Scholarships for Refugees and Displaced Students 2026

If you are a refugee, an asylum seeker, or a displaced student trying to rebuild your education, this guide is written for you — carefully. It lists only programmes we could verify on the operating organisation’s own pages in October 2026: UNHCR’s DAFI scholarship, Windle Trust International’s postgraduate and DAFI partnership work, UK university sanctuary scholarships, and connected-learning routes that let displaced students earn recognised qualifications where they are. Just as importantly, it states the boundaries plainly. A scholarship is an education decision made by a funder or a university. It is not a refugee status determination, it does not grant asylum, and it does not by itself give you the right to live in another country. Some programmes in this guide exist precisely to fund study inside your country of asylum or your home region; one major programme states explicitly that its scholarships must not be seen as a route to asylum. Read each programme’s status and residence rules before anything else — they decide eligibility more than grades do.

A second honest note: refugee-specific scholarships are small next to the need. DAFI, the largest dedicated programme, funds undergraduate study for recognised refugees in their country of asylum — one country call described in this guide offers 75 university places and 50 TVET places for a single national cohort. Your plan should therefore combine every route that fits your status: the dedicated programmes below, mainstream scholarships whose rules do not exclude refugees, and university sanctuary and fee-waiver schemes in the country where you already have status. You can explore mainstream options in the StudyGraduate scholarship directory and institutions in the university directory, but always check the fine print: some mainstream funders require applicants to apply from, or return to, a home country, which may be impossible or unsafe for refugees — never put yourself at risk to satisfy a form.

At a Glance: Verified Routes for Displaced Students

1. DAFI — UNHCR’s Tertiary Scholarship Programme

The Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative — DAFI — is UNHCR’s flagship tertiary scholarship, funded principally by the Government of Germany and running since 1992. It has supported tens of thousands of refugee students (programme summaries cite more than 25,000 graduates) to complete undergraduate degrees. Its design is the opposite of a “study in a wealthy country” scholarship: DAFI funds study in your country of asylum, at recognised institutions there, so that qualifications serve both you and the community hosting you.

What it covers. In the country calls published by UNHCR for 2026 — for example the Kazakhstan and Tajikistan calls on UNHCR’s official help pages — tuition fees and other approved education costs are paid directly to the institution, and a monthly stipend is paid directly to the scholar; country summaries also describe support for study materials, food and living costs, transport and accommodation, plus academic and psychosocial support. The scholarship is renewed annually for up to four years, conditional on regular attendance, successful completion of each semester, good academic performance and participation in DAFI activities such as volunteering and DAFI Club initiatives. Scholars sign a scholarship agreement each year, and fraud, serious misconduct or persistent non-attendance ends the award.

Who can apply — the common core. Country calls differ in detail, but the 2026 UNHCR calls share a recognisable core: you must hold recognised refugee status in that country of asylum (some country programmes, such as Somalia’s, also admit asylum seekers and returnees with UNHCR registration documents); be no older than 28 at the start of studies, with exceptions possible where displacement interrupted your education or you faced significant barriers such as childcare responsibilities or disability; have completed secondary or secondary-vocational education with above-average results and be able to present your documents — or, in Kazakhstan’s call, contact UNHCR or the Red Crescent Society before applying if you cannot, rather than simply giving up; have a good command of the language of instruction; show financial need; not already receive another scholarship; and show motivation to contribute to your community. Some countries add their own rules — Rwanda’s 2026–27 call, for instance, required admission to a recognised Rwandan university, limited DAFI to one member per family, excluded applicants approved for resettlement, and gave priority consideration to women and to applicants with special educational needs. DAFI does not fund master’s or PhD study: it is a first-undergraduate-degree programme.

How applications work. There is no single global DAFI application. Each country programme opens its own call, usually through the UNHCR country office and its implementing partner, via the DAFI online application platform and the UNHCR opportunities portal. Windows vary by country — South African programme summaries, for example, describe calls typically opening between November and March for the following academic year, with the 2026 intake there (run through StudyTrust) having closed on 4 August 2026. Because no 2027 global date exists, the correct action is to register your interest with the UNHCR office or partner in your country of asylum and monitor its help.unhcr.org country page. Start from the official country pages: UNHCR Kazakhstan’s DAFI 2026 page shows the full pattern of criteria, renewal conditions and document rules that other country calls follow.

