After you've applied

Next Steps for Lancaster

This page provides useful information for undergraduate students who have made Lancaster their firm or insurance choice for 2020 entry. We want to ensure that your application progresses smoothly, so we're here to offer any help that we can between now and the start of term in October 2020.

Please read all of the information below, as it forms an important part of your application:

Admissions Information

It is imperative that you read our Admissions Information page carefully. It contains important information about how we will process your application over the summer, what to do if you do not meet the requirements of your offer, and how to contact us should your circumstances change.

If you will be away from home in the second half of August, please make sure that your nominated representative on UCAS is up to date and inform them of the information below.

To a large extent, the information on this page is aimed at those who have applied through UCAS, however, it may also be applicable to those transferring to us through other routes.

Keeping your details up to date

If you change your postal address, phone number or email address you must let UCAS know immediately

You can do this on UCAS Track or by contacting the UCAS hotline on 0371 4680468 or +44 330 3330 230. The University will be kept updated via UCAS of any changes you make.

If you are at boarding school or studying away from home, please make sure that you change your postal address at the end of the summer term.

All applicants should ensure email address information is correct. Please be aware school/college email addresses may deactivate over the summer and it is your responsibility to provide a working email address. If the email address used on your application is a shared email address (for example, a family, counsellor or agent email address), we will require a unique email address to provide you with access to some of our services - including the iLancaster app, accommodation portal and online registration. Follow the instructions above to update your email address with UCAS, if you wish to continue to receive correspondence at the email address on your application, please email ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk with a unique email address so that we can update your account

Please email the Undergraduate Admissions Office (ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk) about:

• Any changes in your examination arrangements from those that appear on your UCAS form (if for example, you have discontinued an A level).
• Any accident, illness or personal problem which could affect your results. If we are to take account of such matters we must know about them before we get your results. You should send a supporting letter from your school/college and, in medical cases, from your doctor.
• If you wish to be considered for an alternative course (should your current application be unsuccessful) please let us know well before your examination results are published.
• Any queries about your admission to Lancaster.

Examination Results

Many qualifications are sent directly from UCAS to the University, including:

• A level
• BTEC
• International Baccalaureate
• Scottish Highers

However, if you are taking qualifications from a country other than the UK, or UK qualifications such as an Access to HE course or a foundation degree, we will NOT receive these results from UCAS. It is, therefore, your responsibility to ensure that your results are sent to us, and we ask you to please do this as soon as they are available via our dedicated results email address, results@lancaster.ac.uk

The UCAS website has a comprehensive list of qualifications - please check this to see if your results will be sent directly to us.

Please note that GCSE and English Language requirements which are part of a conditional offer will not be sent to the University by UCAS. You will need to send these to results@lancaster.ac.uk.

If on Results Day your status remains unchanged on UCAS Track, we may not have received your results. In these circumstances please send completed transcripts with your UCAS Personal ID to results@lancaster.ac.uk. Please ensure you have sent a copy of your results by 31st August 2020 to guarantee your place.

Exceptional or Mitigating Circumstances

For any exceptional or mitigating circumstances that has affected your performance during your studies please ensure you or your school/college have contacted the exam board to make them aware as soon as possible so it can be taken account in your marks.

If you believe you have circumstances which you need to make us aware of, please email the admissions team ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk by 31 July 2020.

Colleges & Accommodation

Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Each and every one of our students belongs to a college for the duration of their degree. Colleges are independent to a student's field of study, making for a lively, welcoming and diverse community where it's easy to make new friends with students of many nationalities. Now's the time to research our different colleges, and explore the different accommodation options that they offer. You can also find out more on the Accommodation Office's Facebook page.

You will receive an email from the Accommodation Office in early June, with details about the accommodation application process. After you have completed your accommodation application, you will be informed about your accommodation offer in August - although we can make no guarantees, we will try to allocate you to the college of your choice.

Please be sure to monitor your email account from mid-June onwards and inform the Admissions Office and UCAS of any change in your email address between when you made your original application and when you enter the University.

Disability Service

If you have a disability or medical condition and you need some additional support you now need to contact the Disability Service with a copy of your medical evidence, unless you have already done so. You also need to register and complete the applicant registration form to help them to prepare to support you. If you are in receipt of long term support from Social Services or the NHS (eg counselling services), you may need to make arrangements for this support to be transferred to where you will be studying. The Counselling and Mental Health team can liaise with relevant parties to assist a smooth transition. Please note that such transfers can take several months to arrange so it is important to start the process early.

Once the Disability Service receives your medical evidence and survey information they will prepare your Inclusive Learning and Support Plan (ILSP). This will outline the issues related to your disability and the reasonable adjustments required to support your studies to enable support to be implemented across the University. You will be able to review this document before it is made available to the relevant members of staff involved in supporting you. Your ILSP will be sent to you a few weeks before the start of term.

