Be aware of the important dates

It is important that your son or daughter knows when to apply for higher education. The deadline can depend upon the university or college and course that they hope to study. The main dates are below.

  • book15 October: deadline for applications to Oxford or Cambridge universities and applications for medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine/science;
  • 15 January: main deadline for all other applications, except Route B art and design (sequential);
  • 7 March: advisory deadline for Route B art and design applications
  • 24 March: main deadline for Route B art and design (sequential);
  • 30 June: final date for late applications;
  • Mid-August: Clearing begins.

Find more important dates

Your son or daughter may be required to take an admissions test

Some universities and colleges require applicants to pass an admissions test as well as standard qualifications if they are applying for courses in certain subjects. Click on the admissions test link above to view a list of the admissions tests and their deadline dates.

Applying for financial help

The deadline to apply for a student loan is the end of June, but your son or daughter should apply as early as possible after the application forms are available. Depending on where you live, your son's or daughter's application will be processed by your local authority (LA) or the Student Loans Company. To find the contact details for your local authority, go to www.dfes.gov.uk/localauthorities.

Further advice about student loans and other sources of financial help is in the money matters section.