It is important that you read this declaration carefully so that you are happy you understand its content.
Your application
We will ask you to confirm your agreement by ticking a box in the Terms and Conditions section before you submit your application. By ticking this box, we will consider that you accept the terms of the declaration set out below and privacy policy; we cannot process your application unless you do so.
a. How we verify the information you provide
We may take any necessary steps to check with you and other parties, including universities, colleges and examination and awarding bodies whether the information you have provided is accurate and complete if we, or a university or college, have any reason to believe that you or your referee have:
- left out any relevant information, including any previous academic study, qualifications you have completed, qualifications with an unsuccessful grade or qualifications for which you are still awaiting results
- given false or misleading information
We have the right to cancel your application without refunding your application fee if we determine (having carried out any necessary checks), or have reasonable belief, that your application contains false information.
If you have any reason to believe that information we hold about you is not true, complete and accurate, you must tell us.
If we need to verify your identity, we may use details in your application by making checks using any official, publicly available or commercially available identity checking services. If any adverse information is revealed about you we will let you know so that you have an opportunity to respond.
b. Your personal statement
Your personal statement must be completed by you and we do undertake checks to verify that it is your own work.
If your personal statement includes material that we reasonably consider may have been copied from or provided by another source, including but not limited to friends, writing service providers or artificial intelligence software, we may notify your current school, college or other UCAS registered centre (provided that, where legally required, we have your permission to share such information) and the universities and colleges to which you have applied, whose decision it will be to take what action they consider appropriate.
c. Misuse of credit or debit card
If we become aware that you have paid your application fee using a credit or debit card that you do not have permission to use, we will cancel your application.
We may also cancel your application if your payment is not honoured, i.e. a bank or credit card provider refuses to pay us.
d. If we need more information about you
We, and the universities and colleges, may ask you, your referee or your employer to provide more information about your application at any time. For example, we may need to see proof of:
- your identity
- your qualifications
- your employment history
If we do not receive that information after a reasonable period of time or any date that we have set for your response, we will suspend your application. If we do not receive that information before the end of the admissions cycle, we will cancel your application without giving you your application fee back.
If we request further information from you, and we do not reasonably consider that you have provided us with satisfactory information, we will cancel your application without giving you your application fee back.
You will not be able to submit another application for entry whilst your original application is suspended. If your application is cancelled, you will not be able to submit another application for entry in the same admissions cycle.
e. How many places can you have?
If you make an application through more than one of our application schemes, you may find yourself with more than one confirmed place. If this happens, we will ask you to accept one and withdraw from any others.
You can apply once in each application cycle. Please don’t apply more than once in an application cycle, as further applications will be cancelled, and you won’t receive a refund of your application fee.
f. Your contract
Your application is a contract between you and us, and when you accept an offer from a university or college, there will be a separate contract between you and them.
g. If we make a mistake
We try to process applications and decisions efficiently and accurately. However, we are not responsible for any mistakes or delays, or any loss or damage suffered by you as a result of any mistakes or delays, which are due to the acts or omissions of universities or colleges or which are otherwise outside of our reasonable control.
h. What you can expect from the university or college when you receive an offer
When you receive an offer of a place from a university or college, they should also provide you with or make available to you the 'pre-contract' information which is required under consumer legislation. This information should include, amongst other things:
- relevant information about course information and costs, such as tuition fees and any other relevant costs such as for field trips
- specialist equipment required for the course
- arrangements for making payments to the university or college
- their complaints-handling process, including your right to cancel your contract should you change your mind
- relevant information about their terms, rules and regulations relating to student conduct, which explain your rights and obligations to the university or college and, likewise, their obligations to you as a student at their institution
You should read and understand this information before making a decision about an offer, as this is likely to form the basis of the contract between you and the university or college if you subsequently enrol there. If you do not receive the required information, or if you wish to make a complaint, or if you are not clear about anything relating to your offer and the information provided, you should contact the university or college directly to ask for further advice.
i. If the course cannot be offered
If you become a student at a university or college, they must do all they can to provide the educational services in accordance with the contract you have with them. If the university or college is unable to provide these services for any reason, they should do all they can to keep the disruption to your education to a minimum, for example, by offering you a place on a suitable alternative course or providing assistance to help you find a suitable alternative place elsewhere.
j. Cancelling your application
You have the right to cancel your whole application. If you let us know within 14 days of the date on our official welcome email to you, we will refund your application fee.
To do this, please contact our Customer Experience Centre. If you cancel some, but not all, of your choices within 14 days of the date on your welcome email, we will not make any refund.
