Win free accommodation for a year

Calling all new undergraduate and postgraduate students for October 2024! Apply today and be in with the chance to win an academic year of free accommodation.

How to enter (undergraduate)

1. Apply for your student accommodation with Essex.

Apply for Colchester

 

Apply for Southend
2. Once you have chosen and reserved your room online, you will receive an automated email confirming your booking. You can enter the competition online by ticking the box to accept you want to receive marketing and enter competitions with Accommodation Essex. (If you have already applied, we will be in contact with you to ask if you would like to enter).
3. Please complete this form with information matching your application (PRID, Name, Email). One entry per student.
4. Spread the word by sharing the competition with your friends and fellow students.
5. Entries close Wednesday 2 October with the winner being announced during Welcome Week on Thursday 3 October.

How to enter (postgraduate)

1. Apply for your student accommodation with Essex.

Apply now

 

2. Your accommodation offer will be sent to you within 7 working days and once you accept, you will be invited to enter online. (If you have already applied, we will be in contact with you to ask if you would like to enter).
3. Please complete this form with information matching your application (PRID, Name, Email). One entry per student.
4. Spread the word by sharing the competition with your friends and fellow students.

Entries close Wednesday 2 October with the winner being announced during Welcome Week on Thursday 3 October.

Any questions please contact askthehub@essex.ac.uk.

Terms and conditions

1. The University of Essex ‘Win Free Accommodation’ competition is being held by University of Essex Campus Services (UECS).
2. The competition is open to those who will be entering into their first year of undergraduate or postgraduate study at University of Essex in October 2024. This is not open students entering their second, third or fourth year of studies on their course, students studying with the University of Essex International College, or Students studying with Essex Online.
3. If a student has outstanding debt to the University, they will be excluded from the prize draw.
4. The competition opens on Monday 25 March 2024. The competition will close at midnight GMT on Wednesday 2 October 2024. Any entries received after this date will not be eligible for a prize.
5. The prize may only be redeemed by students who have a tenancy agreement for a University owned or administered room.
6. The prize value is the equivalent 2024-25 rent cost associated with staying in a South Courts - single en suite room on a 39-week tenancy to the sum of £7,338.24. If the winner is not staying in South Courts, but still in University owned or administered accommodation, £7,338.24 will be discounted from the alternative accommodation. No cash value will be given should the winner choose to stay in alternative that is less than £7,338.24.
7. Winners will be chosen at the discretion of UECS. The winner will be notified via email after an announcement on Thursday 3 October 2024.
8. The winner may be requested to take part in any prize promotional activity and UECS reserves the right to use the name and location of the winner, their photograph, audio and/or visual recording of them in relation to any competition publicity or for UECS marketing purposes. By entering this competition, you agree that if awarded the prize you will co-operate with all reasonable publicity purposes if so requested.
9. This prize is non-transferable and may only be redeemed by the winner selected by UECS.
10. UECS’s decision will be final and binding, and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into regarding the conduct or outcome of the competition.
11. The winner will not be eligible to claim any other University of Essex discount or incentive towards their accommodation.
12. UECS’s reserves the right in its reasonable discretion: a. to disqualify any competitor whose conduct is in breach of the rules or contrary to the spirit of the rules or the intention of the competition. b. to declare any entries void.
13. By entering this competition, you agree that UECS shall have no liability for any printing, production and/or distribution errors (including but not limited to any errors in University of Essex, this website or any printed materials) or where there have been any errors in any aspect of the preparation for or conduct of the competition materially affecting the result of the competition.
14. Subject to condition 7 above, any personal data submitted by you in your entry to this competition will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and University of Essex's privacy policy.
15. UECS reserves the right to amend or waive any of these rules or cancel the competition at any time.
16. No refund will be given if the prize winner withdraws from the University or cancels their accommodation contract, or if the University enforces eviction proceedings under their rights as outlined within the tenancy agreement.
17. Entry to the competition confirms your acceptance of these rules.
18. Queries relating to the competition should be emailed to askthehub@essex.ac.uk

If you are a returning student, see our accommodation information for returning students.

How to enter video

Find out to enter our Win Free Accommodation competition for the 2025-2026 academic year!