Applications, data and policy

Full-time first degree and other full-time undergraduate-level courses – anyone applying to a provider that uses the UCAS Undergraduate scheme to recruit for its full-time first degree and other full-time undergraduate level courses listed in the UCAS search tool.

• bachelor’s level courses
• extended or integrated master’s level courses – e.g. MChem, MEng, MMaths, MPhys
• other undergraduate qualifications – e.g. CertHE, DipHE, HNC, HND, foundation degree

Postgraduate degree in social work or nursing (pre-registration) – anyone applying to a full-time postgraduate degree in social work or nursing, which is listed in the UCAS search tool.

Year zero foundation or integrated courses – anyone wanting to enter a full-time stand-alone year zero foundation course – or a full-time course which has a year zero as an integral part of the course.

Top-up awards, advanced standing or admission with credit – any student who wants to pursue a ‘top-up’ award on the basis of previous study for which the original recruitment was through an admissions service other than the UCAS Undergraduate scheme.

Students from a school or college with a compact arrangement – anyone from a school or college with a compact arrangement, or any other form of guaranteed progression to a UCAS Undergraduate provider.

Students on Level 3 courses, including Access courses or foundation years – any student studying any Level 3 course, including an Access course or foundation year, provided by a UCAS Undergraduate provider must apply through the UCAS Undergraduate scheme for an undergraduate (or equivalent) course offered by that provider.

Students with advanced standing or admission with credit – any student who wants to enter a course at a provider in the UCAS Undergraduate scheme with advanced standing, or admission with credit, at any point of the course.

Students progressing from Level 3 to 4, or SQA Level 6 to 7 – any student progressing from a Level 3 /SQA Level 6 course to a Level 4 /SQA Level 7 course listed in the UCAS search tool at the same UCAS Undergraduate provider.

Students completing only part of a course at a UCAS Undergraduate provider – any student completing only part of a course at a UCAS Undergraduate provider, and then transferring to another UCAS Undergraduate provider, or providers, for the same course or a different course.

Part-time students at a UCAS Undergraduate provider – any part-time student at a UCAS Undergraduate provider (irrespective of the period of registration) who wants to apply for a full-time course at another UCAS Undergraduate provider.

Previous applicants through the UCAS Undergraduate scheme – any student who has already applied through the UCAS Undergraduate scheme, completed a course at one provider, and then wants to apply to another provider to start, or otherwise enter with credit any other HE course listed in the UCAS search tool.

Applicants who then registered for a course not at full-time first degree level – any student who initially applied through the UCAS Undergraduate scheme and registered for a course at other than full-time first degree level, and who now wants to apply to one or more other UCAS undergraduate providers (one of which may be the original ‘awarding’ provider) using CATS or APEL arrangements, must make a further application through the UCAS Undergraduate scheme.

Students progressing from international study to a UCAS Undergraduate course – any student progressing from study at an international HE provider to a UCAS Undergraduate provider as part of a one-to-one or consortium arrangement (where a student’s choice of providers is restricted to a member of the consortium). The UCAS Undergraduate provider is required to complete a Record of Prior Acceptance (RPA) in order to maintain the integrity of UCAS Undergraduate data, and for compliance with the UCAS Undergraduate Application and Recruitment Policy Business Rule 1.

Students who have an unconditional acceptance by a provider – any student who has been given an unconditional acceptance (UF) by a provider, and the provider hasn’t required them to complete a UCAS Undergraduate application. The provider needs to complete a Record of Prior Acceptance (RPA) to maintain the integrity of UCAS Undergraduate data, and for compliance with the UCAS Undergraduate Application and Recruitment Policy principle 1.

Students starting a course on a part-time basis – any student who studies a course on a part-time basis for at least one academic year, and who then applies for the same course on a full-time basis at the same provider.

Students on undergraduate courses shorter than a year – any student studying an undergraduate course (or equivalent) of less than a full academic year’s duration.

Students transferring from one degree course to another at the same provider – any student who changes course after a year of their degree course, or progresses from a foundation degree to undergraduate degree, at the same provider.

International students studying for an international qualification – any international student studying for an international (non-EU) award or qualification which isn’t validated by a UK awarding organisation or provider, which requires part of the time to be spent at a UCAS Undergraduate provider.

