Affordable Living and Bursaries

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Affordable Living and Bursaries

The page below outlines a range of initiatives designed to support you with your accommodation arrangements at university. From affordable options and bursaries, to support with guarantors. Together, these measures are intended to make student living more accessible, reduce potential barriers, and give you greater confidence when planning your move to university, so you can focus on your studies and enjoy your experience in Nottingham.

Access to Affordable Living

At the 海角黑料, we believe every student deserves access to a safe, comfortable, and affordable place to live during their studies, regardless of their financial background.

The Access to Affordable Living scheme was established to ensure that students from low-income households have access to a range of reserved accommodation options priced below normal rates.

This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to breaking down financial barriers to higher education and helping students thrive academically without the added worry of finding affordable accommodation.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the scheme, you must:

Be joining the University for the first time in September 2026.
Be under the age of 25 at the start of your course (1st September 2026).
Be registered on a full-time undergraduate degree course at Nottingham, which you will commence in September 2026.
Received Free School Meals on any census day in the 6 years up to the end of key stage 4 (i.e. the year you were aged 15-16 years old) in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. This is verified by education authorities and shared with us by UCAS. Applicants must have been in Year 13 in the past 5 years.
Have UK home status for funding purposes.
Be liable for the tuition fee set in 2026/27.

How to apply

Due to limited availability, we are only able to accept applications from 5 June 2026 onwards, and rooms will be allocated in date order. Our Affordable Living Scheme application form will be available here from 10:00am (BST) on 5 June 2026.

To apply for the Access to Affordable Living scheme, you will need to follow the steps below:

Complete the application form, providing details about your financial background and circumstances.
Submit the required documentation, such as your Student Finance assessment or other proof of financial need.
Await approval and, if eligible, an offer of accommodation.

You will receive confirmation of your application status within 7 working days.

If successful, you will be offered a room from our available options. If unsuccessful, then we will guide you to other accommodation options available within our University-arranged options. Whilst general applications open on 1 April 2026, we release our accommodation in phases, so a full range of options will still be open to you for booking if you are unsuccessful for the scheme.

Please do not book any accommodation before applying for the Access to Affordable Living Scheme, as once you have accepted an offer, you will be committed to your contract for your booked accommodation and will therefore be unable to accept any alternative offered through the Affordable Living Scheme.

How the scheme works

Once you are approved for the scheme, you will be offered a room in one of our low-cost accommodation options.

Available catered rooms
Room type	Hall	Licence length	Cost per week
Single Study	Ancaster Hall	41 Weeks	£165
Single Study	Lenton and Wortley Hall	41 Weeks	£165
Single Study	Rutland Hall	39 Weeks	£165
Single Study	Sherwood Hall	39 Weeks	£165
Shared Bathroom Plus	Ancaster Hall	41 Weeks	£180
Shared Bathroom Plus	Lenton and Wortley Hall	41 Weeks	£180
Shared Bathroom Plus	Lincoln Hall	41 Weeks	£180
Shared Bathroom Plus	Sherwood Hall	39 Weeks	£180
Ensuite	Rutland Hall	39 Weeks	£199

Available self-catered rooms
Room type	Hall	Licence Length	Cost per week
Standard Bedroom	Albion House	44 Weeks	£139
Ensuite	Broadgate Park	44 Weeks	£199
Ensuite	Broadgate Park	51 Weeks	£172
Ensuite Studio	Broadgate Park	44 Weeks	£199
Ensuite Studio	Broadgate Park	51 Weeks	£172

Please note that the number of rooms available through this scheme is limited. While we aim to offer accommodation to as many eligible students as possible, we may not be able to offer a place to every applicant.

Accommodation Bursary

The 海角黑料 Accommodation Bursary provides first year care leavers and estranged students (who meet our eligibility criteria) with support towards the costs of their accommodation. The Accommodation Bursary will contribute up to a maximum of £11,000 per academic year. If you choose accommodation that exceeds this amount, you will be responsible for paying the difference.

Options will only be available at University Park, Dagfa, Deakins Place, Nottingham Two, St Peters Court, Riverside Point, and Raleigh Park. We are also able to assist with Bonington Student Village for Sutton Bonington campus based students. Some of these halls will have limited spaces, and we will work with your preferences to provide the best available option.

Applications for 2026/27 will open at 10:00am on the 1 April 2026.

Please note that if catered halls are selected, you will be required to move for the summer element of your stay.

Discover our rooms

Eligibility

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To receive the Accommodation Bursary in the 2026/27 academic year, you must:

be joining the university for the first time in September 2026.
be under the age of 25 at the start of your course (1st September 2026).
be registered on a full-time undergraduate degree course (or PGCE/Graduate Entry Nursing/Graduate Entry Medicine) at Nottingham, which you commenced in September 2026/27.
have a household income between £0-£35,000 and have had a full financial assessment carried out by Student Finance.
have UK 'Home' status for funding purposes and be liable for the tuition fee set in 2026/27.
have been granted independent status by Student Finance due to your Care Leaver status or due to estrangement.

What is a Guarantor?

When you rent a property, landlords often require a guarantor. A guarantor is someone who agrees to be responsible for your rent if you are unable to pay it. This provides the landlord with financial security. Typically, a guarantor is a UK-based family member or close friend who is in full-time employment.

Need a Guarantor? We Can Help.

We understand that not all students have a UK-based guarantor. To ensure that finding the right accommodation is as stress-free as possible, the university has partnered with Housing Hand.

Housing Hand offers a guarantor service for students who don't have a suitable UK-based guarantor. They act as your guarantor, allowing you to secure your chosen accommodation. This can be a really helpful option, opening up a wider range of housing possibilities for our students.

You can find out more about their services and how they can support you by visiting their website

Getting support with your guarantor fees

We also recognise that care experienced and estranged students, and students who received Free School Meals on any census day in the 6 years up to the end of key stage 4 (i.e. the year you were aged 15-16 years old) in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland may both struggle to find a UK based guarantor and have difficulty paying the fees to pay for a guarantor scheme.

The 海角黑料 is fully committed to supporting care experienced students, students from low-income families, and has taken the Stand Alone Pledge to support estranged students. As such, we have made arrangements to pay associated application charges for students who qualify*. We can only assist students with charges incurred through the use of the Housing Hand scheme.

Visit the Housing Hand Guarantor Scheme page to apply

*students who qualify for support, further to submitting an approved application to Accommodation Services.

We're committed to supporting you throughout your university journey, and this partnership with Housing Hand is just one of the ways we aim to make your experience here in Nottingham a positive one.

If you have any questions or need further information, you can contact us via Live Chat or through our enquiry form.

Student support packages

At the 海角黑料, we are committed to ensuring that all students can access and succeed in higher education. From applying, through to graduation, we can offer support and guidance to help you have a successful university experience.

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