Living at home

Living at home while studying is now a common and positive choice for many students. People decide to commute for lots of different reasons. Some want to manage the cost of living more carefully. Others choose to stay close to family, continue part time work, or ease themselves into university life at their own pace.

For some, staying in familiar surroundings during first year simply feels like the right fit. At Leicester, commuter students are an established and valued part of our community. In fact, 28% of students at Leicester commute to university. Whether your journey to campus takes 20 minutes or over an hour, you will have full access to the same academic, social and wellbeing opportunities as every other student.

Getting to campus is straightforward. The University is close to the city centre and well connected by public transport and major road networks across the East Midlands. Many of our students who live at home travel from Leicester city, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, the West Midlands and surrounding towns.

Some use public transport for their whole journey, while others combine train, bus, cycling or walking to suit their route. You can benefit from regular bus services to campus, including our free campus shuttle bus that connects Central Campus, Brookfield (School of Business) and The Village accommodation.

Leicester railway station is within walking distance of campus, and there are dedicated cycle routes and secure bike storage available. To help keep travel costs down, make sure you take advantage of student discounts. This might include a 16 to 25 Railcard, discounted bus passes, season tickets, or other student travel offers available in your area. Planning ahead can make commuting much more affordable.

We recommend planning your journey in advance and testing it before term begins so you feel confident about timings.

For commuter students without accessibility needs:

If you do not have accessibility requirements, you will need to contact ecs-service@leicester.ac.uk to check your eligibility for a parking permit.

Eligibility is limited and prioritised for students living outside of Leicester, which will be verified through your student record. Once your eligibility is confirmed, you will be added to the parking portal to apply for a Brookfield parking permit.

Brookfield car park is the university car park for commuter students without accessibility needs. It is a 10-to-15-minute walk to Central Campus, but you can also use the University’s shuttle bus free of charge to reach campus easily.

For commuter students with accessibility needs:

If you have accessibility requirements, please contact accessible@leicester.ac.uk to arrange your parking.

The accessibility team will coordinate with our parking team to ensure you have a suitable parking location. Once the parking team has been informed, you will be granted access to the parking portal to apply for a permit at the agreed location. Blue Badge parking is available free of charge, and accessible permits can be arranged for any campus location.

These arrangements are in place to ensure that all students, whether commuting or with specific accessibility needs, can park safely and conveniently while on campus.

We know this can be a worry for students living at home, but being a commuter student does not mean missing out on the university experience. From the moment you join, there are dedicated Welcome events designed to help you meet other students who also live at home. It is a great way to build friendships and feel connected from day one.

Beyond Welcome, you can get involved in every part of university life. You might join a sports club or society, get involved with the Students’ Union, or make full use of campus facilities, including the campus shuttle bus and on-campus gyms. You have the same opportunities as every other student to try new things and meet new people.

Living at home does not set you apart. You are just as much a part of the University community as students in University-managed accommodation or private halls, with access to everything campus life has to offer.

All lectures are recorded and posted onto our online learning environment, so if you do accidentally miss part or all of a lecture - you haven't actually missed it (which can also be handy for revision!)

If you're going to miss a seminar or tutorial, let the relevant academic or your personal tutor know as soon as possible. If your regular transport arrangements make the start or end of the academic day inconvenient, we will do what we can to accommodate you. We're here to help.

Got a 9am lecture and then nothing until 3pm? We know long gaps between classes can feel frustrating, especially if you are commuting. The good news is that with a bit of planning, that time can become some of your most productive of the day.

Make the most of the study spaces across campus to catch up on reading, work on assignments, or prepare for your next session. It will make your evenings much more relaxed. If you have brought lunch, there are microwaves, toasters and kettles available across campus, or you can grab something from one of the food outlets.

It is also important to take a break. You might relax in the Students’ Union games rooms, spend time in Victoria Park with friends, or fit in a gym session. There is plenty you can do between classes, so you can head home feeling productive and still have time to properly switch off at the end of the day.

Absolutely. A maintenance loan is there to help with your living costs while you study. If you choose to live at home, you can still apply for a maintenance loan to support your day-to-day expenses, including your travel into campus.

The amount you can receive may be different if you live at home compared to moving into accommodation, so it is important to check what you may be entitled to. You can find full details, including how much you could borrow and how to apply, on the Student Finance website.

Student Finance England