FAQs
Visiting Coventry University
When can I visit Coventry University?
We offer four Open Days a year, held on a Saturday, between June and November. These are for prospective applicants who have yet to submit an application. We also offer Student-Led Tours if you are unable to attend an Open Day.
Once an application has been submitted, there are a series of Applicant Open Days held between December and March for those who have been made an offer to study at Coventry University. For certain courses these will also encompass interviews, auditions, portfolio reviews and group exercises.
How do I get a Prospectus?
You can order a UK undergraduate prospectus here. For any other prospectuses, visit the prospectus request page.
Accommodation
Does the University provide accommodation?
Coventry University has a wide range of accommodation, from traditional catered halls with shared bathrooms to self-catered ensuite studio flats. Students will normally move into shared private housing after their first year, and the University’s own accommodation provider, FutureLets, provides support in finding accommodation in the private rented sector.
It is not compulsory to stay in halls if you do not want to. We encourage students to, as we believe it will improve their student experience. You can find your own private accommodation, or if you live locally then you can save money by living at home.
What is the food in halls like?
If you are staying in Priory Hall, then you will have your meals in The Food Court in The Hub. For those living in Quadrant Hall, catering facilities are provided on-site. If you have any specific dietary requirements or allergies, you will need to notify the accommodation team prior to moving in, so they can cater for your individual needs.
How do I apply for accommodation?
Applicants who have chosen Coventry as their Firm choice can apply for University halls. The accommodation booking service usually opens in March, and if you are holding an unconditional/conditional Firm offer at that point you will be sent details of how to apply via email. If you receive an offer after this point, your offer letter will contain details of how to apply for accommodation.
When will I know what type of room I have got?
Your accommodation allocation will be confirmed once you hold an unconditional Firm place with Coventry University or you have fulfilled the conditions of your offer. If you have any questions about your room allocation, please contact FutureLets by phoning 02476 158 158 or by emailingunihalls@futurelets.co.uk.
Finance
Do I need to be rich to go to University?
No – there is lots of financial support available for students. You can apply for a tuition fee loan and maintenance loan to cover the costs of studying, provided you meet certain nationality and residential criteria. In certain circumstances, for example if you have dependents or a disability, you may be eligible to apply for additional grants.
Does Coventry University provide any financial help?
Yes, the University offers a variety of scholarships to students. Scholarships can be awarded based on academic merit or sporting excellence and there are several different scholarships that you may be eligible for. Please see here for further information about what’s on offer.
What is included in my tuition fees?
The tuition fees for each course can be found by searching for the course using our Course Finder or by looking in our prospectus.
The University is proud to offer a ‘No Hidden Extras’ policy. If you are studying an eligible course your tuition fee includes all essential items such as core textbooks, printing and mandatory UK field trips. We also make it clear if there are any other activities that will need to be paid for to avoid giving you any nasty financial surprises.
Pre-Application
Do my GCSEs matter?
Yes, we require all applicants to have 5 GCSEs at grade A*-C to include English Language and usually Maths. Some courses may require specific subjects such as Science or Art and Design – these are stated in the entry requirements. You can check the GCSE requirements for your course using the online course finder.
If you do not have sufficient GCSEs, or you have equivalent qualifications, your application will be considered on an individual basis.
Do you take Students with mixed Qualifications e.g. BTECs and A2 Levels?
Yes, provided that they are equivalent to a full Level 3 qualification (three A2 Levels) and meet the necessary grade requirements.
Do I need an A2 Level in the subject I want to study as a degree?
Where courses do not state a specific subject in their entry requirements, applicants can assume that this is not required.
For several of our programmes, specific subject(s) are essential, so please read the entry requirements carefully.
Do you accept applications from mature students?
Yes, we welcome applications from mature students. For those with significant relevant work or life experience, we can sometimes consider your application even if you do not have all the requisite qualifications.
What is a sandwich course?
A sandwich course includes a year spent either working in industry or studying abroad and lasts 4 years. Students on a sandwich course spend the first 2 years of their degree at Coventry University, one year either working in industry or studying abroad at a partner institution, and then come back to Coventry for their final year. Coventry University believes working and studying abroad really enhances students’ experience and employability. The Centre for Global Engagement is here to give all students the opportunity to work or study abroad. As part of our ‘No Hidden Extras’ policy, students do not pay tuition fees for the year they spend working or studying abroad.
How does the UCAS Tariff points system work?
Coventry University makes offers based on grades rather than UCAS Tariff points – if you do not meet the specified grades, but have achieved the equivalent in UCAS Tariff points, your application will be considered on an individual basis.