2. Windle Trust International — Postgraduate Scholarships

Windle Trust International (WTI), a British charity working in East Africa and the Horn, is the main verified route in this guide to postgraduate study for displaced people. Its postgraduate programme supports candidates to study up to master’s level — in the UK, primarily by nominating candidates into Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) Master’s and Shared Scholarship schemes, and at universities in Africa. On its official postgraduate page, WTI is explicit about who it funds and how it decides:

• Student status: scholarships go to people who have refugee status, have been internally displaced, are marginalised, in need, or otherwise affected by conflict.
• Origin and residence: you must be resident in the regions where WTI works — in practice, specific conflict-affected areas of Kenya or Uganda, or throughout Sudan, South Sudan or Somaliland.
• Financial need: you must demonstrate genuine need and inability to fund the study yourself.
• Giving back and gender: a track record of community involvement is assessed favourably, and — all else equal — priority goes to girls and women, to counter severe gender inequality in education in the communities WTI serves.
• Return expectation: scholars are expected to return to their current country within one month of completing studies or within their study visa’s validity, whichever is shorter. WTI states directly: “Our scholarships must not be seen as a route to asylum and we will not support asylum claims from scholarship recipients under any circumstances.” Apply only if you can honestly accept that condition.

WTI also acts as a DAFI implementing partner: with UNHCR it opened DAFI 2026 applications for Sudanese refugees in Sudan — 75 scholarships for university and college students and 50 for TVET programmes — for registered refugees resident in Sudan, enrolled at or admitted to a recognised higher-education or TVET institution there, holding a Sudanese Secondary School Certificate or equivalent, and aged 28 or below (see Windle Trust International’s DAFI 2026 announcement). For the UK postgraduate programme itself, read the criteria in full on the official Windle Trust International postgraduate page before preparing an application — partner-institution requirements can add conditions beyond WTI’s own.

3. University Sanctuary Scholarships (UK)

Many UK universities run “sanctuary” scholarships for people in the UK who have claimed asylum or hold another sanctuary-related status and who, because of that status, cannot access UK student finance and would otherwise be charged — and unable to pay — international-level fees. The standard shape of these awards is a full tuition fee waiver for the duration of a degree, at a named university, for a small number of students per year; some universities add a bursary toward living costs, but many do not, and that difference decides whether the award is actually usable. Because every university sets its own eligibility (which immigration statuses count, which levels of study, how many awards), this guide deliberately quotes no amounts or deadlines: search the official site of each university you could realistically attend for “sanctuary scholarship”, and verify three things — your exact status qualifies; whether living costs are covered or must come from elsewhere; and whether the award survives a change in your status mid-degree.

One budgeting fact every UK sanctuary applicant needs, current as of this guide: if any part of your UK plan involves a Student visa rather than your existing status, maintenance funds are assessed at £1,529 per month in London and £1,171 per month outside London, for up to 9 months (gov.uk, Appendix Student). These are the current rates; lower figures from earlier years that still circulate online are superseded and should not be used. Rates rise to £1,570 (London) and £1,203 (outside London) for applications on or after 30 November 2026. A tuition waiver does not reduce the maintenance evidence a visa application requires — plan for both.

4. Connected Learning and Study Where You Are

For many displaced students, the fastest safe progress is not a scholarship abroad at all: it is accredited study delivered where you already live. UNHCR and partner universities have spent a decade building “connected learning” — blended and online programmes that bring recognised courses into refugee-hosting regions, with local facilitation and academic support. Alongside these, mainstream online degrees and micro-credentials from established universities can rebuild an academic record interrupted by displacement. Two cautions protect you here. First, verify accreditation: a certificate is worth what the awarding body’s recognition makes it worth, so check that the provider is a recognised university or an officially partnered programme before investing a year. Second, mind documentation: keep every transcript, syllabus and certificate — if you later win a DAFI, Windle or university scholarship, documented prior learning is what admissions officers use to place you correctly. Programmes and providers in this space change frequently and are organised country by country, so ask your UNHCR country office or its education partners what is currently running in your location rather than relying on any global list, including this one.

5. Programmes We Could Not Verify — and a Warning About Fraud

Guides in this niche often name impressive-sounding “refugee scholarships” from organisations whose own websites show no current programme, no open call and no verifiable awards. Where we could not verify a named scheme on its operator’s official page at the time of writing, we have left it out rather than repeat it. Apply that same test yourself, because displaced students are specifically targeted by fraud: fake scholarship offers that charge “processing” or “visa” fees, harvest identity documents, or promise resettlement. No programme in this guide charges an application fee, none can sell you refugee status or a visa, and none will contact you only through social media or a messaging app. If an offer asks for money to release a scholarship, or promises asylum as part of the package, it is not a scholarship — stop, and report it to the UNHCR office in your country.

