UCAS applications to UK higher education
What is UCAS' role?
We are the official online admissions service for UK universities – we are a non-profit organisation and have registered charity status. We work on behalf of the universities, connecting people to higher education.
What we do:
- Process applications
- Provide fraud and verification services
- Provide information, advice and training
- Conduct education sector engagement
What we don't do:
- Suggest courses/universities
- Make decisions/offers
- Advise on finance/immigration/visas
Become a UCAS centre
We support international tutors, agents and advisers, on top of processing applications to hundreds of universities and colleges in the UK.
To help you manage your students' applications to UK universities, you can become a UCAS registered centre and use Apply for advisers, which enables you to link students to your centre. It's free to become a centre – stay up-to-date with the latest news with our monthly newsletters. We'll also provide you with online toolkits to help with the application process.
- Register for free and become a UCAS centre.
- Get UCAS advice, information and training to help you offer the best service to your students.
- Join the UCAS community and access specialised application and tracking tools.
- Receive our monthly newsletter with the latest UCAS news and access to our free resources.
Agents become UCAS centres in a slightly different way
It’s the same registration as becoming a UCAS centre – with the same benefits above – we just ask you to provide a reference from one of our member universities or colleges in the UK.
- This shows you are committed to helping students apply to study here.
- Universities and colleges can then easily monitor applications from your agency.
We are keen to work with any agents who work with our member universities and colleges in the UK. If you have any questions about registering as a UCAS centre, email us at schools@ucas.ac.uk.
International events
We also attend many events so you, your students and their parents can ask us about higher education and UCAS applications.
Resources and advice
To really help your students, you will need to know and advise on the following:
- UCAS' application process and online application. See our adviser toolkits for further details.
- How to complete the personal statement.
- General information on the tuition fees and finances associated with studying in the UK.
To keep up-to-date with UCAS, sign up for our newsletter.
You may also be interested in the benefits of becoming a UCAS registered centre. There are currently over 10,500 registered centres worldwide, including 4,200 schools, education consultancies, and other organisations outside the UK.
UCAS Conservatoires applicants manage their own applications. Referees are contacted by the applicant with details of what to do.
Read our information about providing a reference for UCAS Conservatoires applicants.