Ukraine

A wide range of additional support including tuition fee waivers, free accommodation and bursaries has been announced for current students and prospective students from Ukraine by the University of Aberdeen on the 27th of April 2022.

The package also includes support for students from Belarus or Russia who have been awarded refugee or asylum seeker status, or who cannot return home safely.

The paper introduces support for:

1. students who were resident in Ukraine prior to the conflict;
2. Ukrainian nationals;
3. students who were resident in Belarus or Russia and have been awarded refugee or asylum-seeker status; and
4. current University of Aberdeen students due to graduate in 2022 who are ordinarily resident in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia and cannot safely return home.

This definition ensures that the support outlined below will be available to those escaping the conflict or directly affected by it, as well as our current students from relevant states who cannot safely return home (e.g. because they have spoken out against their government at their own risk).

In outline, the paper provides:

• Fee waivers up to a value of £250,000 for new and returning students from 2022/23 (with some exclusions)
• Free accommodation over the summer and for 2022/23 for degree-seeking students
• Provision of laptops and other technical equipment for new students (by application)
• £50,000 to support £1,000 cash bursaries for new students (automatic for new Ukrainian nationals/residents, and Belarusian and Russian refugees/asylum seekers), and hardship funds for all relevant students (by application)
• RPL for students transferring from universities in the region
• A good faith approach for new students who cannot evidence their qualifications, using a wider range of evidence than would normally be allowed (with some exclusions)
• Adoption of the UNESCO Qualifications Passport for all displaced persons globally (with some exclusions)

Find out more information about the package of support here.

Message to staff: 29 March 2022

• For staff and students who wish to help, there are dedicated appeals from charities including:
  • Red Cross
  • UNrefugees
  • Unicef
  • UnitedhelpUkraine
     
• Polish charity OHN Woman is being supported by local charity AberNecessities and more information about donating items, collections points and volunteering can be found here. 
   
• The Lord Provost’s Charitable Trust have launched an appeal for people to help with the Ukraine crisis. Monetary donations are being sought and the money will be used to distribute to local charities which are assisting in humanitarian aid to Ukrainian residents and refugees. People can donate through the JustGiving page.