statement should be no more than 500 words and should cover the following:

·        What are the applicant's personal and financial circumstances and what barriers have they overcome to continue their education?

·        How well suited is the applicant to the higher education course they plan to take and how realistic are the applicant's ambitions?

·        To your knowledge, what contribution, has the applicant made to college/school life and/or their community?

·        Any other information that you believe is relevant to the application.

·        How do you think the applicant would benefit from the support offered by Cardiff Metropolitan University's Sanctuary Award?

Applications will only be accepted for consideration if they are accompanied by a referee's supporting statement that is signed, dated and on headed paper.

Section 7: Declaration

Please tick all of the relevant boxes and sign and date your completed application form.

Informing You of the Outcome of Your Application

Please note that this is a competitive process and there are limited scholarships available, consequently not all applications will be successful.

Following initial assessment of the applications received, the University will contact you within 2 weeks of the application closing date to let you know whether your application will progress to the next stage of the selection process.

If your application has progressed to the next stage, you will be informed within 8 weeks of the application deadline whether you will be required to attend an interview to verify the information you have provided in your application.

If you are successful in being offered a Cardiff Met Sanctuary Scholarship, you will be informed by the end of August.

For further information on any aspect of completing your application, please email sanctuary@cardiffmet.ac.uk

Terms and conditions

1.     All successful applicants must meet the conditions of their academic offer by the condition's deadline. The Admissions team will have advised you of this date.   Unfortunately, if you do not meet your academic conditions, the Sanctuary Award scholarship cannot be deferred. You would be required to make a new application for a new year of entry.

2.     The Sanctuary Award Scholarship selection panel will assess each application based on the information provided. It is important that all questions are answered to meet eligibility criteria and to allow the panel to fully understand:

• Any barriers that you may have faced to access higher education
• Your current immigration status
• Your access to funding
• Interruptions to previous education or career
• Your motivation to study

There is a limited number of scholarships and therefore not every applicant will be successful. The decision of the selection panel is final and there is no appeals process.

3.     Once awarded, the Sanctuary Award Scholarship is applicable for the standard length of the course you have an offer to study, providing you meet the following conditions:

• You are attending and engaging well and making satisfactory progress;
• You re-enrol onto the next phase of the course when required;
• You continue to have a right to reside in the UK;
• You continue to have a right to study in the UK.

4.     Prior to commencing your studies, you will be allocated a mentor who will be available to help and support you during your course. It is important that you notify your mentor immediately if there is any change to your circumstances, this includes:

• A change to your immigration status – the university must ensure it maintains up to date immigration information about all of its students. It is therefore important that you provide updates about your status as soon as you receive it. A change in status will not necessarily result in a change to your scholarship, unless you are advised that you no longer have the right to remain or study in the UK.
• A suspension or withdrawal from your studies – if you consider suspending or withdrawing from your studies, please speak to your mentor immediately to seek support with this decision. 
  

5.    As a University of Sanctuary, Cardiff Met is dedicated to making continuous improvements to help and support sanctuary seekers at the university and in the Community. As a recipient of a Cardiff Met Sanctuary Award, you will be invited to participate in Cardiff Met's Sanctuary Working Group and to be involved in University of Sanctuary initiatives.