Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help support Ukrainian refugees who started a university course in Ukraine to complete their studies in the UK.

The department is continuing to work closely with the education sector and across government to ensure that students are supported and have a range of options available to them during this difficult time.

We know that universities in Ukraine are striving to maintain the education of their students under extremely challenging conditions. We are therefore encouraging them to contact their education provider in Ukraine, to understand what support is available to them to study remotely. This may be particularly beneficial to students nearing the end of their course.

Students may also wish to explore their options with higher education (HE) providers in England. The department encourages them to engage in conversations with their preferred provider to understand the full range of options available specifically to them. I have urged institutions in England to consider students' circumstances sensitively and to show as much flexibility as possible when considering students' applications.

To support those who are granted leave under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, the Ukraine Family Scheme or the Ukraine Extension Scheme, introduced by the Home Office, we have extended access to HE student support, home fee status, tuition fee caps, advanced learner loans and 19+ funding allocations. This ensures Ukrainians who have been affected by the war in Ukraine can access support on the same basis as those within other protection-based categories, such as refugees.

The Student Loans Company will also treat students who were living in England before leaving to study in Ukraine, and who join a course on return to the UK, as being temporary absent when assessing the requirement for three years’ ordinary residence in the UK or Crown Dependencies prior to study. Students should contact Student Finance England, or other relevant funding bodies if individuals lived in one of the devolved administrations prior to study in Ukraine, for further details.

Additionally, the department is working closely with the Ukrainian Government and UK HE Sector to help facilitate Ukrainian HE entrance exams this summer for students from Ukraine.

The Office for Students has been delivering up to £4million of additional support to students from Ukraine whose financial means have been impacted by events in Ukraine.