Adviser Guide
The essential guide for staff at schools, colleges, and other centres who manage potential undergraduate applicants to higher education courses in the UK.
2026 cycle toolkit
Everything you need to prepare for the 2026 application cycle – all in one place.
To help you support and guide your students, we’ve developed this toolkit with key information about higher education and the UCAS application process.
It contains a wide range of resources, which can be used together or as part of a programme, as well as materials to share with colleagues and parents.
Key date changes
- The January equal consideration date will be 14 January 2026.
- We are reintroducing the 31 March 2026 advisory deadline and associated decline by default date (DBD) of 6 May 2026 to encourage earlier decision-making.
- The reject by default (RBD) will be 13 May 2026.
What’s new for 2026?
New free school meals application fee waiver payment option
We’re introducing a new application fee payment option that can be used alongside current application fee payment options, ensuring you can manage what students see on the payment page to suit your centre.
Read the application fee waiver guide
Conservatoire references
UCAS Conservatoires applicants will no longer be required to provide two references. Instead, they need to submit contact details for one referee, who will only be contacted if additional information is required by the conservatoire.
More about conservatoire references
Application fee
The UCAS Undergraduate and UCAS Conservatoires application fee will be £28.95.
Personal statements have a new format for 2026
Now three separate sections, each with a different question to help shape the focus of students’ answers.
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1
Why do you want to study this course or subject?
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2
How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
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3
What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?
2026 personal statement guides
Our subect-specific guides will help your students find out what universities and colleges want to see in their personal statement and how to set themselves apart.Admissions test at University College London
University College London is introducing a new admissions test for various mathematics and social science programmes for 2026 entry.
Exploring all the options
Every student applying for courses in 2026 needs to register and create an account in the UCAS Hub. From here, students can explore all their options and start an application.
Discover more about the Hub’s tools and features, along with lesson plans designed around Gatsby Benchmarks and the CDI framework.
Supporting students and their parents
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– a comprehensive master deck featuring slides designed for use with students and during parents’ evenings. Copy and paste slides into your own materials to create your ideal resource. It includes detailed notes and key information to support you in delivering engaging and informative presentations.
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– screenshots for you to copy and paste into your own materials and guides to share the application journey with your students.
- Supporting students with individual needs toolkits – practical tips from expert organisations for those advising students with individual needs.
- Parent, guardian, and carer guide 2026 – coming May 2025. Everything they need to support a young person with their higher education choices.
- Parent and guardian guide to apprenticeships – practical tips for supporting someone who might be considering an apprenticeship.
Are your students getting all the information they need?
Make sure your students don’t miss out on valuable information when they sign up for UCAS. We work with trusted third parties to ensure students get all the information they need to make an informed choice, including:
- study opportunities – tailored info on courses, open days, and events
- careers information – expert careers advice and info on apprenticeship and job opportunities
- student deals – exclusive student deals on essentials like tech, transport, accommodation, and more
- surveys – the opportunity to share their views on key topics that shape the student experience
Encourage them to sign up to get all the latest info direct to their inbox.
Support for teachers and advisers
If this is your first cycle as a UCAS adviser, we have a number of key resources to support you:
- Professional Development Platform (PDP) – learn more about UCAS and managing your students’ applications with free short training courses to support you in your role.
- ucas.com/advisers – view the timeline of activity for the cycle ahead and the latest IAG.
- Adviser Live webinars – hear from UCAS teams and sector experts on the latest topics. Ask questions live to stay up-to-date on support for your students.
- Newsletters – registered centre contacts receive a monthly email from us with timely information and guidance. Tell colleagues to sign up here to stay informed.
- Adviser Fundamentals – in-person training at UCAS HQ for new registered centres or advisers new to their role.