Eligibility: Status, Residence and Documents

Three questions decide almost every application in this guide. Status: Do you hold the exact status the programme names — recognised refugee, registered asylum seeker, returnee, internally displaced person — in the exact country the programme names? DAFI Kazakhstan requires refugee status granted in Kazakhstan; Windle’s postgraduate programme requires residence in its African regions of work. A refugee recognised in one country cannot transfer that recognition to another programme’s country. Residence and place of study: DAFI funds study in the country of asylum; Windle’s UK scholars must accept return to their country of residence; sanctuary scholarships require you to already be in the UK. Documents: UNHCR proof of registration, secondary certificates (or certified equivalents from the country of asylum’s education ministry — Rwanda’s call requires an equivalence certificate, a step that takes time), and university admission letters recur in every call. Where documents were lost in flight, say so early: at least one UNHCR country call expressly invites applicants who cannot produce originals to contact UNHCR or its partner before applying rather than self-excluding.

Age and academic rules matter too: DAFI’s standard ceiling is 28 at the start of study, with country calls allowing exceptions for education interrupted by displacement, childcare or disability; Windle’s specialist calls add their own requirements, such as an upper-second-class first degree (or equivalent) and two years of relevant work or volunteer experience for its named education postgraduate scholarship for refugee women from Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia or Somaliland resident in Kenya or Uganda. These are examples of call-level rules — always read the live call for your country and cohort.

How to Apply: Step by Step

1. Confirm your status documents first. Obtain or renew your UNHCR registration proof and any national refugee ID; every application in this guide starts there.
2. Find your country’s live calls. Check your country page on help.unhcr.org, the UNHCR opportunities portal, and the education partners active where you live. Note the window — country calls open at different times of year.
3. Secure the academic side. DAFI’s Rwanda call requires a university admission letter; equivalence certificates for foreign school documents take weeks — start them before the call opens.
4. Write the community-contribution evidence. DAFI and Windle both score motivation to contribute — volunteering, mentoring, teaching, community leadership. Document it with names, dates and referees.
5. Respect the one-scholarship and one-family rules. DAFI excludes applicants already holding another scholarship, and some country calls limit awards to one family member. Declare your situation honestly.
6. Apply only through the official channel — the DAFI platform, the UNHCR country call, Windle’s own process, or the university’s admissions portal — and keep copies of everything you submit.
7. Plan the year around renewal. DAFI renews annually on attendance and results; protect your grades and attendance from the first semester.

For comparing mainstream destinations and costs alongside these routes, see our study abroad guides and the test preparation section if your target programme requires language evidence.

Required Documents

• UNHCR proof of registration and/or national refugee status documents for the country of asylum.
• Secondary school certificate (original or certified copy); equivalence certificate from the country of asylum’s education ministry where the call requires one — or a written explanation to UNHCR/your implementing partner where documents were lost.
• University admission letter or proof of enrolment at a recognised institution in the country of study.
• Passport or travel document, if you hold one — never surrender originals to any intermediary.
• Evidence of financial need, as the specific call defines it.
• Motivation statement covering academic goals and community contribution.
• For Windle postgraduate applications: first-degree certificate and transcripts meeting the call’s class/GPA threshold, and evidence of required work or volunteer experience.

Deadlines and Timeline

Tips to Strengthen Your Application

Apply for admission before the scholarship window opens: several DAFI calls require the admission letter inside the scholarship application, and admission cycles rarely align with scholarship cycles. Treat the equivalence certificate as a project, not a formality — start it the month you decide to apply. Where a call gives priority to women and to applicants with special educational needs, say clearly if that is you; priority rules only help applicants who surface the relevant facts. For Windle, choose a master’s subject you can connect to development needs in the community you will return to, and evidence two years of relevant work or volunteering if your target call asks for it. And keep studying while you wait: connected-learning certificates and language progress are exactly the evidence that turns a borderline application into a fundable one.

Common Mistakes

• Applying to DAFI for a master’s or PhD — DAFI funds a first undergraduate degree or diploma only.
• Applying to a DAFI call in a country where you do not hold status. DAFI eligibility is anchored to recognition in that country of asylum.
• Treating a scholarship as a route to asylum or resettlement. Windle states it will not support asylum claims by its scholars; DAFI applicants in final resettlement stages may be ineligible; a scholarship never decides status.
• Holding or hiding another scholarship while applying to DAFI, which requires that you not receive another award.
• Paying any fee to an intermediary for a “guaranteed” refugee scholarship — every legitimate programme here is free to apply to and makes no guarantees.
• Missing the equivalence-certificate step for foreign school documents, which several country calls make mandatory.

FAQs

Can a refugee scholarship get me asylum or resettlement in another country?

