Application Deadlines for accepting UCAS offers, 2024-2025

Assuming a UCAS application has been made for the 2024 - 2025 academic year, the acceptance deadline for offers may vary slightly according to what offers have been received and the university applied for.

Most potential students will have applied through UCAS by January 2024 for the majority of courses, or by July through UCAS Extra if the student didn´t receive an offer or rejected the one(s) they did receive.

These deadlines are set to ensure that universities and colleges know how many people have places on their undergraduate courses by a certain date. This allows them to offer any places they have available via clearing, and they can start the logistics of course planning and meeting students’ study and accommodation needs

It also ensures a degree of equality in the UCAS application process: the same conditions apply to every student.

(There is a degree of flexibility for overseas students, but they may put themselves at a disadvantage on popular courses by applying late.)

The bottom line is to pay attention to communications from offering universities and act swiftly to accept any offers to secure places.

Accepting University Offers

Universities will respond to applications for a place. UCAS will send an email to the student when their last response is received.  They will need to log back into their application to reply. (They should check their application to see their personal deadline.​)

In general, if a last decision is received by May 16, 2024, the student must reply by June 6, 2024 (unless using Extra – see above - to find a place).

If the last decision arrives between May 16 and July 17, 2024, students´ deadline is July 24, 2024.

Firm acceptance (UF) is an unconditional offer. If a student accepts an unconditional offer, they will be expected to attend that course.

A conditional offer (CF) means the place is theirs (a firm offer) provided they meet certain offer conditions, usually based on grades.

If a student accepts a conditional offer, they will be expected to attend that course if they meet the offer requirements.

However, if students accept a conditional offer, they can also accept a second offer as an ´insurance acceptance´, a back-up choice in case they don´t meet the conditions of the preferred offer. They will only be offered this place if they fail to meet the entry conditions of their firm (first) choice.

Early start dates

Some courses may start BEFORE the general reply dates given above (by UCAS). These courses will give students an earlier deadline to accept the offer. If the student fails to respond on time, they may well withdraw their offer.

It´s important to stay in touch with the university or college concerned for any instructions.

If a student accepts the offer of a course that starts earlier, this becomes a firm acceptance, and students must reject any other offers.

Declining Offers

Students may only accept one firm offer and make one insurance acceptance (if they choose to have one). They must decline all other offers. Therefore when they accept a firm offer, they must decline all other offers received. This is often done automatically.

Changing your mind about declining

If an automatic decline is recorded, but students have changed their mind and would like to accept it, they should contact the university directly to discuss this. They have 14 days from the automatic rejection to call UCAS and sort this out so contacting the university as soon as possible is highly advisable.

After this time (14 days), UCAS will need to get permission directly from the university to accept the place.

If a rejected university agrees to honour a previously rejected offer, UCAS has a process to confirm acceptance with all parties.

Nuclear option

If wavering, students can decline all offers and apply for another option via the UCAS Extra service (see above) or the UCAS Clearing service [https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/clearing-and-results-day/what-clearing].

Change of heart about a course

Students who change their mind about a place should contact UCAS to discuss it, whether this is in favour of another course option or something else.

The deadline for this is July 24, 2024.

However, if the student longer wants to attend university or college this academic year, they should simply sign in and withdraw their application(s).

Course cancellations

Sometimes courses are cancelled, or the details change so substantially that the college effectively cancels a course.

The university or college should let students know all of their options, keep students up-to-date, and let UCAS know of any changes.

There's no guarantee of an alternative offer or a place. Availability of places depends on the time of year, as well as other factors relating to when they are told the course is being withdrawn.

The university/college whose course was applied for should try to offer students another course at the same campus, or the same course at one of its other campuses (if possible).

If the student doesn´t want to accept the alternative place, they may want to be considered at another uni/college (for example, a university they had declined earlier in the cycle). It’s a good idea to contact the original university or college choice for them to see if the other university still has a place that they will consider the student for. If possible, they should do the hard work of contacting the alternative university/college on behalf of the student to explain the situation.

If the uni or college informs students of the course withdrawal before they have replied to an offer, the student has until June 30 to substitute this choice. The student (or the original university on their behalf) should check that the new university can consider them before doing this. Students should let the original university (with the cancelled course) know this is what they want to do (giving them the name of the new university and course). This university should contact UCAS to update the student´s application.

Missed Deadlines

UCAS will not be able to extend acceptance deadlines.

It is therefore vital that students pay close attention to any and all deadlines they are given.

Clearing

If, for whatever reason, students have missed the acceptance deadline, it is possible to apply for ´Clearing´ from June 30 onward.

The Clearing process starts on July 5, 2024

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