Degree students applying for an intercalating degree at the same provider – any student who is currently undertaking a degree course at a provider which offers intercalating degrees, and applies for such a degree at the same provider in the course of studying for their original degree.

Students progressing from foundation to degree at the same provider – any student who has already applied through the UCAS Undergraduate scheme for a foundation or other sub-degree course (e.g. HNC or HND) and then progresses directly to a degree course at the same provider isn’t required to apply through UCAS again. Where recruitment to the foundation course wasn’t through the UCAS Undergraduate scheme this exemption doesn’t apply.

Degree or graduate apprentices in Scotland – any student combining studying for a degree with working for an employer.

To use Extra, applicants must have used all five choices and not be holding any offers as they have either:

• withdrawn
• been unsuccessful
• declined any offers made to them at all of their choices

Providers need to declare whether courses have vacancies in the collection tool. We'll remind providers in our weekly bulletin.

Applicants can search for courses with vacancies in the search tool, and add an Extra choice in their application. Eligible applicants can apply to one Extra choice at a time.

Applicants are locked into an Extra choice for 21 days – unless the application is withdrawn or made unsuccessful by the provider.

After 21 days the applicant can continue to await a decision from the provider currently considering them, or withdraw from them in their application and add another Extra choice.

An Extra choice is always transmitted as Choice 7 – whether or not it's the first Extra choice made by the applicant. We hold a complete history of all Extra choices and outcomes.

If the applicant has previously applied to you, only the Extra choice record will be made available.

You should aim to make a decision within 21 days of the application being referred to you. You can make conditional or unconditional offers, or enter an unsuccessful decision for unsuitable applicants. You may receive applicant requests to withdraw their application within the 21 days.

Extra applicants will be included in the ODL.

Outstanding decisions for Extra applications will be rejected by default.

Applicants may firmly accept unconditional or conditional offers or decline them.

All outstanding replies from applicants will be declined by default, making the applicant eligible for Clearing. If you still want to give the applicant a place, they must be accepted in Clearing once they have met any conditions.

Applicants with only four choices in the above subjects will only be able to enter Extra when choice 5 has been used.

If you're prepared to consider the applicant for one of these subjects you should contact the Customer Success Team. We'll refer the application to a course of your choosing at your provider, record a cancellation for this fifth choice, then add the relevant Extra choice in line 7. This procedure is necessary to ensure consecutive choices are recorded by us and by you.

Applicants are asked to state whether they have a disability, learning difficulty or mental health condition. The codes for disabilities, special needs and medical conditions and mental health conditions:

• A – No disability
• B – You have a social/communication impairment such as Asperger’s syndrome/other autistic spectrum disorder
• C – You are blind or have a serious visual impairment uncorrected by glasses
• D – You are deaf or have a serious hearing impairment
• E – You have a long standing illness or health condition such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, chronic heart disease, or epilepsy
• F – You have a mental health condition, such as depression, schizophrenia or anxiety disorder
• G – You have a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or AD(H)D
• H – You have physical impairment or mobility issues, such as difficulty using your arms or using a wheelchair or crutches
• I – You have a disability, impairment or medical condition that is not listed above
• J – You have two or more impairments and/or disabling medical conditions

Applicants are asked to self-assess their residential categories, but are told that you make the final decision about their fee status.

P – UK citizen – England 

• You’re a UK citizen, or are the child or grandchild, or the spouse or civil partner of a UK citizen, and have lived in England for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you’ve been living in England for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in England prior to that three year period.

Q – UK citizen – Scotland

• You’re a UK citizen, or are the child or grandchild, or the spouse or civil partner of a UK citizen, and have lived in Scotland for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you've been living in Scotland for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in Scotland prior to that three year period.

R – UK citizen – Wales

• You're a UK citizen, or are the child or grandchild, or the spouse or civil partner of a UK citizen, and have lived in Wales for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you've been living in Wales for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in Wales prior to that three year period.

S – UK citizen – Northern Ireland

• You're a UK citizen, or are the child or grandchild, or the spouse or civil partner of a UK citizen, and have lived in Northern Ireland for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you've been living in Northern Ireland for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in Northern Ireland prior to that three year period.

