2027 cycle toolkit

To help you support your students through the 2027 cycle, we’ve developed this toolkit with key information about higher education and the UCAS application process.

It brings together the essential updates and practical resources for this cycle – from key changes to ready‑to‑use materials you can share with students, colleagues, and parents, guardians, and carers. 

What’s new for 2027?

A clear view in the adviser portal

New tools in the adviser portal dashboard give you an overview of each student’s journey, highlighting their interests and engagement – from subject tasters to virtual work experience. With everything in one place, you can tailor your guidance and recommend personalised next steps.

Fee waiver to support care leavers

UCAS is expanding its application fee waiver initiative to cover care leavers. Building on the introduction of the free school meals fee waiver, this new support aims to make it easier for care leavers to apply, while supporting universities and colleges with earlier outreach in the admissions process. Find out more about the care leaver fee waiver.

Uploading supporting documents

For the first time, students will have the option to upload supporting documents directly into relevant sections of their application. Read our guide to uploading documents to learn how this works, what you'll be able to see, who it applies to, and which documents are accepted.

Updates to questions in the application

• A refreshed ‘More about you’ section will make it easier for students to share any relevant conditions, disabilities, or learning differences, using terminology aligned with sector standards.
• Students will be asked to share their biological sex as it appears on their birth certificate, which will include the option to respond with ‘Prefer not to say’. This is for equality monitoring and reporting purposes only. The existing separate question on gender identity will remain unchanged.

Internal deadlines

Set your internal application deadlines in the adviser portal, to appear for your students in the Hub. Deadlines are shown to all applicants linked to your centre via your buzzword.

If you set both an October and January deadline, the October date will show until it has passed, then switch to the January deadline. If you set only a January deadline, it will appear as soon as you save it.

The application fee

The UCAS application fee allows students to add up to five choices to their application, or up to six when applying to a conservatoire, and includes access to additional UCAS tools and services. View the application fee for 2027 entry.

Key date changes

• The January equal consideration date will be 13 January 2027.
• Extra will open on 25 February 2027.
• The reject by default (RBD) will be 12 May 2027.

View all key dates.

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.
• Newsletters – registered centre contacts receive a monthly email from us with timely information and guidance. Tell colleagues to sign up to stay informed.
• ucas.com/advisers – view the latest cycle updates and supporting materials.
• Adviser Live webinars – hear from UCAS teams and sector experts on different topics. Ask questions live to stay up-to-date on support for your students.
• Adviser Fundamentals – in-person training at UCAS HQ for new registered centres or advisers new to their role.
• UCAS for Advisers on LinkedIn – join the community for the latest tools and insights.

Supporting students and their parents

For optimal use we recommend these resources are downloaded rather than opened in a web browser.

• Your UCAS journey 2027 entry (41.33 MB)

  A comprehensive slide deck you can tailor for use in student sessions and parents' evenings. It includes detailed notes and key information to help you deliver engaging and informative presentations at key times.

• Applying through UCAS 2027 screenshots (37.77 MB)

  A set of screenshots you can use in your own materials to guide students step by step through the application journey.

• Toolkits for supporting students with individual needs 

  Practical guidance from expert organisations to help you support students with a range of individual needs.

• Parent, Guardian, and Carer Guide 2027

  Coming soon.
   

Are your students getting all the information they need?

Make sure your students don’t miss out on valuable information when they register with 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 information on courses, open days, and events
• careers information – expert careers advice and information on apprenticeship and job opportunities
• student deals – exclusive student deals on essentials such as 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 receive timely, useful updates direct to their inbox.