The closing date was 31 May 2013 and has now passed.  You are still able to apply in the way noted below, but as the closing date has passed, we may not be able to support your application in view of demand.

This information is for existing students.  If you are new applicant, you can highlight any housing and health requests in your housing application - details will be emailed to you from March onwards.

Application available for download here (35KB Word)

Returning students with a disability, mobility issue, or medical condition who would like to request University managed housing for reasons, including for example some autistic spectrum disorders, some mental health conditions, and other health conditions should:

• Submit an application to the University Housing Office between 8 April 2013 and 31 May 2013.  The application form will be published on this web-page on 8 April 2013 and hard copies will be available for collection from the Housing Office too.
• Submit acceptable medical evidence or other supportive evidence to the Housing Office at the time of their application, confirming their issue.  The evidence can be from a GP and or a member of the Student Services division of the University.
• If requested, attend a meeting or provide further details with and to the Housing Office or an-other area of the University Student Services division (e.g. Student Support Unit, Counselling Service, Medical Centre etc) to clarify and to contribute to a fair and balanced decision.

If you are a student returning from a period of intermission on health grounds, you are also welcome to apply in the way noted on this page, but we may seek further evidence, including for example, ability to pass a fitness to study assessment (process under development), and input and expertise from Student Services colleagues.

What if I miss the deadline?

If you are unable to apply by the deadline you can still apply for accommodation using the application process noted above.  Your application will be considered fairly and you will be informed of our decision.  Even if your application is supported, however, we cannot guarantee to provide you with a bed-space, due to extremely limited availability after the deadline.  As such, if you have applied after the deadline we would strongly recommend you search for private sector housing.  The Housing Office is able to support you in your search for private sector housing.

The Housing Office adheres to the following criteria when prioritising requests, although all cases are considered individually:

• Whether the student has mobility difficulties, such as wheelchair users.
• Whether the student is blind or visually impaired to an extent that this causes mobility difficulties.
• Whether the student is registered disabled.
• The need from other conditions, including for example some autistic spectrum disorders, some mental health conditions, and other health conditions that have a significant impact on day-to-day living.

Students with disabilities or medical conditions outside these criteria will still be considered, particularly when there are other extenuating circumstances involved. However, they cannot be guaranteed campus accommodation.  

How long can I live in the residences?

Assessment is made on a case-by-case basis and you will need to apply annually should you wish to seek a University managed bed-space throughout your course.  This is because your condition and / or requirements and preferences may change over-time, and we need to be able to continually help and advise you.

We recognise that some students will have conditions that may not change in terms of their housing requests arising from certain conditions, e.g. some autistic spectrum disorders, heart conditions, etc.  We still however, require a yearly application to learn from your experiences of living with us previously, and to decide together if the housing offered to you remains suitable.  We find that some students do enjoy having the flexibility to move to a variety of residences, or to change floors or rooms, or move off-campus during their time at Sussex.

Your evidence (medical or other supporting) should be:

• Less than 3 months old from the date of your application submission.
• Be supported, as indicated in Appendix 1 of the application, by a General Practitioner or other relevant professional based in Sussex (for example, from the University Student Support Unit, Counselling Service, Medical Centre etc) or elsewhere.  If your evidence is from overseas, we may ask for UK evidence too if you are under-going treatment as we are keen to ensure that you are receiving the support you need.  Again, we will look at all applications individually.

What happens if your application is successful?

After we have considered your application you will be contacted via email.  If your application is successful, the email will contain details of the type of bed-space allocated.  If your application is unsuccessful, information to help you with your search for private sector, non-University managed housing will be provided.

Alternative housing in the private sector:

There is currently a good supply of private sector housing within the locality, with a significant proportion of private housing located within close proximity to public transport links.  The Housing Office private sector web-pages provide lots of information about where to look, when, and where.  You can also request a one to one meeting with our Housing Officers who will help you.

What if I am not satisfied?

If your application is unsuccessful, you can request for your application to be reviewed for a final time by the joint Housing and Student Services Panel.  To make this request, within five working days of our decision, please email the Housing Office with a one page note about why you feel your application should be re-considered, along with any new evidence that you may wish to submit.