Parents and Supporters

Many students live on campus in their first year in one of our residences, either self-catered or catered and all of our campus accommodation is within walking distance of the city centre.

A key aspect of living on campus is safety. We have live-in wardens, Resident Assistants and 24-hour first-aid trained security staff. Campus is such a convenient place to live, with laundrettes, the gym and catering facilities on site.

At Winchester, we guarantee University-Managed Accommodation to all full-time first year undergraduates who hold Winchester as their firm choice and apply by the deadline published on our website.

Find out more about our range of accommodation and the application process on our housing page.

Winchester has an active community of commuting students who travel in to their classes. They even have their own club, the Commuting Students Network with their own home-from-home facilities and social activities. Have a look at our Commuting Students page for tips and information and read our blog which has lots of advice on how your young person can get the most out of their commute as well as their university experience.

We understand that starting university is a big change for both you, as parents and supporters, and your young person. At Winchester, we ensure that your son or daughter’s health, happiness and wellbeing are our top priority. Winchester is a tight-knit community where we get to know our students as individuals providing a friendly and supportive environment.

Our Student Support and Success team offers a wide range of support, advice, information and guidance on every aspect of student life. This includes advice and support on Mental Wellbeing (we have a team of professionally trained counsellors and mental health advisors on campus); Disability Support (who ensure the provision of specialist support or facilities to meet the requirements of your young person) and Academic Success (who help and advise on academic skills to ensure your young person realises their full academic potential).

One of the most significant differences between college and university is that, once your young person turns eighteen, they are adults under the law. Decisions that you may have taken jointly with your child at college are now the responsibility of your young person. This means that all of our interactions must be directly with the student, and they are responsible for their life at university, including what they choose to tell you about. As a parent, carer or guardian, this can feel like quite a big change from life before university. If you have concerns that your young person may need some support, then please do encourage them to reach out to us.

To understand more and to learn more about the sharing of information, please have a look at the ‘Consent to Share’ section of this page Student Wellbeing.

At Winchester, our courses facilitate the development of a range of skills invaluable to employers. We offer guest lectures, work placements and other projects with organisations to support our students in gaining experience as part of the curriculum. In addition, our Careers and Opportunities Hub can support students in finding and applying for part-time work, placements, volunteering opportunities, graduate jobs and even postgraduate study. They can access one-to-one appointments in person or via MS Teams to explore career possibilities and get help with crafting a CV, writing job applications and preparing for interviews. All students remain entitled to this after they have graduated through our offer of Careers Advice for Life, meaning they can get back in touch with the team at any stage on their career journey.

For undergraduate study, eligibility for funding depends on an individual’s nationality, their residency status and if it’s their first time studying in Higher Education, as well as the course they’re intending to study. If your young person meets the eligibility criteria, they can apply for funding to pay for their course costs, as well as funding towards their living costs. Further information regarding eligibility can be found here: Student Finance: Who Qualifies. Eligibility and funding for postgraduate study is different, so please follow the link below for further information.

For undergraduate study, please see our Undergraduate Financial Information page for more information.

For postgraduate study, please see our Postgraduate Financial Information page for more information.

If you have any questions, please contact studentsandmoney@winchester.ac.uk.

Winchester is a beautiful cathedral city with a rich heritage and a vibrant contemporary culture. We have two campuses, West Downs and King Alfred Quarter and both are only a 10-15 minute walk from the city centre. Big enough to have a wide variety of things to do and see, but small enough to never feel lost, Winchester combines modern city life with historic roots and plenty of easy access to green spaces.

Travel connections to the city are really good, with Southampton Airport a 10-minute train ride away and London Waterloo only an hour by train. The University is close to the M3, with easy road access to both the M25 and M27. National Express runs a regular coach service from Winchester to a range of destinations. To find out more about the city, flick through our handy A-Z Guide.