Late applications (UCAS Extra)

Many universities and colleges accept applications after 15 January.

If you’ve already applied but aren’t holding any offers, you may be able to apply for more courses through UCAS Extra.

You can complete your student finance application even if you don’t have an offer so you can make sure your loan will be available for the start of your course.

If you plan to live in halls, you normally won’t be able to apply for accommodation until you’ve applied through UCAS and accepted an offer. The sooner you make your UCAS application, the more accommodation options you’ll have.

Applying through UCAS

You can check which courses still have vacancies after 15 January  on the UCAS website. The final UCAS deadline for applications is 30 June. The number of course vacancies available will decrease the later you leave it, so apply as early as possible.

Make sure you’ve given yourself plenty of time to research courses, write a great personal statement and given your referees time to provide references. For 2017 entry, the application fee is £13 for a single choice, or £24 for more than one choice.

If you do not apply by 30 June you can enter Clearing, which opens on 5 July. If you are waiting for results from a level 3 course (eg BTEC or A-Levels) you won’t be given any offers in Clearing until your final results are received.

UCAS Extra

UCAS Extra is available to applicants who want to add new course choices. It is available from 25 February until early July.

If you have not received any offers or you have declined offers you did receive, then you might be able to add another choice. If you are holding an offer from a university or college, you will need to decline this before you can use Extra. You can only apply to one course at a time, meaning you cannot have an insurance choice. If Extra is available to you it will show up as a button when you sign in to track your application.

See the  UCAS website for more information on Extra including applicable fees.

Not all courses will have vacancies available through Extra. 

Part time courses

If you are considering studying part time, you will typically make an application direct to the university or college. You will find course listings on the university or college’s websites and information on how to apply.

UCAS also provides  part time course listings.

Student finance

You must apply for student finance as soon as possible even if you’re not sure which course you will join in September.

You can apply for student finance without holding an offer.

You will be asked to add course details when you apply, but you can update this if you decide on a different course later.

It can take up to six weeks to process student finance applications.

Applications for full-time student finance open in February. If you have completed an application and submitted all supporting documents by 26 May, your loan will be approved in time for your course start date in September. If not, your money could be late.

Part-time applications can be made from late spring. Check the  student finance website for more details.

You can  find more information on making an application here.

Accommodation

If you are going to live away from home, particularly in halls of residence, you may only be able to apply for accommodation once you have accepted an offer.

If you plan to live in private accommodation, some student letting providers will want confirmation that you have accepted an offer.

For both private and university accommodation, you may need to pay a holding deposit, so it’s important that you are happy with your choice of course and accommodation.

Although you can’t apply for accommodation before you’ve accepted a place, make sure you do your research in advance so that you can make your application as soon as possible. Accommodation is usually allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and popular halls will often fill up quickly. The sooner you apply and get your offers, the more choice of accommodation you will have.