Accommodation

Our accommodation guarantee

We offer a guarantee of on-campus accommodation to disabled students who make Keele their first choice and have certain physical disabilities, sensory disabilities or any other medical conditions which impact on their daily living.  If appropriate, you will be invited to attend a familiarisation visit to discuss the suitability of available accommodation and any special access requirements you may have.

There are a number of adapted rooms including those with:

• Wheelchair accessibility
• Wet room style shower (including wheelchair accessible shower)
• Shower seat
• Grab rails
• Adapted toilets
• Low level light switches
• Low level kitchen facilities
• Remote sliding door activation facility to the accommodation block, corridor, bedroom and kitchen
• Deaf alerter alarms
• Interconnecting room for use by a carer

Please note, a guarantee of accommodation for disability related needs is only provided if Keele is your first/firm choice.  We cannot make a guarantee if Keele is your second/insurance choice, or if you come through Clearing.

En-suite on-campus accommodation reimbursement

What is the accommodation reimbursement? 

The University offers some financial assistance (in the form of a reimbursement) to students who require en-suite, on-campus accommodation for disability reasons/medical conditions. 

Students who are supported for priority on-campus, en-suite accommodation will not be automatically eligible for the reimbursement.  Its purpose is to support disabled students who would not be able to study at Keele without an en-suite.

Personal convenience or preference do not form part of the eligibility criteria and will not be considered.

How do I apply for the reimbursement? 

If you feel that you would be unable to attend your studies at Keele University without access to on-campus accommodation /  en-suite, we will require medical evidence from a Health Professional that confirms you have an ongoing condition, detailing the effect this has on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities on a daily basis and why you require on-campus accommodation.

When we have received the relevant evidence and identified what reasonable adjustments are appropriate, we will support your accommodation application. 

Please be aware this is not a guarantee that there will be an appropriate room available due to availability on campus. The University has a finite number of en-suite rooms and if there are no rooms available then the reimbursement offer cannot be made. As a student you are responsible for ensuring that you apply to the accommodation team within the key dates, and they will allocate rooms according to their process. 

If I am entitled to the reimbursement, when will I receive this? 

You should apply for accommodation at the application stage during the academic year. If successful, the subsidy will be credited to your accommodation account for the entire length of your accommodation contract for that academic year. If you move into en-suite on-campus accommodation later in the year, the subsidy will be awarded pro rata to the number of weeks you have been occupying the en-suite room.

The reimbursement level is reviewed annually in July and for the academic year 2024-25 it is calculated based on the difference between a Standard Shared Flats room on campus, and an En-suite room. Please note there are different grades of en-suite rooms and the same reimbursement is applied regardless of the specific type of en-suite room you reside in.

If you are experiencing any financial hardship due to the retrospective nature of the reimbursement and are unable to cover your accommodation fees whilst you are applying for the reimbursement, you are encouraged to contact the Income Office to discuss the option of a payment plan. If you are released from your accommodation contract (due to withdrawal of studies, taking a leave of absence or unforeseen exceptional circumstances) the reimbursement credit will be reversed on your account for the remaining nights of your occupancy period. 

Please note that if you are eligible to receive the en-suite, on-campus accommodation reimbursement, this only applies to your standard accommodation occupancy period for the academic year. If you wish to apply for vacation accommodation, outside of standard academic term time, the full accommodation fees will be charged.

Visit the accommodation web pages to find out more about our halls of residence.