How to Defer Your UK University Offer

If you are planning to start university in 2020, you may be facing a sense of uncertainty after the coronavirus outbreak. Prospective students are worried about whether their university courses will begin as scheduled, and whether they will continue into the next academic year by moving online.

In this situation, if you think it would be the right move for you to postpone university for another year and spend a “gap year” before starting higher education, that is understandable. But how does deferring your university offer actually work in practice?

Deferring Your University Offer in the UK

Usually, if you decide to defer your university place in the UK, you simply choose a deferred entry start date in your UCAS application and explain the reason for deferral and your gap year plans in your personal statement. Your application will go through the same process as students applying directly to university after finishing school, and you will need to meet the conditions of your university offer in the same year as your non-deferred peers.

However, deferring your university offer after you have submitted your application is a different process. You must contact the university or college directly to request a deferred start, and you should explain the reasons for your decision. If you decide to defer after receiving your exam results, you must also contact the university directly.

There is no guarantee that your request will be accepted, so think carefully before deferring in this way. It is also worth remembering that some courses, such as medicine, do not accept deferred entry, and you will be asked to reapply.

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