Unite Foundation Scholarship

What the Unite Foundation Scholarship gives you

You get a free furnished en-suite room in a student hall of residence for up to 3 years of your studies. There is no rent, no deposit and no guarantor. All your bills are covered too: electricity, water and Wi-Fi. Your room is yours 365 days a year, so you keep it over the Christmas and summer holidays. You can even stay the summer after you graduate to plan your next step. If you take a job or placement in another city, you can ask for a free room in another building where one is available. This scholarship covers your housing, not living costs, so there is no monthly cash payment. The Unite Foundation, a UK charity funded mainly by Unite Students, offers 70 places each year across its 22 partner universities.

Who can apply

• Your background: You are a care leaver, care experienced in Scotland (looked after by a local authority at some point in your life), or estranged from your family (no contact with both birth or adoptive parents, confirmed by Student Finance as an independent student).
• Age: You are 25 or under on 1 September of the study year.
• Degree: You are starting or already studying your first and only undergraduate degree. Foundation years, master's degrees, second degrees and repeat years do not count.
• Fee status: You qualify for UK home fee status. International students cannot apply.
• University: You study, or plan to study, on the main campus of one of the 22 partner universities in cities including Bristol, London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Sheffield.
• Student finance: You receive or have applied for tuition and maintenance loans through Student Finance that reflect your care leaver or estranged status (or NHS funding).

How to apply

You apply online through the Unite Foundation website and attach proof of your eligibility. Your university then confirms parts of your application. Applications open on 1 January and close in mid-June for the following academic year. There is no interview. Places are shared out to balance care leaver and estranged students, a range of subjects and the partner universities. Results are announced in early July.

How realistic are your chances?

This scholarship is cut narrowly to a specific group: care experienced or estranged students, under 25, on a first degree at one of 22 named universities. In the 2025/26 round about 406 eligible people applied for 70 places, so roughly one in six succeeded. If you clearly meet every criterion and can document your status, you have a real chance. Eligible applicants who miss out go on a reserve list.