‘Evident demand’ for higher education among refugees in UK

More than 10,000 displaced people applied for UK higher education courses this year, according to new data that experts say “sends a clear message to both universities and politicians”.

Figures from the admissions service Ucas show that 620 people who are currently seeking asylum in the UK applied to undergraduate courses by the equal consideration deadline of 29 January.

A total of 4,590 applicants have already been successfully granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK – an increase on 4,380 in 2024.

They were joined by 5,710 people who had limited or discretionary leave to remain in the UK – usually those who do not qualify for full refugee status or humanitarian protection but still have compelling reasons to stay.

It means a total of 10,920 displaced people applied to UK courses in 2025, which was up from 9,450 last year and 8,220 in 2023 – the first year these figures were published.

Prior to that, there had been a “real paucity of accurate information” on refugees and asylum seekers, according to Dan Webb, higher education lead practitioner at Refugee Education UK (REUK).

“This Ucas application data sends a clear message to both universities and politicians that higher education is of huge importance to students from a displaced background,” he said.

“For many, university acts as a vital opportunity to move on from traumatic pasts, and build more hopeful futures for their lives, and we know that these students are some of the most resilient and hardworking on campus.”

REUK hopes that the data will help universities become more welcoming places for these students and help them prepare more suitable support packages.

“For REUK, it is immensely helpful to use these first years of Ucas data as a baseline from which to observe trends going forward. It will help us to direct and focus our higher education support work to the areas and cohorts that most need it,” added Webb.

Refugees and asylum seekers are treated as overseas students within the UK sector and asked to pay international fees, unless exceptions are made.

What universities can do to assist refugees

Some universities have a policy of treating them as home students, which allows them to apply for vital scholarships and bursaries. Ukrainian refugees were granted home fee status at English universities in 2022.

Webb said many applicants are effectively excluded from university because they are not eligible for mainstream funding.

“We hope the data illustrates the evident demand among these cohorts, and adds to the growing argument that displaced students should be treated as home students for fees and funding purposes.”

To boost applications even further, Webb said a more widespread and nuanced understanding of the challenges and barriers faced by these students is needed, plus more funding opportunities through scholarships and grants.

Young people who have been through the asylum process have previously complained that they had faced repeated rejections from higher education institutions despite having strong academic records.

Separately, new research has found that refugees in the UK face an intensifying hostile environment created by discriminatory immigration policies alongside rigid academic systems, and resource shortages.

Corinne Squire, chair in global inequalities at the University of Bristol and co-author of the paper, said the rise in refugee applicants in recent years was encouraging, but that her research suggests the data could be an underestimate.

“Some people don’t want to be identified as refugees,” she said. “Sometimes there’s fear of the hostile environment operating – even though they are legally recognised as refugees, they may still worry about coming to the attention of the authorities. 

“Sometimes, people just don’t want to be a refugee any more; they don’t want to claim that identity, they just want to be a student.”

Co-author Mir Abdullah Miri, a lecturer and PhD researcher at the University of Bath who is from a refugee background, said highly skilled applicants struggled to overcome bureaucratic hurdles and unclear policies.

“Those who speak louder or find someone willing to advocate for them often manage to get through the system, while many others, equally capable but lacking the same networks or confidence, fall through the cracks.”

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com