International Accommodation Award

Once you receive a conditional or unconditional offer for your place of study at Aberystwyth University, you will be asked to accept the offer (either through UCAS or by email from our admissions teams).  

For most students, once you have accepted your offer, you will be emailed information about how to register for the Accommodation Portal and how to apply for your room. 

Some students will be asked to accept their offer and pay their tuition fee deposit before accessing the Accommodation Portal. 

Some PhD students may be eligible for the International Accommodation Award. See below for Terms and Conditions. If you are eligible, you should send an email to international@aber.ac.uk stating your financial circumstances and requesting access to the Accommodation Portal.  

Master’s students are eligible for the housing scholarship in their first year of study, provided they are not already receiving another scholarship that covers more than 50% of their tuition fees. 

The Accommodation Portal will open in April for our September-start programmes and November for our January-start programmes.  

To be eligible for the International Accommodation Award, the deadline to apply for your accommodation on campus is the 1st September for Bachelors (UG) students and Masters (PG) students. The deadline for accommodation for our January start programmes is the 1st January. 

You will be able to see the room types available to you, as well as the cost of each, and can either state your preference of accommodation building or even choose the specific room you would like to live in. Please review our accommodation options in advance so you have a clear idea of each building.   

Rooms will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. You should note, therefore, that whilst the International Accommodation Award is available, it is not guaranteed if there are no available rooms.  

For Bachelors students and eligible PhD students, you will need to reapply for accommodation each year to secure your room. The Accommodation Portal opens to returner students around December each year. If you are already in University accommodation you will be sent the date the portal opens and details to apply by email. If you are not in University accommodation but wish to return to University accommodation for the next academic year, you will need to check the website or contact the Accommodation Team for details. Returner accommodation is in high demand and is available on a first-come first-served basis so please complete the application as soon as possible to secure a room.   

If you initially move into Cwrt Mawr for your first year but later decide to move to a different university-managed building, or vice versa, you will be required to pay the standard rate for the new accommodation, calculated on a pro-rata basis (at a nightly rate, minus any time lived in Cwrt Mawr). Moving accommodation is subject to availability and requires you to complete a Transfer Request.

Duration

The number of weeks in your accommodation occupation contract is important, so always make sure you check it covers the duration of your study.

Bachelor’s students (UG): your accommodation will be available to you for 39 or 40 weeks. This means you will need to find alternative housing if you choose to stay in Aberystwyth over the summer months before term starts again in September. This could be in town in private accommodation, or on-campus if there is space available – the accommodation office will be able to help advise. There will be a cost for summer accommodation.

Master’s students (PG): your accommodation will ordinarily be available to you for 50 weeks. If you wish to stay longer in Aberystwyth you will need to find, and pay for,  alternative accommodation. This could be in town in private accommodation, or on-campus if there is space available. 

PhD students (PG): if you are eligible for the International Accommodation Award, the accommodation will be available to you for 50 weeks. This means there will be two weeks in September where you will need to find alternative accommodation before the next term starts. 

