The first step in the process of going to university is research. There are so many options, and it will take time for the student to explore and narrow down the suitable options. The earlier you begin researching, the better, and you can be a big help in assisting and supporting this research.  

Some valuable ways you can help your student is to:

• Visit UCAS/UK University Search fairs, which start in March of the year before entry, and attending one of these is a great way to speak to representatives from several universities, attend seminars, talk, and collect prospectuses.
• Book onto some university Open Days. Most universities hold their open days from May - October, where you can go along as a family if you wish and get a feel for the ones your student might want to apply to by speaking to current students, meeting lecturers and touring the facilities.
• Outside of the UK, there are many in-country events and alums who would be happy to discuss their undergraduate experiences. We also have a network of agents and representatives to support your student through the application process. Please take a look at our International pages to find out more.  Alternatively, our Virtual Open Day provides a great way to get a feel for the University.  

The next step is for your student to write their personal statement and submit their application to UCAS. UCAS has a website with helpful information to guide you through the year, like the UCAS Parents Guide.

UCAS applications open in September each year, and the initial deadline for most courses is in January, although Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary and Oxbridge applications close in October.

Your student’s school or college will have clear deadlines to support the UCAS application process. It may encourage an early application to allow plenty of time to complete a reference.

You can view the complete list of undergraduate UCAS key dates here.

This can often be one of the most daunting parts of the process for your student, but this can also be where you can help the most. UK/EU Student Finance applications should be submitted by the end of May to guarantee payment at the start of the term.

If your student is applying for a student loan based on household income, you may need to give Student Finance England information about your income.

This information is shared with universities to allow consideration for

additional financial support, such as our Lancaster Bursary.

Your household income is the joint income of you:

• your child
• your spouse/partner 

You will submit this information by creating an account with Student Finance England as part of this process.

You can find out everything you need to know about what information you will need to provide and all other details of the process here:

• Support your child or partner's student finance application
• UCAS Student Finance guidance for parents and partners

In the weeks and months preceding the opening of Student Finance for application, Lancaster University runs a series of dedicated Student Finance for Parents and Supporters webinars, free to attend and give you direct access to our Recruitment and Admissions staff. These will be advertised on our events page.

Moving on, the next step would be to consider going to Applicant Visit Days with your student. This may be before or after receiving university offers. These differ from open days because they are specifically for those applying for the institution. These typically run between November and April. Lancaster applicants will be invited to attend an Offer Holder Event to meet their department and learn more about the course they have applied for.

Regarding receiving offers from universities, each university will work at different timescales. At Lancaster, our Admissions Team aims for decisions to be made within three weeks of receiving the application. Still, for some courses, the timeframe will be longer, mainly if there are other factors in the decision-making process, e.g. an interview, portfolio assessment or similar. Please also remember that applications submitted just before holiday periods (e.g. Christmas) will take longer to process.

During this time, offering whatever support your student needs will be helpful. They may seek your advice and opinion on the offers they receive, helping them decide which ones they wish to accept.

Once your student has received all their offers, it’s up to them to make their firm/insurance and decline decisions. This may be a stressful time for them, but they must accept offers from institutions they are 100% happy with, which is why we encourage all our applicants to take the time to make the right choice for them rather than rushing into a quick acceptance.

The final stage will most likely be the most exciting process for your student. This will be the time to choose the accommodation they will be living in if they've decided to move from home whilst at university, and it will also be the time for them to think about their life at university. For example, if they make Lancaster their firm or insurance choice, we'll contact them with options for living on campus and invite them to choose their accommodation and college.

Results time. Scary, yet exciting. If, as we hope, your student meets the conditions of their chosen offer, they will have their place confirmed via UCAS. If the university needs additional information from them (regarding results transcripts), we will be in contact directly. If not, the status of their application will be amended from conditional to unconditional, and pre-arrival information will be followed by email and post within a few days.

Suppose they haven't quite achieved the grades they were hoping for but have met the conditions of their insurance choice. In that case, their application will change to their insurance institution and be amended to unconditional and again, pre-arrival information will follow.

If their grades fall lower than both their firm and insurance choices, they will enter UCAS Clearing. Information about Clearing at Lancaster and the entry criteria is available on our Clearing page.

The final step of this process is to help your student prepare for their university transition. By this stage, their place has been confirmed, and they'll be sent information detailing everything they need to do before starting their university journey.

Welcome Week at Lancaster takes place at the end of September.

Parents and supporters often help students to decide on a university location and course, as well as support in applications to UCAS and Student Finance.

• Lancaster University Parents and Supporters Webinars
• UCAS Resources for Parents
• UCAS Clearing Guide for Parents
• UCAS What and Where to Study Research
• UCAS Student Finance Guidance for Parents and Guardians
• UK Gov Undergraduate Student Finance step-by-step

Are you an international parent or supporter and want to know how to support your child in attending university abroad?

UCAS have guidance for parents that have children interested in coming to the UK for university International undergraduate guide parents.

The Fostering Network has resources available for any foster parent wanting to know more about the children under their care and higher education.

Do you have a child in your care that is interested in attending university? The Fostering Network suggests ways in which you as a foster parent can support a child's journey to higher education.

Since May 2014, fostered young people in England have the right to stay with their foster families when they reach 18, if both parties agree. This change to the law was achieved after a long campaign led by The Fostering Network.

If a child wants to attend university, they can remain in placement after turning 18.

Lancaster offer a range of support services for Care Leavers and those who are Care Experienced. For more information, please see our pages on Care Leavers.