Glasgow uni offering fee waivers for refugees

Charitable uni bosses have announced new measures designed to help refugee students who have settled in the United Kingdom enrol at Glasgow.

The University’s Talent Scholarship Scheme will be expanded to aid refugee undergraduates and postgraduates.

University of Glasgow is set to welcome two refugees this year

Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University, said: “We are facing a major refugee crisis in Europe and, as it has done so many times in the past, the university community is responding in a meaningful, tangible way.”

He then announced each of the four colleges of the university will be offering a fee waiver to those who do not qualify to funding through the Scottish Funding Council.

The university has a long history of being a haven for teachers and students who have been persecuted or are fleeing war. During the Second World War, Glasgow University sheltered many people fleeing from the Nazi Regime.

The latest to be welcomed to the institution are two PHD students from Syria, who are fleeing from the brutality of ISIS.

Professor John Briggs, the University’s Refugee Champion said:  “I am proud this university reached out and helped Muhammad and Joury – a husband and wife who fled Syria and are both now PhD students at Glasgow – but I know that there are many others who need our help.” (Names have been changed.)

CARA (Council for At Risk Academics) has been instrumental in getting the places at the University of Glasgow for Muhammad and Joury. Muhammad said: “the University of Glasgow was the only one to offer help”.

He explained they had also received PhD offers from the University of Exeter, Warwick and King’s College London. However, CARA approached Glasgow and they accepted to waive their fees.

The university has long been providing financial help to students who are claiming asylum, through a system of bursaries which help them to afford their studies. Similarly, the GRAMNet (Glasgow Refugee, Asylum and Migration Network) contains many members of staff, and conduct world renowned research and evaluation on migration, refugees and the asylum process.