Hope for the Young Limited’s Grants and Advocacy Programme is designed to support young people with insecure immigration status in the UK to access and complete higher and further education through the provision of small bursaries and tailored advocacy support. Applications are currently being accepted for courses starting or continuing a new academic year from September 2024.
The charity aims to enable refugees, asylum-seekers and undocumented young people to complete their education by providing grants of up to £4,500 to those who have no access to government funds, or to those who are facing extreme financial hardship.
Grants are available for young people across the UK aged between 16 – 28, who are:
o In or would like to access school, college or university education.
o Refugees and those granted leave to remain in the UK but cannot meet their financial requirements for accessing or continuing their education.
o Studying up to their first university degree, and
o Subject to immigration control with no access to student finance (for example, asylum-seekers, undocumented young people, survivors of modern-day slavery and trafficking).
Grants can contribute towards the cost of:
o Exam fees.
o General study expenditure.
o Transport, and/or
o Tuition fees.
Young people who receive a grant will also have the opportunity to access tailored advice and one-to-one support from Hope for the Young throughout their studies. A Grants and Advocacy Coordinator will be available to answer questions, signpost grant holders to new opportunities and services, and advocate on their behalf if they are facing difficulties. They will also discuss with students ways in which they can get involved in Hope for the Young’s work.
Funding is not available for:
o Contributions towards tuition fees where the university is charging the overseas rate.
o International students or those with study visas.
o Postgraduate degrees.
o Private education courses, or
o Those who have exhausted their appeals and are unlikely to remain in the UK to complete their education.
Further information, guidance and details about how to apply can be found on the charity’s website.
Hope for the Young has youth-led approach to grant-making which puts those with lived experience at the heart of their decision-making processes. All awards are made in collaboration with previous grant holders, thereby providing space for young people to utilise their skills and experiences to support others to pursue their dreams, regardless of their status.
The deadline for applications is midnight on Monday 15th April 2024.