UCAS devised the Tariff points system to create a yardstick to compare the huge variety of qualifications available to students. Each grade for the different qualifications included in the Tariff is worth a certain number of UCAS Tariff points, for example an ‘A’ at A2-Level and a Distinction in the BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma are both equal to 56 UCAS points.
What should I include in my personal statement?
Your personal statement is your opportunity to tell us why you want to study a particular course and to show your suitability for higher education and what qualities you feel you would bring to the University. The UCAS website provides guidance on writing a personal statement.
Student Life
What is Coventry like?
The University is located in the city centre, which means that everything is within easy walking distance.
There are cinemas, theatres, art galleries and an ice rink, as well as restaurants, cafes and bars to suit all tastes and cultures. There is an excellent shopping centre and a traditional indoor market.
Coventry’s central location makes it easy to explore the surrounding area. Stratford-upon-Avon, William Shakespeare’s birthplace, is only 30 minutes away and Warwick Castle is even closer. You can take a train to Birmingham and be in the heart of Britain’s second city in around 20 minutes. Also, London is only an hour away by train.
What is the Students’ Union like?
TheHub was opened in 2011 following an extensive redevelopment. It is the centre of student life with spaces for group study and plenty of places to eat, drink and relax with friends. TheHub is also the home of Coventry University Students' Union (CUSU) who organise lots of opportunities for students including sports, societies and events.
What other facilities does the University have?
The Lanchester Library has over 350,000 books, 500 PCs and a multitude of other resources. The Disruptive Media Learning Lab opened in 2014 to provide students with more technology, group spaces and places to experiment with their own learning styles. There are many different study spaces in the Library to allow you to work either on your own or with friends. The library has its own cafe and resource shop.
The Sports Centre has a modern fitness suite equipped with a range of the latest cardiovascular and resistance machines. There are two bookable indoor sports halls, and a dance studio that also hosts a variety of exercise classes including Zumba and Body Pump.
The Westwood Heath Sports complex also has a floodlit AstroTurf, as well as grass pitches for football, hockey, cricket and rugby.
What will my timetable be like?
Your timetable will vary, depending on the subject you are studying. Your contact hours will involve a mixture of lectures, seminars and tutorials. For Science or Engineering subjects, this will contain additional hours spent in laboratories and on placements. For those studying Art or Design subjects, you will also have time scheduled in studios and workshops.
Applying
When should I apply? If I apply early will I have better chance of getting a place?
The UCAS deadline for on-time applications is 15th January. All applicants who apply before this date will receive equal consideration. Applications received after this date will only be considered if there are still places available on the chosen course.
How long does it take to assess UCAS applications?
The Admissions teams work extremely hard to ensure an efficient turnaround on all applications. We thoroughly consider all elements of an application, and as such are unable to provide a target time for assessment of applications. Providing a full and complete application will certainly enable us to consider your application more efficiently and means there won’t be any delays while we wait for missing information from you.
Do I need to provide a reference?
Yes, all applicants need to ask someone who is not a friend or a family member to provide a reference for them. If you are currently, or have been in education within the past three years, then this will need to be an academic reference from a tutor, teacher, etc. If you have been out of education longer than this, then we can accept a professional reference – this will usually be from your current or most recent employer. We can also accept a reference from a lawyer or a religious leader.
Why have I been asked to complete a fee assessment?
If you indicate on your application form that you have resided outside the UK (either currently or in the past), or that you hold a nationality other than British, you will be asked to complete a fee assessment. This enables us to determine how much you should pay in tuition fees – we are legally obliged to do this by the Home Office. If you have been asked to complete a tuition fee assessment, the Admissions team cannot consider your application until they receive your documents. If you do not provide them, this will lead to your application being withdrawn.
You will need to provide copies of the following:
- fee status questionnaire;
- passport;
- immigration documents (including visa, refugee status, etc.);
- proof of your residency in the UK for over three years, for example a utility bill, an NHS medical card, or a letter from your school or employer.
I’ve made a mistake on my application form. What should I do?
You should first contact UCAS as soon as you realise to ask them how to make the necessary changes, as this will vary depending on whether you have entered your telephone number incorrectly, missed a qualification or applied for the wrong course.
Why has my application been unsuccessful?
There may be a number of reasons and we are happy to provide feedback to all applicants who are unsuccessful in being offered a place.
If you have applied for an NHS/Department of Health regulated course, then you should request feedback by phoning 024 7679 5959.
For all other courses, feedback is given via email. You should email your request for feedback to ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk.
Interviews
How do I book an interview?
If you are invited to an interview, audition or portfolio review, then this will be communicated to you via email. This email will contain a link to book your interview. If you experience any problems booking your interview, please contact the Recruitment and Admissions Office by calling 024 7765 2222 or by emailing ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk.
Offers
How do offers work?
