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Applying to university

Deferred entry to university

Find out what deferred entry means, how you do it and weigh up the pros and cons of taking a gap year with our handy guide.

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CONTENTS

  1. Deferred entry

  2. What reasons might you have to defer?

  3. How do you defer entry to university?

  4. Clearing and deferred entry

  5. Can my university ask me to defer?

  6. Still unsure? Apply another time

  7. Can you defer university after you've started?

  8. If you have a deferred place

Deferred entry

If you find yourself asking, ‘am I ready for university?’ it could be worth considering a deferred entry. This means instead of starting your degree in the autumn, you start the year after – taking a year out beforehand. You can only defer for one year, not longer.

Deferred entry isn't an option on all courses, so first check with the universities you're interested in. An institution might not accept a deferral for a variety of reasons. Course entry requirements may change; on some courses a break in study may be viewed as detrimental; while others may be highly competitive with only a limited number of places (such as Medicine).

If you chose a deferral, you won't be alone. In 2023, 9.2% of 18-year-olds were accepted for deferred entry the following year.

What reasons might you have to defer?

In recent times, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that university tuition was often online rather than in-person. Courses with practical elements faced particular challenges. During this time, some students chose to defer their place, rather than facing the uncertainty of starting uni at this point.

Now that life has returned to normal, the most likely reason to take time out before you start is to have a gap year. Commonly used as a chance to travel or otherwise broaden your experience, a well-planned gap year can build your skills and confidence.

Another reason to defer entry might be to build up your funds before starting uni, or because of a change in personal circumstances.

Pros

Gap years are generally a good thing. It’s possible to go travelling or work full time to earn some money and gain valuable experience. Especially if you’ve worked very hard in your A Levels or equivalent, you may feel like you need a break. Time out could enable you to start university with a fresh perspective.

If you choose your opportunity carefully, you could develop the kind of maturity and enterprise that will help with your studies and your future career. Being able to demonstrate a sustained commitment can be attractive to employers.

Given the recent cost-of-living increases, you might also want to take extra time to earn some money ahead of starting uni

Deferring means you get your university place arranged before starting your job or travels and won’t have to worry about it during a gap year.

Cons

A deferred entry means it’ll be one year later before you’re in the graduate job market and earning a salary. If your chosen course is a long one, this could be worth considering.

If you don't plan your gap year, time will pass faster than you think. You may miss out on the opportunity to gain extra skills, experience or money.

If you are liable to pay tuition fees, you'll pay the fees for the year of entry rather than the one in which you applied.

It may take you a while to get back into serious study – but most students soon catch up and regain the study mentality. 

How do you defer entry to university?

In all cases, check whether the university or universities in question will accept a deferred entry.

If you're applying via UCAS, are three points at which you could defer:

  1. When you first submit your UCAS application form
  2. After you've submitted your UCAS application but before you have offers
  3. After you've accepted an offer of a place

What do you need to do?

  1. If you know you want to take a gap year when first completing your UCAS application, when you add your course choice, choose a start date for the following year. Give the reasons for deferring in your personal statement – outline your plans for your time out and how it will benefit you. Your application will go through the same process as those applying for the current year and you may receive offers at the same time, too.
  2. If you change your mind about deferring entry after you've submitted your application and before universities have made their offers, you'll need to contact the institutions you've applied to and see if they will accept a deferral. If they agree, they will inform UCAS.
  3. If you've already been offered a place, call the university to ask for advice. Be prepared to answer questions about why you’d like to start the following year. Universities may also give you a chance to defer when they send your course offer. You can ask to defer even after results day but it'll be the uni's decision whether to accept.

If you change your mind about deferring and want to start the course you applied for in the current year – in other words, withdraw your deferral – it'll depend on your university and whether they still have places available on that course.

In all cases, you also need to meet the conditions of entry for the year in which you apply for your course. If your exam results are different than expected, you may need to rethink your plans.

Clearing and deferred entry

After the main UCAS application cycle closes, Clearing offers the chance to find a place on a course that hasn't yet been filled.

Courses advertised by universities during Clearing are unlikely to offer you a deferred place, as their primary concern is to fill places for the autumn start.

If you already have a deferred entry place but decide to enter Clearing, use the 'decline my place' button in your application and let your university know that you won't be taking up the deferred place. Then you can complete a new application for courses in Clearing.

Can my university ask me to defer?

Rarely, a university may approach you to ask you to defer. This might happen if you had to appeal your exam results, but the appeal came through too late or your course no longer has capacity.

If you are offered a deferred place by your uni, or another alternative, you have five days to make your mind up whether to accept. You don't need to accept their offer if you don't want to.

Still unsure? Apply another time

If you haven’t decided which direction to go in, or if you think you need more time to get better grades or more qualifications, you can apply the following year instead rather than deferring. Whatever you choose, you must think about it carefully and weigh up the pros and cons.  

Can you defer university after you've started?

No – because it would no longer be deferred entry after you've registered to begin your course.

Once your exam results come and you've met all other conditions of entry, your deferred place will be confirmed. Great news – you can head on your gap year as planned!

Even though you're taking a year out, make sure your university has a current email address for you. You might miss important updates ahead of starting your course, such as details about accommodation. If you're going to be out of the country and unable to monitor emails, you can give your university permission for someone else to be a contact on your behalf.

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