About the bursary

This bursary is designed to support first-year students from lower-income backgrounds by helping to cover the cost of living in University accommodation.

For 2026, we have 150 bursaries available. The recipients of the award will:  

• Receive a £2,050 discount on accommodation fees.

The bursary is only available to students who have selected one of the following halls of residence as their first choice:  

• Standard self-catered rooms in: Whitworth Park 
• En suite self-catered rooms in: Burkhardt House and Richmond Park 
• Standard catered rooms in: Ashburne Hall and Dalton Ellis Hall

Who can apply?

Essential eligibility criteria

You must meet all the following to apply:

• Have applied to study an undergraduate degree at The University of Manchester starting in September 2026;
• Have been assessed for fee status as a 'home' student;
• Have submitted an application to your regional student funding authority (Student Finance England, Wales, Northern Ireland, or Scotland), had a full household income assessment, and consented to share your Student Finance information with your university;
• Have a household income of £43,000 per annum or less, as assessed by your regional student funding authority;
• have applied for accommodation and selected one (or more) of the eligible halls as your first choice;
• Have selected The University of Manchester as your firm choice by the closing date of this application (6 July) in order to be shortlisted.

Please note – if you have access requirements which are not compatible with the eligible halls, you are still eligible to apply for this bursary, and you will not be limited to the five halls listed. In this case, please contact the Accommodation Office to find the most suitable halls of residences. Once this is confirmed, please submit your application to the bursary (before the deadline).  

Priority criteria

We’ll use information collected within your application form to confirm eligibility for this bursary. Not all eligible students will be successful in their application, and we will use additional information to shortlist applicants, including:  

Personal factors, such as if you:  

• are a care leaver or care-experienced student; 
• are an estranged student; 
• are a young carer; 
• are a refugee or asylum seeker; 
• have a disability; 
• are from a military family.

Socio-economic factors, such as if you: 

• were eligible for free school meals during secondary education; 
• live in an area of relative deprivation. 

Higher education progression information, such as if you: 

• live in a postcode of low progression to higher education; 
• went to a low attaining secondary school; 
• go to a low attaining sixth form/college. 

Application and selection process

The application form will be open from Monday, 2 March until Monday 6th July at 11.59pm. The application form link will be posted here when live.  

Please note that you will need to provide formal evidence of all additional priority criteria that you meet, so make sure that you have documentation to verify this. 

Still have a question?

Find the answers to our frequently asked questions.  

If you can't find the answer to your question, email us at uom-accommodation-bursary@manchester.ac.uk.