Accommodation

Find out more about accommodation options

Living at home

You don’t have to move away to go to university. If the thought of moving away is daunting for you why not consider staying at home? Bristol is a great city to live in with lots to do, from the annual balloon fiesta, to live music and food festivals, there is always something going on. There are also lots of places that you can study locally as seen here.

If you are able to stay with your parents or carers, it might be something that you would want to consider. Not only would you save a lot of money, but you won’t then have the added stress of moving away from home if this isn’t something you’re comfortable with. If you chose to stay at home you can still get a maintenance loan, but at a slightly lower amount. You can always change your mind and move into a shared house with friends in your second year.

Student Halls

Student halls can be on or off campus, and are operated by either the private sector or by the university. Generally the rent includes your bills. Most often halls are only for first year students (although if you are a care leaver, international student, or have a disability, you may be able to stay longer). You would usually be sharing spaces such as the kitchen and living room, and sometimes a bathroom, with your flat mates, and then have your own lockable room. The kitchen and living rooms come with things like ovens, freezers and sofas, so you don’t need to worry about those. Your room will have space for a bed, desk and storage, which are all provided. Student halls usually have a 24 hour warden available to help with any issues.

It is well worth checking out the accommodation options when you go to open days to see if you think you would be comfortable living there. Some universities also have videos of accommodation tours on their website.

Shared house

If you want to move away from home, or are craving more independence than you would get in halls, it might be worth looking at a shared house. This is a type of private accommodation, which isn’t usually as popular in your first year, but some students do opt for this. It is less likely that your bills will come included in your rent, but it is worth asking if they are. You won’t be living on campus, so it’s worth looking at the different areas where you might want to live. It may be cheaper than living on campus though, so it is worth considering if this could be for you. This is the most popular option for students after their first year.