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United Kingdom

Accommodation 

Frequently asked questions for helping with your accommodation as you study.

Support is available to help you find a place to live while you study. 

Often first-year students get offered a room in accommodation that the university owns. This is often on campus, in halls of residence, where students will have their own room, but share a kitchen and sometimes a bathroom with other students. If you go to an open day, ask to see the types of accommodation that the university has.

Second and third-year students (and some first years) often have to find accommodation off-site, with private landlords, in a house or flat share. Some universities help with this, either by having a list of available accommodations or recommended places to go to find accommodation. In this type of accommodation, you will often be responsible for paying bills, like gas, electricity, and water.

Some universities offer care leavers the opportunity to stay in university-owned accommodation all year, including the University holidays. Have a chat with the named contact at the university you’re thinking of applying to, to find out the support that they offer.

The Unite Foundation offers scholarships in partnership with 28 universities which include free university accommodation for the duration of your degree. Applications normally open in January and close at the end of June for each year of entry. Find out more, including which universities offer the scholarship, on their website.

If you are living in independent accommodation and are studying locally, you will have the option of staying in your own home. Where you live will be an important factor in your decision-making around which universities you apply for or choose, so make sure you chat with people you trust to help you make your decision.

“Some universities offer care leavers the opportunity to stay in university-owned accommodation all year – have a chat with the named contact at the university you’re thinking of applying to, to find out the support that they offer.”

Some universities provide accommodation all year round, although not all do. If they don’t, they might be able to offer support to find accommodation in the holidays.

Even if their page on this website says that they don’t offer 365-day accommodation, don’t be put off without speaking to them first! They might be able to offer support or contacts to help you find a room for the holidays.

English, Northern Irish, and Welsh Students  

Your local authority has to support you to find accommodation in the holidays if your term time accommodation isn’t available, so contact them to let them know about this and ask for help planning for it. The local authority will either give you somewhere suitable to stay during the holidays or will give you enough money to pay for suitable accommodation that you find yourself. This may help you stay in the accommodation you have during term time (such as a shared house).

Even if their page on this website says that they don’t offer 365-day accommodation, don’t be put off without speaking to them first!