T – British citizen – Channel Islands and Isle of Man

• You're a British citizen, or are the child or grandchild, or the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen, and have lived in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you've been living in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man prior to that three year period.

U – British citizen – British Overseas Territories

• You're a British citizen, or are the child or grandchild, or the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen, and have lived in the British Overseas Territories for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you've been living in the British Overseas Territories for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in the British Overseas Territories prior to that three year period.

V – EU national (non-UK citizen)

• You're an EU national but not a UK citizen, or are the child or grandchild, or the spouse or civil partner of an EU national (but not a UK citizen), and have lived in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland or OT for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you've been living in the EEA or Switzerland or OT for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in the EEA or Switzerland or OT prior to that three year period.

2 – EEA or Swiss national

• Either – you're an EEA or Swiss national working in the UK, or you are the child, spouse or civil partner of such a person or you are the parent or grandparent of an EEA national working in the UK. You have lived in the EEA or Switzerland or OT for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you've been living in the EEA, Switzerland or OT for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in the EEA, Switzerland or OT prior to that three year period.
• Or – you're the child of a Swiss national and have lived in the EEA, Switzerland or OT for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you've been living in the EEA, Switzerland or OT prior to that three year period partly for full-time education, you also lived in the EEA, Switzerland or OT prior to that three year period.

3 – Child of a Turkish worker

• You're the child of a Turkish national who has lawfully worked in the UK, and you've lived in the EEA, Switzerland or Turkey for the past three years.

4 – Refugee

• You've been recognised as a refugee by the British government or you're the spouse, civil partner or child under 18 of such a person at the time of the asylum application.

5 – Humanitarian Protection or similar

• You have been granted Exceptional Leave to Enter or Remain, Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave or you are the spouse, civil partner or child under 18 of such a person at the time of the asylum application.

6 – Settled in the UK

• You have Indefinite Leave to Enter or Remain in the UK or have the Right of Abode in the UK and have lived in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man (or more than one of these) for three years, but not just for full-time education. (However, this does not apply if you are exempt from immigration control, for example, as a diplomat, a member of visiting armed forces or an employee of an international organisation or the family or staff member of such a person:
  (If this is your situation your residential category is Other).

9 – Other

Under consumer protection legislation, applicants have the right to cancel their entire application record with UCAS and receive a full refund of their application fee.

To do this, applicants must contact the UCAS Customer Experience Centre or complete the UCAS Undergraduate cancellation form within 14 days of the date of UCAS’ official welcome email. Applicants who cancel within this timeframe can resubmit a new application with up to five choices in the same cycle.

We will cancel an application record (which includes all of the applicant’s choices) from the current cycle in the following circumstances:

• Duplicate application – it has been discovered that an applicant has made two applications in the same cycle to the UCAS Undergraduate scheme
• Death of an applicant
• Fraudulent application
• The applicant has chosen to cancel their application within 14 calendar days

Under normal circumstances, we're informed of an applicant’s death by the family or an adviser at the applicant’s school or college. If you are informed of an applicant’s death and you haven't heard from us, please contact the Customer Success Team right away.

We then immediately cancel the record and email the Primary Correspondent at all the providers the applicant applied to. We ask for confirmation that our correspondence has been received. The application record will be cancelled and no longer available to you. The cancellation ensures no letters are generated to the applicant, to avoid further distress to the family.

After the 14-day cancellation period, applicants can withdraw their entire application in the UCAS Hub or by contacting the UCAS Customer Experience Centre, but their application fee won't be refunded.

Once an applicant has completely withdrawn from an admissions cycle, they won't be able to reapply in that cycle, but can apply in future cycles. In addition, they can't be accepted using an RPA in that cycle.

Applicants who are holding a deferred place for the current cycle, which they applied to in a previous cycle, won't be able to apply in the current cycle unless their previous application is completely withdrawn.

Applicants who withdraw some (but not all) of their choices on their application record within 14 days of the date on the welcome email will not receive any refund. For example, if an applicant withdraws one or more of their choices to reduce their application to a single choice, UCAS won't refund any of their application fee.

Applicants can substitute their choices within 14 days of submitting their application. Substitutions outside of this time are only allowed in exceptional circumstances. Applicants should ask their referee to write to the Customer Experience Centre outlining the reasons why a substitution is being requested.

