While Oxford do accommodate you in your first year, that's only during term time. The colleges use student rooms over the vacations (Oxford jargon for the time between terms). This makes them money (and keeps your rent down) and also lets them accommodate interview candidates in December. So if you live in college accommodation, you normally have to move out three times a year. However, some colleges offer what is known as vacation residence, where you may stay in your room even out-of-term.
College | Vacation Residence |
---|---|
Balliol | Sometimes possible. There are long leases if you live in Jowett and there are grants available to final year students to help cover vacation residence costs. |
Blackfriars | Students can stay in their rooms for vacations at no extra cost (rent includes Christmas and Easter vacations). |
Brasenose | Unknown |
Campion | Unknown |
Christ Church | UK students can stay free for 28 days per year for academic purposes (must be signed off by a tutor). Otherwise it's about £20 a night (same as during term). Requests are usually granted, but at the busiest times (i.e. interviews) then you might be moved off the main site. |
Corpus Christi | Unknown |
Exeter | Unknown |
Harris Manchester | Unknown |
Hertford | Unknown |
Jesus | Second and third years can stay in their accommodation all the academic year round, including holidays. First years living in college can apply to stay, and the cost per night will be £21.80 from next year. Conference guests can prevent requests being granted. It's easier for internationals. We also have a scheme where you can claim back 17 nights worth of vacation residence if you need to stay in Oxford for any academic reason. |
Keble | Unknown |
Lincoln | You may be allowed to stay over the vacation if you have good reason. |
Magdalen | Unknown |
Mansfield | Unknown |
Merton | 30 days free over whole course. Can apply for more but difficult to get and you pay standard rates. Compulsory out of term commitments (for example exams in 9th week) still have to come out of the 30 days, so for some subjects a lot is used up for compulsory exams, but other subjects can arrange time to study over Easter, etc. We do have a summer project scheme where students nominated by their tutors to do a lab or library project get six weeks' accommodation free of charge over the summer. |
New | Some rooms have Vacation Residence, for others you need to request it. |
Oriel | As long as you have a good reason (exams, project work, international and can't go home, revision the term before finals, etc), then it's fairly easy to get a room. At certain times of year, e.g. around interviews, you may have to move rooms and possibly to JMH. When selecting your room you will be told whether it is 'tagged' (needed for conferences and so you would have to move rooms if you stay). If staying for academic reasons, vacation grants can give you about 50% off for 15 days per year. |
Pembroke | Unknown |
Queen's | It is relatively difficult to stay at Queen's during the vacations, though it is sometimes possible (e.g. just before term starts; or if you're an international students; or for final year students over Easter). |
Regent's Park | Vacation residence can be provided, subject to availability. Generally, all finalists can stay in College over the Easter vacation. The cost is the same per-nightly rate as during term. There is a grant/support fund to help finalists cover the cost of vacation residence. |
Somerville | Vacation residence is available for the standard room rate. Students can also apply for a vacation residence grant, which will be assessed on an individual basis. Usually, it is fairly easy to secure a room for the vacation, but it gets a little bit more difficult over the summer (with lots of summer schools about) and during the early Christmas interview period. If they wish to make use of it, most finalists are guaranteed accommodation over Easter, for the purpose of revising for their final exams. |
St Anne's | Unknown |
St Catz | You have to book 'vac res' at the start of a term if you want it for the end. College hosts a lot of conferences in the vacations, and unless you book in advance, there will be no room left. It's difficult to get vac res in the Easter vacation unless you're a finalist. £18 a night. |
St Hilda's | For staying longer than a week before or after term, accommodation is available off-site if you get permission from your tutor. |
St Hugh's | College tries to dissuade people from staying over the holidays. But if you genuinely need to stay in college it should still be easy. There's a reasonably high chance you'll be forced to move to another room which can be annoying. Students are negotiating with college over the system. |
St John's | Unknown |
St Peter's | Unknown |
St Stephen's | Unknown |
Teddy Hall | It's possible, but quite difficult, especially on the main site. The cost per night goes up a bit from the normal rate. Overseas students who have difficulty returning home may make special arrangements. |
Trinity | Vacation rent on-site is £22 per night (in 2014) but some halls are unavailable due to conferences and it is completely unavailable during the middle of summer due to a summer school. However, accommodation in North Oxford is generally always available, costing £16 per night. |
Univ | To gain vacation residence you fill in an online form. If possible, you can keep your room, but you might also be moved to another. It costs around £17 a night. This can be refunded if you need to stay for exams or any other academic reason. Some rooms such as the annexe have long contracts available, meaning you don't need to move out in Christmas or Easter. |
Wadham | It costs around £18 a night. It is fairly easy to stay, although lots of people are required to move rooms, which is especially frustrating when you're staying for exams. The main issue is that it's very expensive to stay the whole vacation - and there's no food included so it's much more costly than during term time. |
Worcester | Vacation residence grants are available for undergraduates who need to be in Oxford during the vacation to do academic work which could not easily be done at home. If students do not have a vacation residence grant, they can stay in College during the vacation for £19 a night (subject to room availability). |
Wycliffe | Unknown |
For more help choosing a college, you might like to try the College Suggester tool.