Housing & Meals

Housing in the UK is called accommodation. If speaking directly to a member of staff at Leicester about housing, you should be careful to call it accommodation and understand that any references made in conversation to accommodation are not about academic accommodations as we tend to think of the word in the US. 

You are guaranteed an offer of University-managed housing as long as you adhere to the deadline of the accommodations application. Assistant Director Emma Meade can guide you through the accommodation application. There are various room types, but ensuite rooms are widely available. All accommodations are self-catered, meaning that you will be responsible for your own meals. "The City" is highly recommended since it is within walking distance of campus.

Some tips:

• When you fill out your accommodation application, make sure you select your pathway first, selecting "Study Abroad or Erasmus" as your pathway for each option.

• Ensure your dates are for the correct semester or academic year before submitting. If studying abroad for only one semester, be sure to select the option that says "Semester One" or "Semester Two" and not any that indicate "Term 1" or "Term 2"

  • Semester means you will have housing for class meeting weeks, revision week, and exam dates. Term means you will have housing only for class meeting weeks and thus should be avoided.

• If Leicester asks you to pay a £250 non-refundable fee, you should select the option that says you are sponsored student to skip this fee. Holy Cross pays all non-refundable deposits on your behalf. You are, however, responsible for any refundable deposits.

To read more about the residences of "The City," review the below webpage:

https://le.ac.uk/study/undergraduates/accommodation/city-living 

"The City" are purpose-built blocks within ten minutes’ walk of campus. They’re convenient for the city center and railway station too, as well as for facilities such as the Library and the Danielle Brown Sports Centre. 

"The City" also offers adapted rooms with disability provision for students with accessibility needs. 

There is no meal plan for purchase at the University of Leicester. Instead, you can pay-as-you-go for cafés and cafeterias on campus or purchase food from the grocery store. You will not be charged Holy Cross board (i.e., meal plan) on your tuition bill, which is $4,160 per semester for the standard food plan. You should instead plan to use some or all of this budget sourcing your own food during your semester or year away. 

How much you spend on food depends on your personal habits. Before you go, do some googling!  Figure out the average prices for your favorite foods and make a plan! 

For the average cost of food in Leicester, check out the website Numbeo:

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Leicester?displayCurrency=USD