What is an Accommodation Voucher?
Ulster University welcomes students of all backgrounds. We are pleased that, for some, we are able to provide support for accommodation costs, where that is provided through us for purpose built student accommodation. We do this through the Accommodation Voucher.
The purpose of the Accommodation Voucher is to reduce the financial hurdle to choosing University accommodation for eligible students.
This coming year, 125 Accommodation vouchers will be available on a first come first served basis to all new students who have expressed an interest in University accommodation and who may be eligible for the Access Bursary.
How does it work?
The Voucher works by converting the Access Bursary (value of approximately £475) to an enhanced value voucher of £1,000 which is then credited as a payment towards your accommodation fees. The Vouchers are designed for new-entry students from households with income of less than £19,203 as verified by Student Finance.
The Voucher operates for the first year of accommodation only; thereafter student will normally revert to the Access Bursary. For students electing to take up this option, the process can be administered without requiring additional information as verification operates under the existing consent arrangements for the student loan application.
Am I eligible?
To be eligible for the voucher, you must satisfy the following criteria:
- Be a full time student from Northern Ireland or the European Union (excluding England, Scotland and Wales).
- Be a new entrant student accepted onto a full-time undergraduate course of study for 2024-25, or a course leading to the Postgraduate Certificate in Education.
- Have applied for University accommodation.
- Have opted to be means tested and consented for Student Finance to share your information and that of your parents with the University.
- Have been assessed by Student Finance as having a household income of less than £19,203.
- Students on Allied Health Professional courses, that is Dietetics, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Radiography, Speech and Language Therapy are not eligible (as no fee is payable directly by students).
- Students in Social Work are not eligible as additional government support is available for such students.
When will I know if I have been awarded the voucher?
Successful students will be informed by the end of December.
How will the accommodation voucher be paid?
The voucher will be paid directly to your Ulster University rental account in the second semester in lieu of your Access Bursary.
What happens if I leave during the academic year?
If a student withdraws from their course of study they will not be entitled to the Accommodation Voucher and will be liable for their full accommodation fees.
If a student withdraws from accommodation during the academic year then the remaining element of the voucher paid for accommodation would be reclaimed by the University.
| Contract | Amount reclaimed |
|---|---|
| On a 37 week contract | (£1000/37 weeks x 17 weeks remaining) = £459.46 |
| On a 44 week contract | (£1000/44 weeks x 24 weeks remaining) = £545.45 |