The Refugee Students in Higher Education project is a research-led initiative developed in collaboration with researchers affiliated with the University of Westminster. The project examines the lived experiences, wellbeing and institutional support needs of refugee-background students within UK higher education.
By bringing together sociological research, student wellbeing studies and practitioner knowledge, the project explores how displacement, educational transition, financial uncertainty and institutional culture shape students’ access, belonging, participation and progression.
Refugee-background students often enter higher education through complex educational, social and legal pathways. Their university experiences may be shaped by interrupted education, displacement, financial uncertainty, language barriers, immigration-related pressures and limited access to appropriate support.
This project examines how these conditions affect student wellbeing, academic confidence, belonging and progression within higher education. It considers not only individual student experiences, but also the wider institutional structures, policies and everyday practices that shape access to support.
By bringing together sociological research, student wellbeing studies and practitioner knowledge, the project aims to support more inclusive and responsive approaches to refugee student participation in higher education.