UNITE Foundation - The UNITE Foundation Scholarships

What the Unite Foundation Scholarship gives you

You will receive a free en-suite single room in a student hall for up to 3 years of your studies. You pay neither rent nor service charges. Electricity, water and Wi-Fi are included, and you do not need to pay a deposit or provide a guarantor. The room is available to you for 365 days a year, including the Christmas and summer holidays, so you always have somewhere to stay. You can even keep it in the summer after you graduate, whilst you plan your next move. The Unite Foundation, a UK charity, administers the scholarship in partnership with 22 partner universities, including the University of Bristol.

Who can apply

• Your background: You are a former care child, have experience of living in care (in Scotland) or are living apart from your family. ‘Living apart’ means that you have permanently lost contact with both parents or with your only surviving parent.
• Age: On 1 September 2026, the temperature is 25 or lower.
• Study stage: You are either just starting your first bachelor’s degree or are already studying for one. Foundation years, postgraduate programmes, a second bachelor’s degree and retakes do not count towards this.
• University: You are studying at one of the 22 partner universities, such as the University of Bristol.
• Fee status: You are considered a UK domestic student. International students are not eligible to apply.
• Student finance: You are applying for or receiving student and living costs loans through Student Finance or funding from the NHS, and can prove that you have been taken into care or have no contact with your parents.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted via the Unite Foundation’s online form. The application window 2027/28 opens on 1 January 2027 and closes on 19 June. There will be no interview. Your university will confirm part of your eligibility. The Foundation will then select applicants in such a way as to ensure a balanced mix of former residential care home residents and students who have taken a break from their studies, across different subjects and partner universities.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding is specifically aimed at students who have grown up in foster care or who have no contact with their parents; the target group is therefore small and specific. Nevertheless, places are limited: in the year 2025/26, the foundation awarded 70 scholarships from 406 eligible applications, which corresponds to a success rate of approximately one in six. If you meet all the criteria and apply early, you have a real chance, but a place is never guaranteed. Should your application be unsuccessful, you will be placed on a reserve list and can apply again next year.