Under 18's policy

If you will be under 18 when your studies start, please see our Under 18's policy.

Fees and Finance

Tuition fee information can be found in our Fees & Funding section.

For information on Student Finance, please see the GOV.UK website. Further advice and guidance can be found via the Lancaster University Student Funding web pages.

Welcome website

Over the summer, you will receive an email from us inviting you to access our ‘Welcome’ website for detailed information about how to prepare for your arrival. On this website, you will be able to find information about how to get to Lancaster and what will happen after your arrival. An International Student Orientation is typically held during Welcome Week. This page will also give you some information about documents you will need to register at the university, and some information about police registration (if applicable). More information about Welcome Week.

For further information, please view both the UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) and the UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) websites. Both websites have lots of information on how to prepare for arrival in the UK.

Pre-registration

Approximately 30 days before the start of the course, our Information Systems and Services (ISS) department will contact you by email, inviting you to do the first stage of registration online as a student at Lancaster, which will also enable you to obtain your Lancaster IT account and email address. You will complete the process during the Registration event on campus during Welcome Week.

Programme start date

Please note that you need to plan to arrive to start your academic programme at the beginning of Welcome Week, which begins on Monday 28th September 2020. It is essential that you arrive in time for Welcome Week and your registration session, as many activities that are foundational to the programme will be taking place during this period, as well as important enrolment activities. If you are hoping to make your travel arrangements early, please ensure that you plan to arrive over the weekend of Saturday 26th September - Sunday 27th September.

Term Dates

See our full term dates.

Contacting Admissions

If you need to contact us, then you can email our Undergraduate Admissions Office via ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk or telephone us on +44 (0)1524 592028. For informal enquiries, you can also tweet us, or get in touch via Facebook.

Information for overseas students

What do I need to do to get my CAS?

If you are an overseas student, it is likely that you will need a Tier 4 (General Student) visa to come and study at Lancaster University. If this is the case, you may already be aware that you will need a “CAS” from Lancaster University (a “Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies”).

We will contact you with more information about the visa application process once you have Firmly accepted our offer, and your offer is Unconditional. However, in the meantime, here are some things you can do to help make sure you have plenty of time to apply for your visa. You can also find more information about visas on our visas and immigration web pages.

Send us a copy of your passport

This should be valid until at least 31^st October 2020 and your details (full name, date of birth, nationality and country of birth) should match the details on your UCAS application. If any of the details are different, please contact UCAS to change them. Please send the copy of your passport to ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk. If you renew your passport at any time, please send us a new copy.

Tell us about any previous study in the UK

Before we issue a CAS, we need to know if you have previously studied in the UK, or if you are currently studying in the UK.

If you have studied in the UK previously, or you are currently studying in the UK:

Please send a copy of any Tier 4 visas you have been issued. Please include any vignettes that are in your passport and any BRP cards (Biometric Residence Permit). If you have studied in the UK under a different visa (other than Tier 4), please let us know, and also provide us with a copy.

If you have not studied in the UK previously:

You can send us an email to confirm this, so that we do not ask you the question again before issuing your CAS.

Let us know when you have met any of the conditions of your offer

You may have an offer from us that is conditional on more than one qualification, for example, you may need to complete your high school studies and take an IELTS test. If you have met part of the condition, but not the whole condition, please send us any evidence that you already have.

For example, if you have achieved the required IELTS score, but you are still waiting for your high school results, please send us your IELTS certificate now, and your high school results later. You do not have to meet the whole condition at the same time; you can let us know that you have met part of it.

You can send results by email to ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk.

English Language and Study Skills

If you need to sit an IELTS (or equivalent) English Language test to meet the conditions of your offer, you should do this as soon as possible. There can be waiting lists for these tests at busy times of the year, so don’t leave it too late.

We offer programmes specifically designed to help international students prepare for their studies at Lancaster:

• Our 4 week English for Academic Purposes (EAP) pre-sessional programme for applicants who either need to improve their academic English in order to meet their offer conditions or who want to prepare themselves further prior to starting their main degree. Places on the EAP programme are only available to applicants who firmly accept a place with us, who meet their academic offer conditions and who have a suitable level of English Language to take the course.
• We also offer a shorter 2 week Study Start induction programme which is designed to help applicants develop their study skills, adjust to academic practices in the UK and settle into Lancaster. Places are available to applicants who have firmly accepted their place, have met the English Language level required for entry to their degree and who have met their academic offer conditions.

Please check the guidance information about the EAP and Study Start programmes on the web links provided. This includes eligibility criteria, application deadlines, course content and costs. If you are required to or wish to attend either of these courses it is important to contact ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk to apply for a place early and no later than the deadlines advise

Contacting Admissions

If you need to contact us, then you can email our Undergraduate Admissions Office via ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk or telephone us on +44 (0)1524 592028. For informal enquiries, you can also tweet us, or get in touch via Facebook.