The key stages involved in the UCAS Application Process are outlined below

Research

Students should spend time researching courses and career areas that they are interesting in. This can be done on Careers Portal, through each University or College website or through UCAS’ search tool. It is important that students understand the entry requirements and application deadlines.

Apply

UCAS application deadline is 25 January every year

Students will register in the UCAS Hub and complete their application. Key application deadlines include-

Mid October for Oxford/Cambridge and most courses in Medicine, Veterinary Science/Medicine and Dentistry.

Mid January for the majority of courses.

End of March for some Art & Design courses

Wait to hear back

Universities and Colleges will decide whether to make you an offer. If you receive one it will be either Conditional or Unconditional. If you are not accepted by any of the colleges, or if you have declined the offers you received, you can apply through Extra for more choices, one at a time.

Reply to your offers

Once your offers are made, you must reply to them before specific deadlines. You can select a ‘Firm’ choice, which is your desired course and you can select an ‘Insurance’ choice as a back-up in case you do not meet the requirements of your ‘Firm’. You should also ‘Decline’ any offers that you no longer wish to be considered for.

Find out if you get your place

You will see this information in Track. If you were made an Unconditional Offer, the place is yours. If it is Conditional then the university or college will update your status when they have your exam results. However, you may also be Unsuccessful if you do not meet the requirements- you can then use Clearing to search for other options. If you do better than you expected, and you exceed the conditions of your Firm choice, you can look for an alternative course using Adjustment, if you wish.

How do universities make their decisions?

Each university and course has different entry requirements such as grades or UCAS tariff points. Other factors are also taken into consideration by university admissions teams consider when making their decisions.

• Do you show in your application that you have the experience and skills needed to succeed at university?
• Do you have a passion for the subject area, and does this enthusiasm come across in your application?
• What has your reference said about you?
• Does the course you've applied for seem the right course and university for you?
• Your individual circumstances. For example, if you have a disability, a mental health condition or something else that may have been a barrier for you. Admissions staff will want to consider your achievements in context in order to form a more complete picture of you as an individual.

Ultimately, the role of the university admissions team is to determine whether you are the right fit for a course/university.

UCAS Tariff Points 

When do you hear back about your application?

This can be a difficult wait for students. It is important to remember that each university and college will make their decisions at different times, some may reach decisions very quickly, others not so. You may hear back later than your friends do, or vice versa. There are, however, final dates by which they need to respond to applicants. earing) to courses starting in 2021.

If a university hasn’t given you a decision by the appropriate deadline, your choice will be automatically made unsuccessful.

Different decisions that universities and colleges can make

You must understand what the decisions made by universities and colleges mean before replying to your offers. Either a conditional or unconditional offer is good news!

• A Conditional offer means you will still need to meet the stated requirements – usually exam results. If you meet these on results day, congratulations, you’re in!
• An Unconditional offer means you've got a place, congratulations! There might still be a few things to arrange so do not neglect these.
• Choices can also be Unsuccessful or Withdrawn, but you could add more.

Conditional offers

Are the conditions you have to meet to get your place confirmed. For most people, this means exam results. They could be a combination of grades, scores or subjects.

For ROI applicants a conditional offer might look something like:

• H2H2 H3H3H3H3

Or

• H3H3H3H3H3H3/H2H3H3H3H3 including Higher Level grade H3 in English

Or

• 136 UCAS Tariff points to include a minimum of four subjects at Higher Level and one subject at Ordinary Level. The overall profile must also include English at H6 Higher Level or O4 Ordinary Level.

You may also get a conditional offer that will change to unconditional if you accept it as a Firm choice.

Unconditional offers

• These mean you've already met the entry requirements, so the place is yours if you want it! However, it is important to check the offer to see if there's anything else you need to do such as providing proof of your results, a police check or meeting any financial/medical requirements.
• If you are not clear on what is required, contact the university or college as early as you can.
• Remember, by accepting an unconditional offer, you are committing to go to that university or college, so you can't make an insurance choice.
• If you change your mind, you can decline your place and apply for other courses that may go into Clearing.
• Although you have your place and your exam results will not affect this, you should still concentrate on them and try to do as well as you can. You have worked hard over the years for them, they will help prepare you for college and they could even impact your future employment if you are asked to include them in job applications.

Withdrawn or unsuccessful choices

An application can be Withdrawn by either you or the university/college.

Colleges can withdraw choices for example if you do not respond to emails/letters they send or if you miss an interview.

An Unsuccessful application means it has been decided not to offer you a place on the course.

You may be given the reason(s) for being unsuccessful when you receive their decision or at a later date. If not, you can contact them to ask if they'll discuss the reason(s) with you.

If you do not receive an offer, you might be able to add Extra choices now, or look for course availability in Clearing later on.

Adding an Extra choice

You might be able to add another choice through the Extra service if you have received decisions on all five choices and weren't accepted, or if you declined the offers you received.  In Extra, which is a free service, you can apply to one course at a time between February and July. You can check if Extra is an option available to you when you sign in to Track.

Adding a choice in Clearing

Clearing is how universities and colleges fill any places they still have on their courses, very similar to Available Places in the CAO system. From early July until mid-October, you can apply for a course using Clearing if you are not already holding an offer from a university or college, providing that the course still has places. You can also use Clearing if you are applying late (i.e. after 30th June).

Republic of Ireland students who are applying to undergraduate courses in Northern Ireland are classed as ‘Home’ students and as a result will pay the same fees as Northern Irish students which are currently £4,630 (approx. €5,238) per annum for a fulltime undergraduate course or £2,250 (approx. €2,545) if on a placement/study abroad year.

