May 2026 Intake

If you are moving to Winchester, here are some key pieces of information and tips. 

University-managed accommodation  

Apply for housing as soon as possible as we allocate on a ‘first applied, first allocated’ basis. You can apply online here: Housing application. You can explore what is on offer with videos and virtual tours to help you get a flavour of residential life.   

When you receive a housing offer, make sure you accept the offer by the offer expiry date which will show on the Housing Portal – you will then receive further guidance from our Housing Team on what to bring, when to arrive and how to pay for your accommodation. Arrival dates will depend on what course you are studying. For example, students whose course starts on Monday 12 January 2026 will move in on Saturday 10 January 2026. Your arrival date will be confirmed upon acceptance of your accommodation. 

If you are unsure of your arrival date, you can contact the Housing Team to confirm, either by email (Housing@winchester.ac.uk) or by phone (01962 827533). 

Off campus 

If you’re not planning to live on campus, Winchester Students’ Union have some resources on finding private accommodation, as well as general guidance and tips on their Housing Advice pages. They also have a guide for those who will be commuting. 

 Managing your money 

As you transition into postgraduate study, now is an important time to review and update your budgets.  Your income, living expenses and study costs may be changing and a clear, realistic budget will help to support effective money management.    

Student Finance funding for Masters courses  

A Postgraduate Masters Loan is available to eligible UK nationals (and individuals with settled status in the UK) for postgraduate Masters study. The difference is that you are awarded an amount that is to cover your tuition fees and the remainder is a contribution towards living costs.  

The details of the Postgraduate Masters Loan will differ depending upon where you normally reside in the UK. For more information on how and when to apply for your loan, please visit the following websites:  

England  

Wales   

Scotland   

Northern Ireland    

Student Finance funding for PhD/Research courses  

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan of up to £30,301 is available through Student Finance to help with the cost of fees and living expenses for eligible students starting in 2025/26. For more information on eligibility and how and when to apply for your loan, please visit the following websites (Doctoral Loans are currently not available for students from Scotland or Northern Ireland):  

England   

Wales   

Other funding for Home students  

• Check if you are eligible for any of our postgraduate bursaries or scholarships.  
• In case your funding is delayed, make sure you have enough money to cover your expenses whilst your application is being processed.  

International students   

As a newly enrolling student, you will receive a direct link in your offer letter directing you to the correct payment method for your deposit. We work with Oxford International Education Group to process the majority of our payments. 

Following payment of your tuition fee deposit you should be aware of whether your application was via OXFORD INTERNATIONAL or direct to The UNIVERSITY Of WINCHESTER but if you remain unsure, PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR AGENT or with the University of Winchester. Please see our website and click on How to Pay, to find out information on paying the balance of your tuition fees.  

Make sure you have enough money to cover your expenses while waiting to open a UK bank account.  Once you have enrolled you will be provided with more information about how to access a UK bank account. 

Please note: A requirement of your Student Visa is to have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course. 

When you are living in the UK, there is no financial support for international students. You only have the following options available if you find yourself in unexpected financial difficulties:   

• Part-time work, as allowed by the conditions of your Student Visa  
• Seek support from family  
• Private companies from your home country  
• Student funding opportunities from your home country  
• Banks 
• Additional scholarships, grants & bursaries information can be found on https://www.iefa.org/scholarships  

For more information on International Student Finances visit International financial information - University of Winchester  

For more information on funding and managing your money, please access our links on our LinkTree site: https://linktr.ee/uowstudentsandmoney  or discuss this with our Students and

Postgraduate students with a declared disability   
If you have disclosed a disability via UCAS or your application, please complete the Additional Requirements Questionnaire (ARQ) form, which will have been emailed to you by the admissions team. If you haven’t received this email or need to discuss your requirements further, please email disability@winchester.ac.uk.  
 
You may be eligible for support from the Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) which can provide 1-to-1 support and assistive technology to help you access your studies. Postgraduate students must reapply for DSA for every year of study. 
 
If you are a UK full-time student, please look at the NHS HC1 form to be assessed for free or reduced health costs like NHS prescriptions. More information can be found on the NHS Low Income Scheme webpages.  
 
We also encourage students with physical disabilities to visit the campus before their programme starts to assess how suitable different access routes may be for them. Please email disability@winchester.ac.uk to discuss further.  

Short course students with a declared disability  
If you have disclosed a disability via UCAS or your application, please complete the additional requirements form, which will have been emailed to you by the admissions team. If you haven’t received this email or need to discuss your requirements further, please email disability@winchester.ac.uk.  

You can access support during your course through the Student Support and Success team, including the Academic Success, Mental Wellbeing, Student Journey and Disability and Inclusion teams.  

Student Support and Success   
 Our dedicated Student Support and Success team provides information, advice and guidance on many aspects of student life to all students. We are available to support you pre-arrival, on arrival and throughout your time at the University.  Please see our website and get in touch at any stage: Student support - University of Winchester   
  

International students   
 For information and guidance on elements including the visa process, please visit our International Student Support pages: International student support - University of Winchester or contact international.support@winchester.ac.uk. 

All on-campus students are required to have a physical University card. Please ensure that you have uploaded a passport-style photo for your student card before 1 May – there is a link on My Record where you can do this. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to issue you with a card if you haven’t uploaded a photo, so please complete this step in plenty of time before the start of your course.

It is important that you complete online enrolment so that you can start your programme. From the week commencing 13 April 2026, we will be emailing all new students with their login details for My Record and further instructions about what to do. Online enrolment is open from 13 April 2026.  

One of your first steps of enrolment is to complete the online orientation course to help you prepare for life and study at the University of Winchester. There are four short, mini units to complete which will provide you with key information about areas such as:   

• Our university community and how to get involved  
• How to prepare for studying at this next level  
• How to engage with our online platforms and stay safe online
• How to manage your money 

You can access the units via Canvas, which is our virtual learning environment. The online orientation course will be available from 13 April 2026.    

Welcome Week timetable

Your Welcome Week timetable will be available in My Record once you complete the online part of enrolment. It includes details of your mandatory in-person ID check*, a variety of welcome talks, and the timetable for your first week.

University teaching timetable 

 Your University timetable will become available once your enrolment ID check has been completed. For postgraduate courses, any optional modules will be added during your first week once you have made your selection.

*Students enrolling on a short course are not required to undertake an in-person ID check or attend Welcome Week sessions unless advised by your programme team.

Once online enrolment (including ID document upload) is complete, then your ID will be checked and verified within 3-5 days by a member of University staff and you will then be able to view your timetable and course materials.

The Student Charter sets out the expectations and commitments shared by the University's staff, Students' Union and students. This Charter sets out how we will work in partnership together to create a collaborative, respectful and supportive environment. You can read this via the link below.

Student Charter