Applicants can withdraw their application to individual choices where decisions are still outstanding, so they can reply to offers already received.

Applicants won't receive a refund in these circumstances, except where they choose to cancel their entire application within 14 calendar days.

• Postcodes are validated, but an application can be processed even if applicants give an incorrect postcode, or don’t give one.
• UCAS application codes are validated during the application process.

• We can’t check the validity of the applicant’s entries or take responsibility for information provided by applicants and referees. This includes fee code, residential category, nationality, or examination results.
• Any registration numbers – e.g. BTEC, IELTS, TOEFL and National Insurance – are assumed to have been provided in good faith and correctly. You’re advised to make independent checks if you’d like to verify these.

Preventing and detecting fraud and similarity

The majority of information in an application record is available to the providers the applicant has applied to – except the following:

• occupational background
• ethnic origin
• religion or belief
• sexual orientation
• gender identity

You’ll receive this information only after the applicant has secured a place (i.e. become UF) or at the end of the application cycle – whichever is sooner. This information is only available for UK-domiciled applicants.

• You won’t be able to see where else an applicant has applied until they’ve replied to all offers made to them. This makes sure your consideration is made without bias and protects the applicant.
• Once an applicant’s record becomes visible, it won’t be set back to invisible if further choices are added. Invisibility isn’t applied to the previous choices for applicants in Extra or Clearing.
• You mustn’t request information about choices to other providers during interviews, visits or open days, written means, or any other communication with the applicant.

1. Customers must show consistency, fairness, and the avoidance of bias in the consideration of all applications and the use of contextual information.
2. Entry requirements and offer-making strategies must be evidence-based, and designed to recruit students with the potential to succeed on their programme of study.
3. Customers must support the provision of clear, current, and transparent information, including listing opportunities for study on the UCAS search tool.
4. The types of offers made for commonly presented qualifications must be listed on the UCAS search tool, including indicating at customer level the circumstances in which an offer may be made that is different to the published typical offer (for example, contextual offers).
5. All offer conditions must be clear, unambiguous, and within an applicant’s control to meet.
6. Customers must let applicants know why they need any additional information they have requested, and provide them with a reasonable deadline for supplying it. If the deadline must be short because of a UCAS or other (e.g. UKVI) deadline, then a customer will let the applicant know why.
7. Applicants should be given reasonable notice of any interview, audition, or additional assessment (either in person or electronically). If short notice must be given because of a UCAS or other deadline, then customers will explain this to the applicant.
8. Customers should give reasonable consideration to applicant requests for flexibility outside the standard dates and deadlines.
9. Customers must not place undue pressure (i.e. that which is not in the applicant’s best interests) in order to directly or indirectly influence an applicant’s decision.
10. Customers should take note of relevant sector good practice guidelines, such as the Universities UK (UUK) Code of Practice and the QAA Quality Code.