There are four different decisions that a university can make on your application:
- Conditional – your place at the university is subject to you meeting the entry requirements for your course. This is usually based on academic results, but sometimes other conditions will be included, for example payment of a deposit or a DBS check (formerly known as a CRB check).
- Unconditional – you have fulfilled all the entry requirements of your course, and your place at university is confirmed.
- Invite to interview – the university is impressed by your written application, and wishes to invite you to an interview. This could also take the form of an audition, portfolio review or a group exercise, depending on the course you have applied for.
- Unsuccessful – the university is unable to offer you a place to study at their institution.
How do I accept my offer?
Once you have received replies from all the universities you applied to, you will need to decide which (un)conditional offers you wish to accept. You will need to select a ‘firm’ choice university, which is where you definitely want to go.
It is advised that applicants holding conditional offers also select an ‘insurance’ choice – the entry requirements of this offer should be lower than that of your ‘firm’ choice.
UCAS will communicate the deadlines for replying to your offers well in advance, so you should check your emails/text messages regularly. If you do not reply to your offers by the deadline you are given, then UCAS will automatically decline all the offers you hold.
How do I change my course?
If you have had a change of heart since first submitting your application and now wish to study a different course, you will need to send an email to ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk. If the two courses are in different subject areas, for example Geography and Law, then you will need to provide a new personal statement outlining your reasons for wanting to change to this new course. We will then pass this onto the relevant admissions tutors for their consideration.
How do I defer my entry?
You will need to send an email to ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk stating that you wish to defer to the following year. This will be passed onto the relevant admissions tutors for their consideration. Please note that if your request to defer is successful, you will still need to meet the conditions of your offer by the August of the year in which you first submitted your application.
What happens when I get my results?
If you are studying A2 Levels, then UCAS will send us your results. If you are studying towards any other qualifications (including GCSEs), then you will need to send us a copy of your results once you have received them. Please send them via email to ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk or send a copy by post to Recruitment and Admissions Office, Alan Berry Building, Coventry University, Priory Street, Coventry, CV1 5FB.
As your Firm or Insurance choice, once we have received your results we will check whether you meet the conditions of your offer. If you have met the terms of your ‘Firm’ offer, then your place at that university will be confirmed – if you have an ‘Insurance’ choice, then your application to them will disappear.
If you do not meet the terms of your ‘Firm’ choice, then you will fall to your ‘Insurance’ choice. If you fail to meet the conditions of your offer there, or you do not have an ‘Insurance’ choice, you will be in Clearing.
Your UCAS Track will update with the status of your application, therefore it is important that you check it regularly – it will show if you have been accepted into your ‘Firm’ or your ‘Insurance’ choice, or if you are in Clearing.
Clearing
Your UCAS Track screen will show that you are in Clearing if you have not met the entry requirements for both your Firm and Insurance choice universities, or you have asked to be withdrawn from these places. Clearing is the system where universities attempt to fill any vacancies they have with applicants who have not gained a place during the main UCAS cycle.
Clearing opens at Coventry Unviersity on A2 Level Results Day (Thursday 13 August 2020) – if you have received your results before this date and already know you are in Clearing, you will need to wait until this date to contact us. A list of vacancies is published both on the UCAS website and in The Guardian newspaper.
Each university entering Clearing will have a ‘Clearing Hotline’ which you will need to ring in order to be considered for an advertised course. This will usually involve a discussion with an academic about your qualifications and motivation for studying the course, although this can vary between universities.
If the University you contact offers you a place then you will need to add them as a choice on UCAS Track (called ‘referring’ yourself). You can do this from 3pm onwards on A level Results Day and it will make the agreement to offer you a place official.
Key Application Dates
You can view a full list of important dates for applicants, including UCAS and Student Finance deadlines on the UCAS Track and Key Dates page.
My place at Coventry University has been confirmed – what happens next?
Congratulations! You will need to enrol at Coventry University twice – both online before you come (this opens in early January), and then again in person once you have arrived. This is the process through which an email address and Phoenix card (your student ID/library card) will be created for you. Once you have enrolled, you will also be given further details of where to collect any books or equipment that is included through the ‘Flying Start’ policy.
You will also receive a Welcome Pack by post. This contains information about enrolment, Freshers’ Week, arrival dates etc.
Term begins on January – the first week of term is called Welcome and Induction Week or Freshers’ Week. The Students’ Union organises events on most days and during the evening to encourage you to have fun and get to know other people. You will also meet students on your course during the course induction sessions, and have sessions introducing you to various support services around the University. It is very important that you attend your induction sessions as you will receive important information including your timetable and reading list.
If you are a UK student living in one of the University’s halls of residence, then you will usually move in the weekend before term starts (this can vary, so please ensure you check your contract carefully).