Students applying from mainland UK, the Islands and the EU pay £9,250 (approx. €10,464) per annum for a fulltime undergraduate course.

Tuition Fee Loans

*It is important to note that SUSI will not cover tuition fees in Northern Ireland. If eligible for SUSI you can still apply for the Maintenance grant.

Students can avail of Tuition Fee loans if eligible. Student Finance Services are the company that deals with Student Loans. To apply and find out more information they can be accessed at www.studentfnanceni.co.uk.

To be eligible for a fee loan you must have been ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, Gibraltar, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for three years before the start of your course.

You will not normally be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan if you already hold a qualification equal to or higher than the one you are studying for.

As a general rule, tuition fee support is available for the full length of your course, plus one extra year if needed for example if you left your course or want to start again.

The course you plan to study must be in Northern Ireland and one of the following:

• a Higher National Certificate (HNC)
• a Higher National Diploma (HND)
• a Foundation Degree
• a first degree, e.g. BA, BSc or BEd
• a Certificate of Higher Education
• a Diploma of Higher Education
• a Postgraduate Certifcate in Education (PGCE)
• an Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

If you are studying at a private university or college, you should check with them that your course qualifies for student finance.

Paying back the Student Loan

Repaying your Tuition Fee Loan is linked to your income when you become employed, not what you borrow. The interest charged is based on the UK rate of inflation and will vary depending on your circumstances.

You will start making repayments the April after you finish or leave your course if you are in employment and your income is over the repayment threshold, which is currently-

£382 (approx. €432) a week, £1,657 (approx. €1,874) a month or £20,195 (approx. €22,849) a year.

If your income changes, either rising or falling, your repayment amounts will change to reflect this. If you stop working, your repayments will stop until you start working again and your income is over the threshold again. Voluntary repayments can be made at any time.

If you leave your course early, you will still have to repay your loan. In this case, the repayment process might be different.

If you live outside the UK for more than three months after you finish your course, you must let the Student Finance Service know. Payments will still need to be made to your loan, but the repayment threshold might be different depending on which country you are in.

Adjustment – If you have met and exceeded your conditions and you’d like to see if you can get on a course with higher entry requirements – while still holding your original confirmed place.

Adviser – The term UCAS uses for someone who provides you with information, advice, and support with your application. Usually your Guidance Counsellor, but could be a teacher or other agent.

Apply – This is the name of the UCAS online application system. (For postgraduate courses, Apply is combined with Track.)

Buzzword – Your school or college will have a buzzword for UCAS Undergraduate applications so you can link your application to them. It's a word you add to your application when you register to make a UCAS Undergraduate application (unless you're applying independently).

Changed course offer – You might get one of these if you haven’t met your conditions, or if the university or college has made changes to the courses they run. It might involve a different start date or point of entry, or a different course altogether.

Choice – a choice is a course you apply for – you can select up to FIVE courses on your application.

Clearing – is similar to Available Places in the CAO system. You can use it to look for alternative courses. If you didn’t get a place on a course, Clearing allows you to apply for courses that still have vacancies.

Conditional offer – This is an offer of a place on a course subject to conditions. To be accepted on the course, you’ll need to meet the conditions – usually related to your exam results.

Conservatoire – These are providers of performance-based music, dance, screen, and drama courses.

Deferral – This is what you do if you’d like to carry an offer over to start it in the following academic year. Always check with your college. 

Entry requirements – These are what the course provider recommends you need to do/have to get on the course – from qualifications and specific subjects or grades, to interviews, admissions tests, and medical requirements.  You aren't guaranteed an offer if you meet or already have these.

Extra – Extra is a service you can use to apply for alternative places if you do not hold an offer from your first five choices.

Firm choice – This is your preferred course that you accept from the offers you receive.

HEP – Higher Education Rrovider – a University, College, or Conservatoire.

Insurance choice – This is your second choice that you accept from the offers you receive– just in case you don’t meet the conditions of your firm offer.

Personal ID – This is the ten-digit number you get when you register to Apply. It will be on all UCAS correspondence and you will be asked for it if you need to get in touch with the Customer Experience Centre.

Personal statement – This is a piece of text (Approx. 600 words) that applicants write to show why you want to study a course and why you feel that you would be a great student for a course provider to accept.

Predicted grades – These are the grades that your subject teachers believe that you will achieve in your exams, they form part of your UCAS application.

Referee – This is the person who provides a reference for you, generally your Guidance Counsellor, school manager or a teacher.

Reference – This is a written recommendation to accompany your application. Generally from your Guidance Counsellor, school manager or a teacher .

Sandwich course – This is a course that includes an additional year where you work in the profession you're studying for.

Scheme code – This is used along with your Personal ID to identify your application.

Tariff points– UCAS Tariff points are typically only used for Ulster University courses and some Higher Education courses in regional colleges. They are calculated from your Leaving Certificate results.

Track – This is where you can see how your application is progressing. It is also where you can reply to offers and make amendments, like changing your email address etc.

UCAS – Universities and Colleges Admissions Service in the UK.

UCAS Conservatoires – The application service for performance-based courses.

UCAS Postgraduate – The UCAS application service for postgraduate courses.

UCAS Teacher Training – The UCAS application service for postgraduate teacher training.

Unconditional offer – This is an offer of a place on a course with no conditions – the place is yours if you want it.

Unsuccessful – This is when you haven’t been made an offer or you haven’t met the conditions of a conditional offer.

Withdrawal –Before the decision has been made to make you an offer or not, either you or the university/college can withdraw a choice.

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