Education, training and employment for refugees and asylum seekers

If you have been granted refugee status, you are allowed to study at a Further Education college or sixth form. With refugee status, you are treated the same as a British citizen in terms of funding for courses.

Do I have to pay for college or sixth form?

It depends on the course you are going to study. Most courses at Entry Level, Level 1 or Level 2 are free regardless of your age. If you have refugee status, you will be eligible to receive funding and are exempt from the 3-year residency requirement rule. However, you may have to pay for some courses. You need to check with the college and if you need to pay for a course, there may be some different options to pay for it.

In Colchester you can study at

The courses at the colleges usually start in September or in January. If you are thinking of studying at a college, send your application as soon as possible because some courses can fill up quickly. Don’t forget to check if the course you are interested in is free or whether you need to find the funding yourself.

If you are accepted onto a course you will be asked to attend an enrolment day.

Enrolment day is when you go to the college to register for your chosen course. At enrolment you will complete all necessary paperwork and the college staff will assess your circumstances and check if you meet the minimum course requirements.

It is very important to take the right documents with you to prove that you have the right to study in the UK.

• Proof of residency: For asylum seekers and refugees, this is usually your Asylum Application Registration Card (ARC Card) or Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). If you do not have an ARC card, but have another form of photographic identification - i.e. a provisional or full driving licence - this can be accepted alongside your Home Office documents that prove that your prospective student asylum application is being processed - dated 6 months ago. Your visa will also be considered If you have an entry clearance visa in your passport based on, for example, family reunification or resettlement visas.
• Proof of support: If you are seeking asylum and or receiving asylum support (NASS Section 95 or Section 4) and/or subsistence support, you should take your: • Asylum support agreement letter - ideally outlining the remit of your support.
• Tenancy agreement - confirming student address. • ASPEN Card / Subsistence support letter - ideally with ASPEN card (a debit payment card, issued by the UK Home Office to asylum seekers).

If you receive public funds including section 95 and section 4 (NASS), a letter dated within the last 3 months confirming the relevant support is needed - especially universal credit (UC), job seekers’ allowance, housing benefit, and child tax credit.