If you want to cancel your application after 14 days, you can do so in your application, or call our Customer Experience Centre. Your application fee will not be refunded. View our 'Contact us' page on our website.
Your right to appeal if we cancel your application
If we cancel your application you have the right to appeal. Further information on how to appeal is given at the time of cancellation. All appeals will be considered within a reasonable time by an independent and senior member of staff not involved in the initial decision to cancel. An appeal may be either upheld, in which case your application will be reinstated, or dismissed, in which case your application will remain cancelled. We will let you know the outcome of your appeal as soon as possible.
The appeal process relates only to applicants whose application has been cancelled by us. If you are not happy with some other aspect of our service, please follow the separate complaints procedure.
k. How we may use your personal information
When you agree to this declaration, by ticking a box to submit your application, you will be confirming that you understand and agree to how your personal information will be used, as explained in these terms and our privacy policy. Please read this policy carefully before submitting your application.
We limit access to the personal information contained within your application to educational establishments who participate in UCAS' admissions schemes, certain organisations who have statutory or regulatory responsibilities and to trusted, non-commercial organisations to enable research about higher education.
When you submit an application, UCAS may use your personal information for the following purposes:
Managing your application to higher education
- We share personal information in your application with the universities and colleges that you have applied to, so that they can consider and process your application. This will also include sharing your results from the examination and awarding bodies with the universities and colleges where you hold offers.
- We may correspond with your examination board or awarding organisation about your results and we may undertake surveys they may commission on their behalf.
- We will, if appropriate, share information with relevant professional and regulatory bodies in connection with enquiries relating to your fitness to practise.
- Where you apply or link your application through your school, college or UCAS registered centre, they will be able to access the content of your application, including information on your acceptance to a university or college, or if you are ultimately unplaced. This will allow your school or college to support you in submitting your application and to hold information on its outcome. They will not be able to amend your application or see any information you provide about your sexual orientation, gender identity or religious belief. You can also allow your school, college or UCAS registered centre to keep up-to-date with the progress of your application after it has been submitted.
- If you are an international applicant, we may share personal information with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) in connection with verification procedures for your entry into the United Kingdom for study purposes.
- Where available, we will also share performance information about your UK school or college with the universities and colleges to which you apply; they may use this information when they consider your application.
Reporting to organisations with responsibilities for higher education
Personal information may be provided to organisations that have either statutory or regulatory responsibilities for ensuring the effective operation of the higher education sector or monitoring the effectiveness of government policies for higher education. We will only supply personal information that identifies you for these purposes if the provision of statistical analysis is not suitable, the disclosure will not have a direct impact on your application and the uses of personal information provided are agreed under contractual terms.
Providing and enabling analysis and research about the higher education sector
- We will retain a copy of your application and use it, sometimes in combination with other information we hold for the purpose of producing statistical analysis and research in respect of the admissions schemes managed by UCAS. Any statistical analysis reports published will not allow any individual to be identified.
- We share personal information with the Office for National Statistics for use through the Secure Research Service to enable research about higher education where there is potential public benefit. Data is only available to accredited researchers for non-commercial purposes and information which could identify individuals is removed.
Other uses of personal information
- Prevention and detection of crime – to prevent and detect crimes of any nature, we may share personal information we hold with relevant bodies, such as government departments, local authorities, the NHS, law enforcement agencies, student finance bodies, examination and awarding bodies, professional bodies and other international admissions organisations.
- Surveys – we may send you surveys to ask for your opinions or to inform you about the development of UCAS' admissions services and admissions to higher education. Your responses will not be disclosed by UCAS to anyone else in a manner that identifies you.
Further information
Please see our privacy policy for a more detailed explanation about our uses of personal information, including the following:
- Our uses of personal information considered sensitive under Data Protection legislation, such as ethnicity and criminal convictions.
- Your rights in respect of your personal information, such as how to access a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- How to manage your privacy and restrict uses of your personal information.
- Our legal basis for using your personal information.
- How long we retain your personal information.
- Who to contact if you have a concern or question about our uses of personal information.
l. Agents
This section only applies to an individual or organisation (‘agent’) submitting an application on behalf of someone else.
Before submitting an application on behalf of someone else, an agent must:
- have all necessary authority to complete and submit the application on behalf of the applicant
- ensure the applicant has sufficient time to read, understand and accept the applicant declaration, our website terms and conditions, and our privacy policy.
- obtain the applicant’s agreement to these terms
By submitting an application on behalf of someone else, the agent is confirming that it has fully complied with these requirements. We have the right to cancel an application if we determine (having carried out any necessary checks), or have reason to believe, that an agent has not fully complied with these requirements.