STAR | Campaigning | Equal Access

Equal Access

People seeking asylum do not have the same right to university education as their British born peers. As a student network STAR believes that this is wrong and that we are in a unique position to challenge this injustice.

STAR is campaigning to ensure that asylum seekers have Equal Access to higher education and can join us at university as equals.

“Everyone has the right to education… and higher education shall be equally accessible to all…” – Article 26 (1), Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Barriers to higher education

Fees & living costs

Asylum seekers and some refugees are classed as overseas students and must pay fees of up to £20,000 per year instead of the “home fee” rate of £3,225. Asylum seekers cannot afford these fees or living costs because they are not allowed to:

Apply for student loans
Apply for grants and most bursaries
Work in the UK

Admissions policies

Asylum seekers and some refugees do not have permission to reside in the UK for the duration of a university course and therefore fail the admissions tests for many universities

Information and advice

Many refugees and asylum seekers do not have access to good information and support about their rights to education and the application process

Campaign Aims

STAR is calling on the Vice-Chancellors of universities in England and Wales to:

Accept asylum seekers as home students for fee purposes or offer to remit tuition fees in full
Provide bursaries and grants each year to asylum seeking students