Support for Students with Refugee, Asylum-Seeking and Forced Migration experience

Specific support is available for students with Refugee, Asylum-Seeking and Forced Migration experience.

Support for Students with Refugee, Asylum-Seeking and Forced Migration experience 

In 2025, UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services developed a provision to support students with refugee, asylum-seeking and forced migration experience.

We recognise the unique challenges faced by this student group and are committed to supporting students to overcome barriers to academic access and progression. Whether your query related relates to funding, accommodation, wellbeing, academic success or community connection, we are here to help.  

How we can help: 

Pre-arrival advice & support 

• We can provide assistance and guidance to students with admissions support, accommodation applications, pre-enrolment tasks, as well as communicating with the Admissions Office and academic departments on students’ behalf. 

• We work closely with colleagues in the widening participation team who provide pre-entry guidance on the application process, support options and funding pathways. 

Pastoral and Wellbeing support  

• Our Specialist Caseworker for Forced Migrant, Refugee and Asylum Seeker provision can be a point of contact, meet with students to provide pastoral support and signpost to appropriate mental health provisions.  

• Our service works closely with the UCL War, Conflict & Disaster Service, which provides psychological support to students who are experiencing distress as a result of war, conflict & disaster. We can make referrals on students’ behalf to Cope & Connect sessions, which are guided by clinically qualified psychological wellbeing practitioners in collaboration with local NHS Trusts.   

• We can book appointments on behalf of students with Mental Health Coordinators in the Disability, Neurodiversity and Mental Health Service, as well as refer students in the UCL Counselling Service and University Clinic.  

Financial Support 

• We can advise on the application processes for UCL funding schemes including various bursaries, financial assistance funds and scholarships such as the Humanitarian Scholarship. 

• We can liaise with the UCL Student Fees team on students’ behalf around tuition fee queries  

Accommodation Support  

• We can provide accommodation advice to students and refer students who are currently homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless to the Student Homelessness service .  

Immigration Support  

• We can liaise with UCL’s Student Immigration Advice team (this team cannot provide immigration advice on asylum cases)  

• We can signpost to external immigration and asylum advice services   

Academic Support  

• We can liaise with academic departments on behalf of students if students wish to make their department aware of their experiences and request specific support 

• We can provide guidance on Extenuating Circumstances Claims and Reasonable Academic Adjustments  

• We can signpost to Language and Academic Writing Support  

Social and other support  

1. We can signpost to clubs, societies, opportunities for community connection and support applications to the student participation fund  

2. We can signpost to where you can find work and volunteering opportunities during your studies  

How to contact us  

If you are already at UCL you can raise an enquiry via askUCL .    

Alternatively, you can email us at: ssws-specialistadviceandcasework@ucl.ac.uk