The 2022 cycle toolkit

To help you support and guide your students, we’ve developed this toolkit to share key information about higher education, apprenticeships, 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.

UCAS Hub: The application gateway and place to explore options

Every student who wants to apply for courses starting in 2022 needs to register and create a UCAS account in the UCAS Hub. From here students will be able to start their application and: 

• explore dozens of subject guides and careers options to get inspired
• favourite and shortlist courses direct from the UCAS search tool
• use the personal statement tool to get a head start on their application
• chat to current students with UniBuddy

Covering everything from transferable skills to finding your purpose, these lessons below have been developed by expert careers advisers to help inspire, organise, and inform your students' future plans.

1. You don't know what you don't know...

Aim: To make students curious about their possible future, and become motivated to research it.

• Download lesson plan (192.74 KB)
• Download lesson presentation (2.59 MB) 

2. How many hellos are you away from your dream job?

Aim: To prepare students to communicate effectively, and to make good connections for future opportunities.

• Download lesson plan (1.12 MB)
• Download lesson presentation  (926.34 KB)

3. Will you dare to live the life you want?

Aim: To make students aware of the wide range of career options available, and get them thinking about what interests them. These resources focus on the sports industry as an example, to understand the abundance of opportunities available in the sector.

• Download lesson plan (1.31 MB)
• Download lesson presentation (592.8 KB) 

​4. Assumptions and influences – why you should challenge them regularly

Aim: To encourage students to challenge assumptions and influences which may limit their choices.

• Download lesson plan (1.51 MB)
• Download lesson presentation (2.89 MB) 

5. What drives you to be who you are?

Aim: To help students understand what motivates them in life.

• Download lesson plan (1.31 MB)
• Download lesson presentation (1.39 MB) 

6. Why shouldn't you be a water slide tester? 

Aim: To encourage students to consider career options across all industry sectors and to appreciate the different routes and outcomes of their choices.

• Download lesson plan (376.53 KB)
• Download lesson presentation (2.5 MB)

These short self-led tasks take students through the early uni research stages, encouraging them to explore their options on ucas.com and in more depth in the UCAS Hub. They’ve been designed in Microsoft Word, so you can add them to learning apps or email directly to students to complete.

• Turning the spotlight on yourself (2.29 MB) – in this pack students are encouraged to think about their interests and future options – encouraging them to start their research.
• Thinking of going to uni? (219.35 KB) – we get students thinking about what they may want from higher education and share more about how the UCAS Hub will help with research. 
• Choosing your courses (301.02 KB) – students are asked to start researching their courses and given pointers about what to research. 
• Apprenticeships (45.5 KB) – students can use this pack to kick-start their research about apprenticeships and explore all the jobs on offer. 

• Making the right choices presentation (47.22 MB) – this presentation gives an overview of the opportunities available and highlights future options, including the benefits of higher education.
• Myth busters handout (67.02 KB) – there are many myths about higher education. We’ve dispelled the top ones in this useful handout.
• Applying through UCAS presentation (28.86 MB) – for students who have decided they want to apply to higher education. It highlights where to start, key dates, and also gives an overview of the application and tracking process.
• Application process handout (595.2 KB) – we’ve broken the higher education application process down into three simple steps in this handout, including when we need to receive applications.​

Supporting tools

• Discovery Days – at UCAS/Discovery students can explore all kinds of possibilities. Talk to subject and admissions experts, discover apprenticeships, get advice on personal statements, applying through UCAS, and more.
• Virtual open days – we’ve created a centralised listing for upcoming uni virtual open days, and a handy video giving students tips on how to make the most out of them.
• Unibuddy – a chance for your students to talk to current undergraduates, to find out what studying a particular course or going to university is really like.
• The Careers Quiz – helping students discover their strengths and the type of jobs they may enjoy.
• What can I do next? – information about the variety of post-18 options available to your students.

Open your students' eyes to all the possibilities – from degree apprenticeships to studying abroad – and debunk some common myths about university.

• Year 13: What to expect (465.21 KB) – a useful resource for students to generate discussion and thought around their HE choices.
• What next after sixth form presentation (1.6 MB) – these editable presentation slides help you explore different HE routes your students could follow.
• Higher and degree apprenticeships guide (18.87 MB) – download our comprehensive guide to higher and degree apprenticeships. 
• Complete guide to sponsored degrees (3.8 MB) – a guide to share with your students, explaining what a sponsored degree is and the benefits of studying one.
• Complete guide to foundation-degrees (3.52 MB)– foundation degrees offer a great deal of flexibility, combining academic study with work-based learning.
• Applying for an apprenticeship: What your students need to know – find out how you can support your students to apply for a work-based option.
• What are two-year degree courses? An introduction to the Government's proposed two-year degree courses, including why your students may want to consider this fast-tracked route.
• Choosing the right subjects – give your students the tools they need to make informed decisions about which subjects to study at A level or equivalent.