No. Scholarships are education awards decided by funders and universities; refugee status, asylum and resettlement are legal processes decided by states and UNHCR under separate rules. Windle Trust International states explicitly that its scholarships must not be seen as a route to asylum and that it will not support asylum claims from its scholars. Some DAFI country calls exclude applicants already approved for resettlement. Never let anyone sell you a scholarship as a migration route.

Does DAFI fund study in the UK, USA, Canada or Australia?

No. DAFI funds undergraduate study in your country of asylum, at institutions there. That design is deliberate: it builds qualifications where you live now. If you already hold status in a wealthy country, look instead at that country’s own routes — for example, UK sanctuary scholarships if you are in the UK — and at mainstream scholarships whose rules fit your status, via the StudyGraduate guides.

I am an asylum seeker, not yet a recognised refugee. Can I apply for DAFI?

It depends on the country call. The core DAFI criteria in UNHCR’s 2026 Kazakhstan and Tajikistan calls require granted refugee status in that country. Some other country programmes — Somalia’s 2026 call is one example — expressly admit asylum seekers and returnees with UNHCR registration documents. Read your own country’s call; if it is silent, ask the UNHCR office or implementing partner directly rather than assuming either way.

My school certificates were lost when I fled. Am I excluded?

Not automatically. Kazakhstan’s 2026 call instructs applicants who cannot provide original educational documents to contact UNHCR or the Red Crescent Society before applying and explain their circumstances. Other calls require certified copies or an equivalence certificate from the country of asylum’s education ministry. The consistent rule across calls is: raise the problem with the programme office early and in writing — do not simply fail to apply, and never buy replacement documents from unofficial sources.

Can DAFI fund my master’s degree?

No. DAFI supports a first undergraduate degree or diploma, renewable for up to four years. For postgraduate study, the verified refugee-specific route in this guide is Windle Trust International’s postgraduate programme (for applicants resident in its African regions of work, largely through Commonwealth Scholarship schemes). Otherwise, assess mainstream master’s funding — but check return-home and country-of-application clauses carefully against your status and safety.

What does DAFI actually pay for?

Under the published country-call pattern: tuition fees and approved education costs are paid directly to your institution, and a monthly stipend is paid directly to you; country summaries also describe support for study materials, living and food costs, transport and accommodation, with academic and psychosocial support alongside. Exact components vary by country budget, so confirm the package in your own country’s call document.

Is there an age limit?

For DAFI, the standard rule in the 2026 UNHCR calls is no older than 28 at the start of studies, with exceptions possible where displacement interrupted your education or you faced significant barriers such as childcare responsibilities or disability. Windle’s Sudan DAFI call likewise set 28 or below. Individual calls set their own limits, so check yours — and if you are near the boundary, apply in the current cycle rather than waiting.

Can two members of my family hold DAFI scholarships?

Some country calls say no: Rwanda’s 2026–27 call required that only one member of a family apply for or receive DAFI. Other calls do not state the rule. Because it varies, confirm with your country programme before two family members invest in applications.

Sources & Verification

• UNHCR — DAFI Scholarship Programme 2026, Kazakhstan (help.unhcr.org): status, age 28 rule with exceptions, documents, renewal conditions up to 4 years, tuition paid to institution and stipend paid to scholar.
• UNHCR — DAFI Scholarship Programme 2026, Tajikistan (help.unhcr.org): matching criteria set for a second country of asylum.
• Windle Trust International — The Postgraduate Programme (windle.org.uk): status, residence, need, gender-priority and return rules, and the explicit statement that scholarships are not a route to asylum.
• Windle Trust International — DAFI 2026 applications for Sudanese refugees (windle.org.uk): 75 university/college and 50 TVET scholarships with UNHCR for registered refugees in Sudan.
• UNHCR country-call summaries for Rwanda and Somalia 2026 (via UNHCR partner announcements): admission-letter requirement, one-per-family rule, resettlement exclusion, priority for women and applicants with special educational needs, and asylum-seeker/returnee eligibility in Somalia’s call.
• GOV.UK — Appendix Student: maintenance funds £1,529/month (London) and £1,171/month (outside London) currently; £1,570 and £1,203 for applications on or after 30 November 2026.

Disclaimer: StudyGraduate is an information portal, not an agency. Scholarship criteria, country calls and deadlines change every cycle — always confirm the details on the official website of UNHCR, the funder or the university before applying. Nothing in this article promises or implies selection, admission, visa approval, asylum, resettlement or any refugee status outcome; scholarship eligibility is entirely separate from status determination, which rests solely with states and UNHCR.