Financing Higher Education Pathways for Students with a Refugee Background
5.1 Mixed Financing is Standard Good Practice
Mixed financing should be treated as a standard good practice in the design of higher education pathways for students with a refugee background.
Effective mixed arrangements:
• Combine cash and in-kind contributions into a full-cost model
• Distribute responsibility, engagement and workload across multiple actors
• Reduce dependency on single funding sources to increase resilience and sustainability
5.2 Secure Funding for a Full Cycle of Study
Responsible financing requires securing predictable support for the entire expected duration of study. Good practice includes:
• Commitments covering the full degree cycle for multi-year degrees
• Written confirmation of in-kind support for the full duration of support
• Transparent renewal criteria where progression is a requirement of support
• Contingency planning for delays or changes in student status, or increased costs
Predictability over the full cycle of study is a minimum ethical requirement.
5.3 Equal Support for All Beneficiaries
All students should receive the same type and level of support within a given education pathway irrespective of how financing arrangements vary behind the scenes. Differences in funding sources between students must never translate into unequal treatment, differentiated expectations, or insecurity for beneficiaries.
Furthermore, benchmarking to an indicator of realistic student costs such as the scholarship levels of a national funder can be used to calibrate and justify the financial support required. This helps to ensure that refugee students are treated equivalently to other students on campus.
5.4 Protecting Student Independence and Dignity
Financing models must avoid making students hostage to funding arrangements.
Good practice includes:
• Clear separation between financial support and personal obligation
• Avoiding performative expectations of gratitude, including fundraising or visibility without informed consent
• Protecting student autonomy, privacy, and the right to disengage from being identifiable in funding narratives
• Fully informed consent and awareness of the implications of any funding arrangement