Abdul Hekmat says that when he fled Afghanistan in 2001 it was to both save his life and to "become an educated person".

This month he graduated from UTS with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications (Social Inquiry), knowing that his thirst to learn helped spur the introduction of a scholarship scheme that has opened the door to higher education for other refugees in his situation.

Mr Hekmat is the second student to graduate as the result of a special admission program for the holders of Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) – people who have been assessed as genuine refugees, but not yet granted residency.

Deputy Director of the UTS Equity and Diversity Unit, Ruth Thompson, said TPV holders had been in an educational limbo – allowed to complete their schooling at an Australian public school but deemed to be full-fee paying international students if they wanted to go to university.

"The denial of a Commonwealth supported place was as good as exclusion for people with very little prospect of being able to pay course fees up front and who were unable to access benefits such as Youth Allowance or Austudy," Ms Thompson said. "One solution was for universities to offer fee-exempt places to suitable applicants.

"In late 2003 Abdul approached UTS to consider him for entry and his keen interest in pursuing higher education ensured that the UTS scheme which was in development was introduced for students in 2004. He was the first non-current school leaver to be offered a place under the scheme.

"He was a talented student and completed high school in Afghanistan in 1998. As a teenager he read widely in the areas of western philosophy, politics and literature, world history and religion. However as a member of the Hazara ethnic group in Taliban ruled Afghanistan he was prevented from studying at the only two available universities in Mazar Sherif and Kabul.

"After fleeing the country and spending five months in an Australian refugee detention centre Abdul moved to Sydney and began self studies to improve his English. He also became involved with novelists Thomas Keneally and Rosie Scott and Australia PEN, a writers group which advocates for and supports writers who are in Australian detention centres.

"Abdul gained permanent residency in May 2004 and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences generously offered to extend the scholarship to cover his HECS fees.

"Now he is completing an honours year in the area of refugee settlement and is also mentoring another TPV scholarship holder from Burma who is studying journalism.

"Abdul was a contributor to Another Country which features the writing of people held in Australian detention centres and those recently released. It is co-edited by Thomas Keneally with Rosie Scott and was originally published in 2004 on behalf of PEN in a limited edition.

"Rosie Scott attended his graduation on 8 May along with prominent UTS writing graduate Rachel Ward," Ms Thompson said.

Since the TPV scholarship program was introduced in 2004 there have been 21 students enrolled under the scheme. They include refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Burma and Sierra Leone.

In 2005 UTS introduced an alternative entry process for both temporary and permanent refugees who have fled their country without evidence of their previous studies. Since its introduction 10 students have gained entry to UTS through that scheme.