Westheimer Scholarship

The Westheimer Scholarship supports young people from asylum-seeking backgrounds who are ineligible for UK Student Finance and who are pursuing their first undergraduate degree or equivalent professional qualification. This award is specifically for students dedicated to courses in medicine, dentistry, nursing, social work, or other health and social care professions.

The scholarship will pay home tuition fees and associated study costs. The specific amount awarded will be dependent upon the candidate’s individual circumstances and university location. The Trust will help successful candidates to request home fees from their chosen university. The final award of a Westheimer Scholarship will be dependent on successfully getting a home tuition fee offer.

Please make sure you meet the following criteria before applying:

1. Location: You must be currently living in the UK.
2. University: You must have applied for one or more undergraduate courses at UK universities through UCAS (or already be studying an undergraduate course).
3. Immigration status: You must be someone (or the dependent of someone) who is seeking asylum in the UK or who has been granted Limited Leave to Remain or another form of temporary status (such as Calais Leave, Discretionary Leave to Remain, Section 67 leave, UASC leave), whereby you do not have access to UK Student Finance.
4. Age: You must be under 30 years of age when your course starts.
5. Degree course: You must be pursuing a degree in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, health and social care, social work, or related health or social care professions.

Applications for the 2026 intake will open on 27th April 2026, and close at 5pm BST on 29th May 2026. Interviews for successful candidates will be held in July 2026.

Please read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document and Guidance Notes before beginning the online application form. 

Please note that there is no advantage for students who submit their applications first, so please take your time and fill in applications carefully.

Applications must be made using the online form – however, should you wish to prepare your answers, you can do so using this Word version of the application form.

Background of the Westheimer Scholarship

The Westheimer Scholarship – named after Ilse Westheimer – was established by former refugees who benefited from welcome and support in the UK when fleeing Nazi Germany. Ilse Westheimer was a very successful social worker, and trainer of social workers. As a result, the Westheimer Scholarship helps young asylum seekers (aged up to 30 years old) pursue higher education in social care, medicine, nursing, or related professions.