Planning to apply for a UK bachelor’s degree for fall 2025? UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) has recently announced new changes to streamline the application process, making it easier for international students to apply to UK universities.
Here’s a breakdown of the key updates:
- No More Application Fee for in Need: Beginning in 2025, students receiving free school meals in their home country will be exempt from the application fee. This makes applying to UK universities more accessible for talented students from diverse backgrounds. If a student doesn’t qualify for a waived application fee, they will only pay £28.50 to apply up to five UK schools!
- Contact Details and Residency: The application will ask a bit more about where a student has lived, which will allow universities to determine if the student will need to pay international or home tuition fees, regardless of their citizenship. Students will need to provide every address they’ve lived at for the past three years. (Not sure if you will need to pay home or international fees? Read this article.)
- Nationality: Students will be asked their country of birth, nationality, and if they hold dual nationality with another country. This section will also ask students if they have ever held a visa, to study in the UK, details about their visa status (if necessary) and indicate if they will need a visa to study in the UK. Students will also be asked their immigration status, if applicable.
- Clearer Education Details: Students will no longer have to specify whether your degree is below “Honors Level”. The application now provides simplified options for selecting international qualifications, such as a US high school degree or associate degree. UCAS is now able to connect to your school directly (with your permission) to automatically fill out your school details. Also, you are now able to elaborate on your personal school experience by explaining if you attended full-time, part-time, online, or in-person.
Trying to fill in the UCAS Application? Check out The UK Study Expert’s UCAS Guide for step-by-step support.
Another general update: The deadline for applications to be considered equally against UK students has been pushed back to January 29, 2025, at 18:00 UK time. While most US students can still apply after this date (make sure you check each university/program to see if there is a deadline!), we suggest trying to apply by this date if possible. Not sure if you should? Read this article to learn more.
Additional Resources:
- UCAS Website: https://www.ucas.com/
- UCAS for International Students: https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/international-eu-students
- Looking ahead to 2025 undergraduate applications: https://www.ucas.com/advisers/guides-and-resources/adviser-news/news/looking-ahead-2025-undergraduate-applications
Overall, UCAS believes that these changes will help make the process easier for international students.
Are you searching for UK universities that best match your academic profile? Take our FREE UK University Match Quiz!
About the Author:
Kelsey Grode
After Kelsey studied abroad in London for a semester in college, she fell in love with the UK and returned to earn her master’s degree in history at King’s College London. Since then, she has worked in international education helping US students earn their degrees in the UK. Kelsey currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
