If you must stay in accommodation away from your normal term time address to attend the placement, you may be able to claim for help towards the cost of the temporary accommodation.
You must provide proof of costs for your:
- term time address
- accommodation address covering the period of the practice placement
If you normally live with your parents and pay towards rent or household costs, you can claim dual accommodation costs whilst on placement. As part of your TDAE application, you’ll be asked to provide bank statements showing payments to your parents for up to 6 months before your placement starts.
You can claim for any excess cost of one weekly journey between your normal term time accommodation and the temporary accommodation. This must cost more than your normal daily travel to university and be claimed within the accommodation section of your application.
After at least one successful TDAE accommodation claim, you may be able to apply for an Advanced Payment for your next placement.
Shared accommodation
If you shared accommodation with someone else, you must only claim the costs for invoices, receipts or tenancy agreements which are in your name. You must send evidence of the amount you paid. You may only claim up to the maximum daily accommodation rate.
If you're not named on any supporting document sent in to prove accommodation costs, you'll not be reimbursed for these expenses.
Each student named on the evidence can claim up to the maximum reimbursement rate. All students named on the evidence must complete a TDAE application to claim back their own costs.
Staying with parents during placement
You cannot claim accommodation costs if you stay with your parents while on placement.
You can claim for excess travel costs for the daily return journeys between their address and your placement site if it costs more than your normal daily travel to university.
You can claim for any excess cost of one weekly journey between your normal term time accommodation and your parents’ address. This must cost more than your normal daily travel to university.
The ‘Completing your TDAE claim’ guide on the website gives further information.
Staying with friends or other relatives during placement
If you stay with friends or relatives other than your parents, you must submit receipts or a signed covering letter from the person you stayed with.
The covering letter must confirm:
- that the accommodation was provided
- the dates that you stayed there
- the amount you had to pay for that period
- that the payment was made in full
We might ask for a bank statement as an alternative form of evidence to show that you made a payment to the person for the amount stated on the cover letter.
You may only claim the costs for invoices, receipts or tenancy agreements which are in your name.
Accommodation rates
From 1 September 2023, the reimbursement rates for accommodation expenses are:
- £82.50 per night for commercial accommodation, such as a hotel or bed and breakfast
- £37.50 per night for non-commercial accommodation, such as staying with a friend or relative, but not parents
Any booking or admin fee is included in the maximum amount allowed for your accommodation. It will not be refunded separately.
Your university must authorise all placement claims.
Travel costs between your temporary accommodation and your placement site may be claimed as well. You can only be reimbursed the excess daily cost of these journeys when compared to your normal daily travel to and from university.
Read our website for information about the rates for placements.