The Unite Foundation Scholarship has operated since 2012/13 and gives care leaver/experienced and estranged students a free ensuite student bedroom in a purpose-built halls of residence for a maximum of 3 years of university life. No rent, no bills; 365 days a year for up to 3 years of eligible study.   

The HEI Grants now enable Higher Education Institutions (HEI) to deliver Unite Foundation Scholarships utilising their own halls of residence.   The Unite Foundation Grants will meet 75% of contracted cost, with the HEI grantee contributing 25%. 

The Unite Foundation is a charitable incorporated organisation, registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales and the Scottish Charity Regulator.  We offer a unique accommodation scholarship for care leaver/experienced and estranged young people at university.

Independent analysis undertaken by JISC in 2022 examined 10 years of Unite Foundation accommodation support for estranged and care leaver students. The report indicated the statistically significant positive impact that the scholarship has on progression, completion and grade outcomes. 

The Foundation itself was established in 2012 by Unite Students, a developer and manager of student accommodation. Unite Students remains the principal donor and makes an annual donation to the Unite Foundation to support scholarships, student community and advocacy work.  Donations of over £18 million have been received since inception.

Unite Foundation Scholarships provide free full year accommodation for a maximum of three years of undergraduate study. So far 883 young people have been awarded a Unite Foundation scholarship with 452 having already graduated. In 2026/27 a further 70 scholarship places will be available through our national network of partnership universities. The expectation is that a minimum of 70 new will be made every new academic year.

Alongside the security of a safe and stable home at university,  scholarships offer a coherent and holistic wellbeing and welfare response.

The Unite Foundation continually seeks to develop the scholarships  both as a reflection of continual learning, and to widen awareness of accommodation as a proven progression and retention tool for care experienced and estranged students.

In 2017, the Unite Foundation expanded its university partner network three-fold through an open call, whilst moving to a process of direct application by students.  This resulted in a significant leap in student awareness and applications.  In 2023, the charity undertook the first of two pilots by open call, to test grant funding in HEI-owned halls. These pilots involved 9 universities and 42 scholarship awards alongside scholarships awarded with existing HEI partners. Whilst further analysis will be required as student outcomes are long-term, pilot learning clearly indicated outcomes comparative to current scholarships in both progression and welfare response. It also demonstrated appetite by universities to host scholarship students and to receive funding into the university sector.

This 2026 open call for 2027/28 academic year onwards will enable a wider range of universities (and therefore also their students) to receive this important scholarship support. The ‘rolling submission’ mechanism recognises the lead times that HEIs may need to confirm requisite strategic and resource intent; it also ensures the charity flexibility to respond to new learning or strategic emphasis.