- Six steps for applicants
- Apply and Adviser Track
- Our role in the process
- Training sessions
- Non-UK advisers
- Guides and resources
- UCAS Tariff
- Conferences and events
- News
- Important dates
- Student finance
- Student number controls
Our role in the process
We are the organisation responsible for managing applications to higher education courses in the UK. Our process, tools and guidelines are designed to make applying easy, accurate and timely for your students and for staff at universities and colleges.
Six steps to applying
There are six main steps for applicants to follow when applying to university or college - we explain these in the six steps section.
Completing an application
Applicants complete an application online using Apply and can choose up to five course choices. They can apply as part of a school, college or other centre, or they can apply independently. If they choose to apply as part of a school, college or other centre, that centre is responsible for checking the application, providing a reference and sending the completed application to us. More about Apply for advisers
When we receive a completed application, we process it and send it to the chosen universities and colleges.
Supporting decision-making
When an institution makes a decision on the application, they send it to us and we display the decision in Track, which is an online tracking system for applicants. We will also send the applicant a letter or email (if they provided a valid email address on their application).
We explain what each decision means and how to reply to any offers received. See the offers section of this site for an explanation of offers and replies.
The time taken by universities and colleges to make a decision varies. Sometimes your students will have to take an admissions test or attend an interview.
Occasionally, a university or college might change their offer. If your student is offered an alternative to the course they applied to, for example, a different course or a deferred entry, we will write to them explaining their options.
Exam results
We receive exam results for certain qualifications. These qualifications are listed in the students' section. We send these results to the universities and colleges, who then confirm or decline applicants' offers based on their results.
Fraud
We have a verification unit working to identify fraudulent applications. If any of your students are found to have provided false or misleading information, their application could be cancelled. In order to check if their application is complete and accurate, we may, at any time, ask you, the student, their referee or employer for more information.
How to contact us
If you need to contact us, we have a dedicated Schools Team who can answer your questions. Call 0845 123 8001 (or 0044 845 123 8001 from outside the UK).