What is UCAS Extra?

CONTENTS

1. What is UCAS Extra?

2. How does UCAS Extra work?

3. When does UCAS Extra open in 2026?

4. How do I apply via UCAS Extra?

5. UCAS Extra offers

6. UCAS Extra and Clearing

What is UCAS Extra?

Don’t let the name fool you; UCAS Extra isn't about getting extra UCAS points. Instead, it’s a lifeline for students left without a place at university after receiving their university decisions. After the main university application deadline passes, it can open doors to new opportunities, allowing you to add another university choice at no extra cost. UCAS Extra can help you gain an offer of a place at university before Clearing begins.

How does UCAS Extra work?

You can apply to up to five universities in your initial UCAS application. If you made five choices and have received decisions from all of them, you can use UCAS Extra if:

• You were not accepted, or
• You declined the offers you got.

If you did not use all five choices, you can log into UCAS hub and add a course to your original application instead of using UCAS Extra.

There are a few key things to note about using Extra:

• You can only use Extra if you do not hold an offer of a place at university. If you have been offered a place, think carefully before rejecting it.
• Once you add a new choice through Extra, you cannot go back to your original choices.
• You can only add one course at a time, so you will not have an insurance choice.

When does UCAS Extra open in 2026?

UCAS Extra 2026 opens on 26 February and will close on 1 July.

How do I apply via UCAS Extra?

On the UCAS Hub, your application will say ‘eligible for Extra’ if the service is available and you are eligible to use it.

1. On the UCAS website, find a course you want to apply for.
2. Contact the university to check they’ll consider your application and ask any questions you may have.
3. Add the new course details to your application to apply for it.
4. Wait to hear back from the university.

UCAS Extra does not allow applicants to submit a new personal statement or reference. If you are applying for a different subject, you should send an updated statement directly to the university after you have submitted the new course as your Extra choice.

Let the university know a revised statement is on its way. Include your UCAS application number on the statement so that unis can match it to the correct application. If you wish, you can ask your referee to update their reference, too.

UCAS Extra offers

If a university makes you an offer, whether it's unconditional or conditional, you can either firmly accept or decline it, just like any other offer. The university will set a deadline for responding to the offer, so make sure you note this date.

If you accept the offer, you become an Unconditional Firm (UF) or Conditional Firm (CF) applicant for that university.  In UCAS Extra you can only add one choice at a time, which means an insurance choice is not available. Once you accept the offer of a place you are committed to it in exactly the same way as the main UCAS scheme.

If you don't get an offer after 21 days, or you decide to decline your offer, you can then make another choice through UCAS Extra.

UCAS Extra and Clearing

UCAS Extra is something only a small number of students use. But if you're not keen on waiting for Clearing, it can be a good way to have another go at applying to university. Clearing essentially offers the remaining university spots on a first-come, first-served basis. Clearing kicks off on 2 July and runs through to 19 October.

Here are the main differences between the initial application, UCAS Extra, and Clearing.

Initial application: if you've got a spare choice you haven't used, you can add another one until 30 June. Any choices added after this date automatically go into Clearing.

UCAS Extra: if you don't have a university spot after your initial application, you can use UCAS Extra. This lets you add one choice at a time from 26 February to 1 July 2026. The universities then have until 15 July to get back to you. If you add a choice after 2 July, it will be in Clearing.

Clearing: you can use Clearing from early July if you don't already have a university offer. If you haven’t applied to UCAS at all, you can do so up until 24 September. You can add a Clearing course choice until 19 October. The catch is, the longer you wait, the fewer university places will be left. Your place won't be secured until you have your results in hand.

The shortcut to your uni shortlist

Make your university search faster and less stressful.
Get a personalised shortlist by selecting what matters to you.

GET STARTED