1. In order to provide a fair, transparent and comprehensive process for applicants and the sector, UCAS expects customers to list and recruit all eligible full-time undergraduate applicants through UCAS, identifying UCAS as the main application route on their website and in any marketing materials.
2. The standard application route should be used to recruit applicants in most cases. The Record of Prior Acceptance (RPA) can be used according to exemptions listed in the Admissions Guide but must only be used in applicants’ best interests and must never be used in order to curtail student choice.
3. Customers must consider all applications for each course on an equal basis, if they are received on or before the relevant equal consideration deadline.
4. Customers must not ask applicants where else they have applied until the applicant has replied to all offers made to them. Application choices to other providers will remain invisible until the applicant’s replies have been recorded.
5. Customers must use and update UCAS as the authoritative source of information on the status of an application submitted through UCAS systems.
6. Customers must transmit the type of offer, any academic conditions, any other conditions which could result in a conditional offer becoming unconditional, subsequent decision/offer amendments, and Confirmation decisions to the applicant using UCAS systems.
7. Offers must clearly distinguish between those offer conditions which must be met to enrol on the programme of study, and those which are not a enrolment requirement (such as those that give priority access to services, or change the type of offer prior to the receipt of examination results).
8. Once an offer is made to an applicant, the terms of the offer should only be changed with the applicant’s permission if the change would impose additional or more stringent conditions on the applicant.
9. Customers must not ask applicants to reply to offers before the normal reply date, regardless of when the offer was made, unless the course starts before 1 September. Requesting early replies in return for benefits (e.g. priority access to accommodation) is not permitted. Even where courses start before 1 September, providers must allow applicants a reasonable period of time to consider their options and respond.
10. Customers must make decisions about applications by the relevant published reject by default date, otherwise UCAS will reject the application (RBD). 
11. Customers must only communicate with applicants for reasonable purposes and must not seek to overturn or inappropriately influence their decisions. A customer must not approach an applicant who is holding a firm or insurance place at another customer unless:
    • the applicant has requested the contact (noting that where contact is requested by an applicant, customers should keep a written record)
    • the applicant has declined an offer with that customer and the customer is seeking feedback (noting that customers should keep a written record of such contact, and must not use it in-cycle as a means of persuading applicants to change their decisions).
12. Customers should not reject an applicant at Confirmation if they still have outstanding or missing conditions until either the standard deadline, or a deadline published by the customer in the offer, unless the applicant is unable to reach the terms of their offer based on the information already received.
13. If customers wish to receive examination results early they must sign the results embargo agreement and complete UCAS embargo training. There must be no disclosure, discussion or communication with applicants or other third parties before results are published.
14. Upon reasonable written notice, Customers must provide UCAS with correct, accurate and up to date information (for example about applicants, acceptances and acceptance routes) as soon as is reasonably practicable. UCAS shall have the right to access, copy and review any such information provided by the Customer as necessary in order to verify adherence to terms of service. Any such review shall be undertaken in close cooperation with the Customer and shall not unreasonably interfere with the Customer’s normal business operations. UCAS shall not be responsible for any costs incurred by the Customer in cooperating with such a review.
15. Customers must inform UCAS immediately when they become aware of a security incident which has or may be likely to impact on customer systems with access to applicant data and has the potential to affect UCAS systems and services. This includes (but is not limited to) the loss or theft of credentials used to access UCAS systems or any other security incident affecting customer IT systems which may cause a direct impact to UCAS. UCAS will then assess the impact and any restrictions required (including whether it is necessary to temporarily suspend access to some or all of its systems to you) while the incident is managed; and will work with the customer to reinstate access as soon as practicably possible once assurances of system integrity have been provided and deemed acceptable by UCAS. This will enable UCAS to ensure the safety and security of applicant data. If you become aware of a security incident, please contact the Customer Success Team on 0344 984 1111.

The principles and rules are reviewed regularly to make sure they're still relevant and effective.

You can let us know of any non-compliance with the rules and principles at businessrules@ucas.ac.uk. We'll then investigate, take relevant action and publish transparency reports as appropriate (which may identify individual customers).

As a customer of the UCAS Undergraduate scheme, you are bound by the Admissions Guide and the business rules contained in the UCAS application and Recruitment Policy (section 1), which is essential to ensure the integrity of the admissions service provided by UCAS for the benefit of its customers. 

Specifically, the business rules include the following:

Business Rule 9: Customers must not ask applicants to reply to offers before the normal reply date, regardless of when the offer was made, unless the course starts before 1 September. Requesting early replies in return for benefits (e.g., priority access to accommodation) is not permitted.

This Business Rule 9 requires that you must not place undue pressure on applicants to reply to offers before 6 June 2024, to ensure that applicants have time to make informed decisions. Examples of placing undue pressure on applicants include:

• Allowing priority booking for accommodation or other services, whereby an applicant who responds before 6 June 2024 receives a real or perceived advantage over other applicants.
• Operating a ‘first-come-first-served’ accommodation allocation which commences before 6 June 2024.
• Incentives, financial or otherwise, to reply to an offer before 6 June 2024.

For the 2024 admissions cycle, applicants who complete an ‘on-time’ application before the Equal Consideration Date of 31 January 2024 can add up to five choices at up to five different providers. These applications can be considered by providers until 16 May 2024, and applicants can consider their offers until 6 June 2024 before their reply deadline.

It's therefore acceptable to open your accommodation process before 6 June 2024, so long as the deadline for applying and receiving their accommodation allocation falls after this date.

If you have any questions about the UCAS Business Rules, please speak to your admissions department