You have a second chance to enroll in the course you want through UCAS Extra. We’ve explained every step in detail if you’re wondering how UCAS Extra operates.

If you applied through UCAS, are not holding any offers, and are not awaiting a response on any of your initial five applications, you may use the free service known as UCAS Extra to continue applying for higher education programs after you’ve exhausted your initial five options.

You can apply through UCAS Extra from 25 February until 4 July this year. After this, you can still apply for a university spot through clearing if you haven’t received any offers yet.

For more information on UCAS Extra, please read this article.

What is UCAS Extra?

In order to help you secure a university place before the Clearing process begins, UCAS Extra enables you to add another choice at no additional cost if you have already exhausted all of your course options or have declined your university offers.

If all five of your options have been exhausted but you do not currently hold any offers, you will automatically be eligible for this free UCAS service.

If you become qualified, UCAS will send you all the information you need to apply. On the UCAS website, you can find the courses offered at each university that will take these applications.

When Does UCAS Extra Open?

On February 23, 2023, UCAS Extra will be open for all undergraduate applications.

When Does UCAS Extra Close?

The final day to submit a UCAS Extra application is July 4, 2023. After this, you can go into clearing if you have no offers.

How Does UCAS Extra Work?

You don’t need to apply to use UCAS Extra; if you’re eligible, the “Add Extra Choice” button will automatically appear in the On your UCAS tracking page, go to the Choices section.

Key Points:

• There’s no limit to the number of courses you can apply to through Extra.
• You can only apply for one at a time, so you won’t be able to pick a first choice and an insurance offer like in the first round of applications.
• If you accept an offer through UCAS Extra, you will be expected to take up your place there and will be ineligible for Clearing, unless you fail to meet the grade requirements of the offer.
• If you haven’t heard back from a course you applied to through Extra and you’d like to apply for another you can withdraw an Extra application at any time, but it’s worth checking with the university or college itself to make sure an offer isn’t on its way before you do.

Who’s Eligible for UCAS Extra?

You’ll be eligible for Extra if:

• After exhausting your five options, you have no offers left.
• Your decision has since changed, and you rejected all of the offers made to you.

You are exempt from going through Extra if you did not use all five of your options when you initially submitted your application, provided you have not accepted any offers or had any of your options declined you. Just add a second option in UCAS Hub before June 30 and make sure you don’t accept or reject any offers in the interim.

If you reject your offers and add an Extra option, keep in mind that you won’t be able to accept any of your initial options later.

How Do I Apply Via UCAS Extra?

Either submit your application through the UCAS website or get in touch with the university directly.

A fresh online personal statement or reference cannot currently be submitted through UCAS Extra.

However, you can send a new, pertinent statement directly to the university if you’re applying for a new course that is unrelated to the courses you’ve applied for in your previous five choices. Once you’ve added this new course to your list of options, you can do that.

Telling the university that a new statement is being prepared is a good idea. To ensure that your new statement is associated with the appropriate application, don’t forget to include your UCAS application number.

You can request an updated reference from your referee if you’d like.

How Many Choices Can I Make through Extra?

One decision can be made at a time. You can apply to a different choice as long as you do so by July 4 if you don’t receive an offer or if you decide not to accept that offer.

Before the deadline, you are allowed to make as many decisions as you like, but you can only make one decision at a time, and once you reject an offer, you cannot accept it again. This cannot be changed after it has been added for 21 days.

Just keep in mind that if you apply through Extra, you won’t receive any insurance—just a firm choice. Therefore, be sure that any decision you make is feasible because there won’t be a backup plan in place if you don’t get the grades.

How to Apply through UCAS Extra?

These are the steps you’ll need to follow to make an application through Extra:

• Find a course that interests you.
• To confirm that the college or university will take you into consideration and to ask any questions you might have, get in touch with them directly.
• Apply for the new course in UCAS Hub once your prospective university has informed you that they will take you into consideration.
• Wait for the university or college to review your application. Following the initial 21-day waiting period, you have the option of either continuing to await a decision or changing your mind through Extra.

Be aware that your top five choices are visible to universities and colleges when you apply to them using Extra.

Your personal statement in your Hub, which they can also see, cannot also be changed. Therefore, if you’ve changed your mind about the course you want to take, it’s a good idea to let your preferred university or college know and offer to send them an updated personal statement.

Can You Change the Course You’ve Chosen Through UCAS Extra?

Yes, but you can only apply for one choice through Extra at a time, so don’t rush into applying for the first course you’re interested in; instead, take your time learning more about the course and the university.

There’s no limit to the number of courses you can apply to through, you can only apply for one at a time, so you can’t choose your top choice and an insurance offer at the same time as in the first round of applications.

You can withdraw an Extra application at any time if you haven’t heard from a course you applied to through Extra and you’re eager to apply for another, but it’s wise to check with the university or college directly to make sure an offer isn’t on the way before you do.

Conclusion: UCAS Extra and Clearing

UCAS Extra can be a highly effective option if you want a second chance at applying to universities and don’t want to wait until Clearing begins in early July, even though only a small percentage of students find themselves in need of it.

Within 21 days of applying through Extra, you can apply for a different course if you haven’t heard from the university or college. Don’t get upset if you can’t find anything through Extra; there are still university spots available during the Clearing process, which begins on 5 July.