University Application Support

The Progression and Employability Team are a team of impartial careers advisers supporting 16-19 year old students to take their next steps to either university, employment, an apprenticeship, gap year or further studies at college. We encourage any learner who feels they need help and support in finding the right direction to come and talk through their options with us.

University application support

All 2nd year students applying to university should now have their UCAS applications well underway. UCAS started accepting applications in September and therefore we’d like to encourage students to complete their application as soon as possible. They should also keep in contact with their tutor and regularly check their college email for UCAS updates.  

We send over 1000 university applications a year, please be aware that we process applications in the order they are submitted – once submitted, please allow up to 10 working days for applications to be sent.

The college’s internal deadline for UCAS applications is Friday 6th December.

During term time we run daily UCAS drop-in sessions, from 12:00-14:00 in the Progression and Employability Hub, Tower Foyer, Hele Road. We can provide guidance on:

  •  Researching universities and courses
  •  Completing the UCAS application
  •  Writing a personal statement

As well as support from the team, students can access a wealth of information and resources via the Careers and University SharePoint page which is located on the student SharePoint homepage.

We also look forward to hosting several of our 2019 top ten university destinations for bespoke workshop sessions at the end of October and throughout November.

Receiving offers and making decisions

After submitting their UCAS application, students will receive decisions from universities via their online ‘track’ account. Once all decisions have been received, students will be able to select two offers from the maximum of five original choices. Therefore, we recommend that students ensure that they are certain about their programme choice, university location and accommodation before accepting an offer.

If students don’t receive offers or change their mind about their choices, they can take advantage of UCAS Extra which opens in February 2020 and enables them to make additional course choices.

For more information about UCAS Extra, students can visit www.ucas.com or contact the Progression and Employability Team.

Student Finance for Higher Education

It is important to be aware of the financial costs associated with higher education. Student Finance England provides information on the financial support available to students, such as:

  • Loans (Tuition Fee and Maintenance)
  • Repayments
  • Additional financial support

Students may also be eligible for university specific bursaries and scholarships but please ensure you check what’s available with your chosen universities.

The application for student finance is separate to the UCAS application. The student finance application can be done online from Spring 2020 and should be completed by the end of May, to ensure arrangements are in place for the start of your course. 

Need Further Support?

Students can book a careers appointment via their own eILP by clicking on the Progression and Employability booking page. Parents/guardians are welcome to come in for any booked appointments – please remember to visit our college reception to sign in as a visitor.

The Progression and Employability team can be contacted direct on progressionteam@exe-coll.ac.uk or 01392 400330.