1. The International Accommodation Award is only available for the first year of study. Students continuing their studies beyond the first year will be required to pay the standard rate  if they wish to remain in University housing. 
2. BSc Nursing students are not eligible to receive the International Accommodation Award. 
3. The International Accommodation Award is only available for students paying international tuition fees.  
4. Whilst we will make every effort to accommodate all international students, room allocation is on a first-come, first-served basis and rooms on campus are not guaranteed. 
5. Bachelors students will be able to live in their allocated room for 39 or 40 weeks per year. If staying in Aberystwyth between academic years, alternative accommodation on campus, or in private accommodation elsewhere, is necessary over the summer months between June and September when the next term begins.  
6. Masters students will be able to live in their allocated room for 50 weeks. If they wish to stay in Aberystwyth for longer, they must find alternative accommodation on campus or in private accommodation elsewhere.  
7. Master’s students are eligible for the International Accommodation Award in their first year of study, provided they are not receiving another scholarship that covers more than 50% of their tuition fees, such as Commonwealth, Chevening, or any others. 
8. Eligible PhD students will be able to live in their allocated room for 50 weeks per year. There will be two weeks in September where they must find alternative accommodation on campus or private accommodation elsewhere. 
9. In order to choose and secure a room through the Accommodation Portal, students must have accepted their offer of study, and paid their tuition fee deposit if asked to do so. Students must familiarise themselves with the University’s deposit policy before making a payment. This deposit makes up part of the tuition fees.  
10. There is no housing on campus for students with dependants (family members). All rooms on campus are single occupancy only. Therefore, students planning to travel with dependants will need to find private accommodation in Aberystwyth town and will not be eligible for the International Accommodation Award. Find out more about private accommodation available.  
11. PhD students will only be eligible for the International Accommodation Award if they meet all the conditions below:  
    • The student is self-funding at least 50% of their tuition fees i.e. they are not in receipt of another scholarship covering more than 50% of their tuition fees. 
    • The student will be paying for their own living costs i.e. they are not receiving any stipend for their living expenses. 
    • The student is not bringing any family or dependants with them. 
12. If a postgraduate PhD student meets all the conditions above, they must email international@aber.ac.uk with their name, applicant ID number, and confirmation that they meet the conditions above. The international team will check that the student is eligible and, if so, will give them access to the International Accommodation Award.   
13. Students whose degree programmes last more than one year must reapply for accommodation on an annual basis, and a first-come, first-served policy will apply. Returning international students may apply for University accommodation; however, the International Accommodation Award is available only in the first year of study. For any subsequent years, students will be required to pay the standard rate for accommodation, and there is no guarantee that they will remain in the same room, building, or secure University accommodation. 
14. No discounts can be provided for accommodation that is not managed by the University.  
15. All normal regulations concerning accommodation contracts and application deadlines apply.  
16. Students on International English Centre (IEC) Pre-sessional and International Foundation courses are entitled to inclusive Cwrt Mawr accommodation on a first-come first-served basis for their first year of study.  
17. Students on exchange programmes who do not pay tuition fees do not have access to the International Accommodation Award (discounted or inclusive accommodation), but can access on-campus accommodation in the same way as home tuition fee paying students.  
18. Students on study abroad programmes paying international tuition fees are eligible for the International Accommodation Award. Places are allocated on a first-come first-served basis. For more information contact global@aber.ac.uk.   
19. Students who choose to take up the International Accommodation Award but then decide to move into private accommodation elsewhere must notify the accommodation office and return their key. At this point they will no longer have access to the International Accommodation Award.  
20. Students who initially move into Cwrt Mawr for their first year but later decide to move to a different university-managed building, will be required to pay full price for the new accommodation, calculated on a pro-rata basis (at a nightly rate, minus any time lived in Cwrt Mawr).   
21. Moving accommodation is subject to availability and requires you to complete a Transfer Request.  
22. Students initially eligible for the International Accommodation Award whose status subsequently changes and are no longer paying international tuition fees will have the International Accommodation Award withdrawn and will be liable for the full accommodation fees for the contracted period. 
23. Please note that Cwrt Mawr is mainly open to international students. Students who choose this accommodation building, will likely be living with other international students from a mixture of countries all over the globe.   

*Students must meet the terms and conditions to be eligible for the offer. 

Overseas fee-paying undergraduate and postgraduate students, are guaranteed a place in University owned or managed accommodation, for the duration of their taught studies at Aberystwyth University, provided you apply by the appropriate deadline date in the year of entry:

• Undergraduate students: 01 September
• Postgraduate students: 01 September

To qualify for guaranteed University accommodation you must also respond to your offer of accommodation by the deadline date detailed in the Accommodation Offer.

A place in University owned or managed accommodation is guaranteed, but not a specific type of room or location.

Living in University accommodation is the beginning of something very exciting, giving you the opportunity to meet new people and make friends for life in a supportive, fun and vibrant community!

There is no need to worry about fluctuating bills as the accommodation fees include utilities (e.g. water, heating, electricity), internet connection & Wi-Fi, a high level of personal contents insurance and free Sport Centre platinum membership! Additional benefits can be found on our Why live with us webpage.

We offer a variety of accommodation options, with the majority of our residences only being a short walk away from campus.

We offer a range of self-catered residences with either en-suite rooms, flats with shared facilities, or our self-contained studios. Offering a variety of styles, budgets and locations to find the space that works for you.

Once you have selected Aberystwyth University as your Firm choice, from mid-March onwards, the Accommodation Office will contact you by e-mail and post inviting you to apply for accommodation.

Our How to Apply webpage provides a handy step-by-step guide on making an online application for University accommodation.  

Aberystwyth University, on designated days in September and January, can offer international students a free coach transfer service from Birmingham Airport to your university-managed accommodation in Aberystwyth.

Further details about this service and other useful information can be found on the International Arrival page.

If living in University accommodation is not for you, then alternatively you may prefer to live in Private Sector Accommodation.

Aber Students’ Union Advice Service provides information, advice and support on all aspects of housing in University accommodation and the private sector.