We know parents look to you for information on the UCAS process. That’s why we’ve developed these resources, to share with them:

• Parent, Guardian and Carer Guide 2022 (1.7 MB) – everything they need to guide and support a young person with their options and decision-making, and through the UCAS application process.
• UCAS parents' evening presentation (17.22 MB) – a presentation you can give to parents at open days or parents' evenings. It illustrates the benefits of higher education, outlines the application process, and advises parents on what they can do to support their child.

We’ve been working on some exciting changes, based on adviser and student feedback. Below is a summary of the key changes and the resources to help you support your students.

• The UCAS Hub is the only place students need to register – students tell us multiple usernames and passwords are confusing, so those making 2022 applications will only have to register once in the UCAS Hub and they’ll use those credentials for their entire UCAS application – including tracking offers and decisions.
• Improved design – we’ve redesigned the application to make it responsive and user-friendly. The design will be consistent with ucas.com and the adviser portal – giving you and your students a more consistent experience.
• Clearer help text – in response to our most frequently asked questions, we’re updating our help text to give the best advice, guidance, and signposting to students as they complete their application.
• Tailored sections – we’ve updated the flow of the application to provide a more intuitive experience. For example:
  • we’ll only ask questions relevant to the applicant – for example, UK applicants won’t be able to see questions for international students
  • we’ve updated the name of specific sections to make it them easier for students to understand and navigate
• The application fee will be £22.00 for one choice applications and £26.50 for applications with multiple choices. 

• A walkthrough of the application (21.45 MB) – a presentation containing screenshots of the 2022 cycle application you can use in the classroom, or embed within your own guides and resources.
• Adviser checklist (150.54 KB) – a handy checklist of things to remember when your students are applying.
• Adviser FAQs (274.83 KB) – these are based on the most common questions we receive each year, so they should cover any burning issues you may have about applications.
• Student FAQs (135.98 KB) – for you to forward to your students and links to further information.
• Personal statement dos and don'ts (210.05 KB)
• How it works – an overview of the process (595.2 KB)
• Example application (2.92 MB) – shows each section of the online application, and includes help text. It’s handy for those with limited internet access. When using this with your students, it’s important to remind them this is only a guide, not an application. Your students will still need to register and complete their application online in the UCAS Hub, as we do not accept paper applications.

Below you’ll find links to resources that will help you in your role as an adviser.  

• Our adviser portal hub – our hub covers everything you need to do to get ready for 2022 applications, from setting up to managing applications.    
• Our Professional Development Platform – we offer free online training modules and bespoke training to help you support students and manage applications. Great for those new to advising students and for those who want to refresh their knowledge. 
• Key dates – make sure you know when all the deadlines are.  
• Adviser news – keep an eye on our adviser news and adviser timeline to make sure you don’t miss any big announcements or dates throughout the year.  
• International advisers – find out how we support international tutors, agents and advisers, on top of processing applications to hundreds of universities and colleges in the UK. And, on our dedicated pages for international and EU students, we show them why studying in the UK is a great choice and how to apply.

Adviser Guide 2022 (2.22 MB)

From entry requirements, to personal statement techniques, these guides will make sure your students have everything they need to successfully apply to university.

• Truths and myths about university – task students with deciding which statements are true or false to help them debunk some university myths.
• Getting into uni without A levels – A levels aren't the only option out there to take your students to university.
• Personal statement techniques – how can you support your students to write the perfect personal statement? We've rounded up the best personal statement techniques, tools, and resources...
• Student budget planner – managing finances at university can be a challenge – set your students on the right path with this simple student budget planner.
• Degree courses where work experience is essential – we explain which degree courses class work experience as an essential entry requirement.
• Careers advice and guidance activities to support students with SEND – expert advice and best practice suggestions on how to support your students with SEND in their career development.
• Student bursaries, scholarships, and financial support – as well as receiving loans to help cover tuition fees and living costs, your students may also be eligible to receive financial support they don't have to pay back.

For those in England, tools and academic resources are available on the Student Loans Company website. This includes factsheets, quick guides, films, and other resources to help you explain student finance to your students and their parents.

For guidance on other parts of the UK please check with your local funding organisation.