The old Confiança Factory has been transformed into the Confiança University Residence, a new accommodation facility promoted by the Municipality of Braga and financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The intervention sought to reconcile the preservation of the memory of the former industrial unit with the creation of a new accommodation response for the academic community, providing 786 beds for displaced students from the Gualtar Campus, with priority given to scholarship students. The residence is managed by the University of Minho.
The facility has individual, double and triple rooms, including adapted units, with private refrigerators and sanitary facilities. It also includes 15 shared kitchens in the new building, 11 study rooms, common areas, self-service laundry, a small gym and outdoor leisure spaces. Regular cleaning of common areas is provided by the residence services.
In the academic year 2026/2027, monthly fees for scholarship students range from 94 euros, for a double room, to 150 euros, for a single room. For non-scholarship students, the values are 163 and 213 euros, respectively, including water, electricity, gas and internet expenses.
Present at the opening, João Rodrigues, mayor of the Municipality of Braga, stressed that investing in the university is investing in the city. Fernando Alexandre, Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, highlighted the role of residences in the integration of displaced students and the creation of communities.
