Heriot-Watt launches free-housing offer to support new students amid cost-of-living crisis

Heriot-Watt University has approved a bold new package of financial support designed to help students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland navigate the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

Beginning in Academic Year 2026/27, students enrolled onto a full-time undergraduate degree and who apply for accommodation at the University’s Edinburgh and Scottish Borders campuses will be eligible for free first-semester housing.

The initiative aims to ease the upfront financial pressures often faced by incoming students, providing immediate, practical support at a crucial point in their transition to university life.

This is the first time Heriot-Watt has offered the incentive, which replaces the outgoing Travel Home Bursary, a £1,500 award historically paid to students in their first year of study.

Professor Richard A. Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, said the move underscores the University’s commitment to widening access and ensuring that financial barriers do not deter talented students.

“The rising cost of living continues to affect students and their families, and we believe universities must respond with meaningful action,” he said.

“By removing a significant portion of the upfront cost of coming to university, we want prospective students to feel confident that Heriot-Watt is not only a place where they can thrive academically, but one that actively invests in their wellbeing and success from day one.”

The scholarship will run initially as a two-year pilot, covering the 2026/27 and 2027/28 entry cycles, after which a full review will assess its impact.

The new offer sits alongside Heriot-Watt’s wider suite of financial support, including its University Bursary, Discretionary Hardship Fund and Childcare Fund, reinforcing the University’s ongoing commitment to supporting students throughout their studies.

Applications will open soon with updates available on the website.