A
Accommodation guarantee: a promise that a university will provide a room to students, usually if they apply by a set deadline.
Adjustment: an old term for students who exceeded their predicted grades. Students now simply use Clearing to switch to a different course.
BA / BSc / BEng: abbreviations for different types of bachelor’s degrees such as arts, science and engineering.
B
Block Learning: a focused way of teaching where students study one module at a time in a dedicated six-week block, rather than juggling multiple subjects at once.
Bursary: money given to students based on their financial situation that never has to be paid back.
Buzzword: a unique code from a school or college that connects a student's UCAS application to their official teacher reference and predicted grades.
C
Clearing: the system used to fill remaining course places. It’s a great way for students to find a spot if they miss their grades or change their minds.
Conditional Offer: a place is reserved for your young person if they achieve specific exam results.
Contact time: the total number of hours each week a student spends in scheduled teaching sessions such as lectures, seminars and labs, with an academic presence.
Contextual Offer: a more flexible entry requirement that considers a student's background, such as where they live or the school they attended.
Cost of living support: extra help from the university, like hardship funds or discounts, to help students manage daily expenses.
D
Deferral: securing a university place now but choosing to start the course a year later.
Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA): non-repayable support (not a loan) for students with a disability, long-term health condition, or learning difficulty like dyslexia or ADHD.
E
Enrolment: the final step where your young person officially registers with the university, verifies their identity and gains access to their course and student card.
Entry requirements: the specific grades, subjects or qualifications a student needs to be accepted onto a course.
Equal Consideration Deadline: a January date (14 January 2026) that ensures universities must give student applications the same fair thought as every other applicant for the same course.
F
Firm Choice: your young person’s first-choice university.
Foundation year: an extra year at the start of a degree to help students prepare if they don’t quite meet the entry requirements for Year 1.
G
GDPR / Privacy consent: the legal restriction that prevents universities from sharing a student's information with parents without the student's permission.
Graduate Premium: the statistical trend showing that, on average, people with a degree earn significantly more over their lifetime than those without one.
I
Independent study: the time students spend learning on their own outside of formal classes. This includes reading, research, and working on assignments.
Insurance Choice: a ‘back-up’ university with lower entry requirements, used if your young person misses the grades for their Firm Choice.
L
Lecture: a formal presentation where a tutor teaches a large group of students at once.
M
Maintenance Loan: a government loan paid directly to your young person to help cover living costs like rent and food.
Modules: the individual units or mini subjects that make up a full degree course. A student usually studies several modules each year to earn their credits.
MEng: a Master of Engineering degree, which usually takes four years (or five years with a placement year) and combines undergraduate and postgraduate study.
O
Open Day: a scheduled event where prospective students and their families can tour the campus, explore accommodation, and speak directly with tutors and current students.
P
Personal ID: a unique 10-digit number assigned to your young person. They will need this whenever they contact UCAS or a university.
Personal Statement: a 4,000-character essay written by your young person to show why they are a great fit for their chosen course.
Placement year: a year spent working in a professional industry to gain experience, often called a Sandwich Year.
Postgraduate (PG): further study, such as a master’s or PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), taken after a student has already graduated with their first degree.
Prospectus: a digital or printed guide produced by a university to provide detailed information about its courses, facilities and campus life.
R
Reference: a formal recommendation written by a teacher or tutor to support a student's application.
S
Scholarship: money given to students that doesn't need to be paid back, usually awarded for excellence in academics, music, or sport.
Seminar: a small, interactive group session where students discuss topics with a tutor.
Student Finance: the government body that provides loans to cover tuition fees and maintenance loans.
Student Services: a dedicated campus team that helps students with everything from finances to finding a job.
Student Support Services: a network of professional teams that provide guidance on non-academic issues such as budgeting, safety, disability support and mental health.
T
Tariff Points: a system that turns grades into a numbered score (for example, an A level Grade A is worth 48 points).
Tuition fees: the cost of teaching a course, usually covered by a loan paid directly to the university.
Tutorial: a small group or one-to-one meeting with a tutor for personalised feedback.
U
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS): the central organisation that processes nearly all UK university applications.
UCAS Extra: a second chance (between February and July) for students to apply for one more course if they have no offers from their initial five choices.
UCAS Hub: the online dashboard where your young person can manage their application, track offers and reply to universities.
Unconditional Offer: a guaranteed place at a university that is not dependent on final exam results.
Undergraduate (UG): a student studying for their first degree, usually a bachelor’s degree.
W
Wellbeing support: professional on-campus teams dedicated to mental health and student welfare.
Withdrawal: when an application for a specific course is cancelled by either the student or the university.
Y
Your Students’ Union (Your SU): a student-led organisation that runs clubs and societies and provides independent support and advice.
