Returning students

We anticipate having a small surplus of accommodation for the 2021-22 academic year.

Rooms will be offered on a first-come-first-served basis, in order of priority, until all rooms have been allocated.

Applications will remain open and any further rooms that become available, will be offered throughout the year.

This is not guaranteed accommodation.

Order of priority for surplus accommodation

We will give student priority in the following order:

• Welfare/Medical Need Undergraduates 
• Part year incoming Study Abroad and Erasmus Undergraduate students who fall outside the guaranteed quota of available rooms
• New overseas fees undergraduates
• New home fees undergraduates
• Returning study abroad undergraduates (which includes students where their year abroad was cancelled)
• All other full time undergraduates
• All part time undergraduates

How to apply

Undergraduate

Applications are now closed.

Postgraduate

Applications are now closed.

All returning overseas undergraduate students who commenced their course in or before the 2017-18 academic year at the Colchester campus can apply for accommodation for the 2021-22 academic year. Applications are now closed, however you do qualify to apply for surplus accommodation above.

On the application form, you will be asked to select your preferred locations. Please select these in order of preference and don't select any location which you wouldn't be prepared to accept. We cannot guarantee that you'll be offered your first choice of accommodation.

Living with your friends

You're welcome to request an allocation with your friends. You should list their PRIDs in the 'additional information' field on the online application form. Each of your friends must also submit their own separate application and have the same preferences as you. Please note that we cannot guarantee we will be able to allocate you and your friends as a group.

How to apply

Applications are now closed.

All returning students at the Colchester campus can apply for accommodation for the 2021-22 academic year. Applications are now open. However, we have a limited number of rooms, so any applications received once all the rooms have been filled, will be added to the waiting list. We will then send you an offer as soon as a room becomes available. Applications are now closed,

Selecting your preferred accommodation

On the application form, you will be asked to select your preferred locations. Please select these in order of preference and don't select any location which you wouldn't be prepared to accept. We cannot guarantee that you'll be offered your first choice of accommodation.

Living with your friends

You're welcome to request an allocation with your friends. You should list their PRIDs in the 'additional information' field on the online application form. Each of your friends must also submit their own separate application and have the same preferences as you. Please note that we cannot guarantee we will be able to allocate you and your friends as a group.

How to apply

Applications are now closed.

Standard returning accommodation applications are closed, however you do qualify to apply for surplus accommodation above.

How to apply

Applications are closed.

In order to apply you must be a fully registered, full-time postgraduate student and continuing your current course of study in 2020-21. If you are commencing a new course of study in 2020-21 you should apply as a new postgraduate student when new student applications open in early January 2021.

All returning students can apply, however, we have a limited number of rooms, so any applications received after the rooms have been filled, will be added to the waiting list. We will the contact you as soon as a room becomes available.

Applications are now closed, however you do qualify to apply for surplus accommodation above.

How to apply

Apply for accommodation

Applications are now closed

If you're unable to secure University accommodation you have the option to live locally in privately owned rental properties. The Students' Union's house-finding service SU Homes will be able to help you find the perfect place to live.

SU Advice can offer information about tenant rights and responsibilities, about repairs, repossession, eviction, harassment by landlords, contracts, deposits and much more.

If you have withdrawn temporarily from Essex (intermitted) during the first term of the first year of study and decide to return the following academic year, you may re-apply for accommodation.

How to apply

Contact us in January of the year in which you intend to return to your studies.

What you need to do

Once your application has been submitted you will be added to either the postgraduate or undergraduate waiting list and we will contact you as soon as we are able to offer you accommodation.

We will email all those on both the postgraduate and undergraduate waiting lists with an updated list each week once we have started to allocate to the waiting list so that you can see your position on the list.

The waiting lists will not be published online.

Room details and charges will be emailed to your University of Essex email address.

If you no longer wish to remain on the waiting list please contact the Student Services Hub and we can remove you from the list.

What you need to do

In order to be made an offer of accommodation you need to submit an application as soon as you can after applications open. Will will either offer you a room or add you to the waiting list.

We appreciate you would like to know if you have been successful as soon as possible. We will begin allocating accommodation shortly after applications open. Please make sure you check your email account regularly for your offer.

Accepting your offer

You will need to accept your offer of accommodation before its expiry date in order to confirm your allocation for the next academic year. The offer expiry date will be clearly specified in the offer letter.

Once you have accepted the offer you have formed a contract which is binding and you will not be able to give notice on the room unless you withdraw from the University.

Paying your advance rent payment

• Pay as part of the acceptance process
• Pay in person or over the phone at the Student Services Hub

If you are not able to pay your advanced rent payment at the point of acceptance, please contact the Student Information Team in the Student Services Hub.

Please do not try and pay your advanced rent payment via the student online payment system. We have experienced difficulty tracing such payments in the past and this option has therefore been discontinued.

What you need to do

In order to be made an offer of accommodation you need to submit an application as soon as you can after applications open. Will will either offer you a room or add you to the waiting list.

We appreciate you would like to know if you have been successful as soon as possible. We will begin allocating accommodation shortly after applications open. Please make sure you check your email account regularly for your offer.

Accepting your offer

You will need to accept your offer of accommodation before its expiry date in order to confirm your allocation for the next academic year. The offer expiry date will be clearly specified in the offer letter.

Once you have accepted the offer you have formed a contract which is binding and you will not be able to give notice on the room unless you withdraw from the University.

Paying your advance rent payment

• Pay as part of the acceptance process
• Pay in person or over the phone at the Student Services Hub

If you are not able to pay your advanced rent payment at the point of acceptance, please contact the Student Information Team in the Student Services Hub.

Please do not try and pay your advanced rent payment via the student online payment system. We have experienced difficulty tracing such payments in the past and this option has therefore been discontinued.

What you need to do

In order to be considered for an offer of accommodation you need to return your application as soon as you can after applications open.

There will be a number of rooms available for returning postgraduates and allocations will be made on a first-come-first-served basis.

We appreciate you would like to know if you have been successful as soon as possible and will begin allocating shortly after applications open.

Accepting your offer

You will need to accept your offer of accommodation before its expiry date in order to confirm your allocation for the next academic year. The offer expiry date will be clearly specified in the offer letter itself.

Once you have accepted the offer you have formed a contract which is binding and you will not be able to give notice on the room unless you withdraw from the University.

Paying your advanced rent payment

• Pay as part of the acceptance process
• Pay in person or over the phone at the Student Services Hub

If you are not able to pay your advanced rent payment at the point of acceptance, please contact the Student Information Team in the Student Services Hub.

Please do not try and pay your advanced rent payment via the student online payment system. We have experienced difficulty tracing such payments in the past and this option has therefore been discontinued.