About Zesummer Students

What we do

Zesummer Students supports independent young people throughout Europe who do not have the family support network that many students rely upon.

We support estranged, orphaned, care-experienced, and otherwise independent students through their studies, university holidays, and transition into employment.

How Zesummer Students began

For estranged, orphaned, care-experienced, and otherwise independent students, university breaks can bring uncertainty rather than rest.

Without family support, many face housing insecurity, financial pressure, and isolation. Some are forced into expensive short-term accommodation. Others must share student housing with unknown holiday guests as their university becomes tourist accommodation for the summer just to stay housed.

The original idea was simple: perhaps someone with a spare room could offer it to a student during the holidays.

Conversations with people with lived experience quickly showed us that holiday accommodation was only one part of a much wider problem.

Accommodation over the holiday periods was inconsequential compared to many other factors

Independent students may also face financial insecurity, isolation, and practical challenges without the family support that on which many other students can rely.

Without the money to fix a broken laptop, a small issue can result in a student dropping out of university (we know this because we helped someone in this exact situation)

Independent students need to secure paid employment before even graduating or receiving their grades, because they don't have the finances to pay rent once university finishes.

They need to have a CV that stands out more than their peers

They need to work throughout their studies

They can struggle with their mental health and sense of self

They face loneliness and isolation during long breaks

They don't know how to find other students/people in the same situation

They may lack practical life skills and knowledge

Zesummer Students therefore developed

Our work includes:

Facilitating temporary accommodation during longer university holidays, so these students have a story when they return

Supporting access to paid internships and work experience across Europe

Providing opportunities to develop professional and life skills

Connecting students with mentors

Developing partnerships that create opportunities for independent students

Supporting research and awareness of the experiences of independent students

Shaped by lived experience

Zesummer Students should not develop services for independent young people without listening to the people who have experienced these challenges.

Young people under 30 with relevant lived experience can help shape our work, including through our steering committee and Board of Directors. They can be current students, graduates, people who left education, or people who have not attended university. We ask for around one hour a month in a group call to give their feedback and input.

Their involvement helps us understand what support is actually needed rather than assuming that we already know.

Independent students don't have the time to dedicate to running a charity when they have more structural and financial issues to overcome (such as working more hours than their peers). Whilst this excludes us from a lot of funding, it's important that we do the delivery of the work so our students can focus on their studying.

Based in Luxembourg, working across Europe

Zesummer Students is a non-profit association based and registered in Luxembourg, but our work is not limited to Luxembourg.

We aim to support independent students and develop partnerships throughout Europe, including the UK.

Our long-term aim is simple: to make student life, and the transition from education into employment, more secure for young people without an adequate family safety net.