Please note, this text was provided for the UniTasterDays Parents' Guide to University by Lucy Holehan, when in post with the University of Leeds.
The university application process can feel quite daunting for many young people, so it is understandable that parents and guardians will want to be involved and stay in the loop with any updates.
When someone applies to university via the
UCAS (university admissions) portal, they
will provide their email address and a mobile
phone number. This information is then made
available to the institutions they have applied
to, so that they can send relevant information to
the applicant.
Generally, universities will communicate with an
applicant by email as their primary method, so
it’s really important that your young person is
checking their inbox regularly so that they don’t
miss out on any information.
• offer the student an interview after they
have submitted their application (only some
courses require an interview)
• provide further details of any conditions
surrounding their offer
• ask applicants to apply for accommodation
(the deadline is usually around June of the
year they expect to start)
• tell students about scholarships and
bursaries that they may wish to apply for
Applicants will also need to be proactive when
looking for information; universities will not
always send multiple reminders regarding
deadlines.
There are various reasons why a parent may
wish to contact a university on their young
person’s behalf, often to ask a question. This
is quite common, but we would encourage the
applicant to communicate themselves as much
as possible. If you’re sending a query
on behalf of your young person, please bear in
mind the following:
• if a parent or guardian wishes to speak to
the university admissions team about their
young person’s application, the applicant
must officially nominate them via their
UCAS application
• always provide the applicant’s UCAS ID
number if asking a specific question,
otherwise the staff member replying may
struggle to locate the required information
• once a student is enrolled on a course, the
university will not communicate with any
parents, guardians or other family members
who enquire about them unless specifically
requested and agreed in advance (in very
limited circumstances). This is for data
protection and privacy reasons
If you need to speak to the Student Loans
Company about your young person’s funding
application, they will need to set up a special
password which allows you to discuss their
account on their behalf.
Finally, make sure your young person updates
their contact email address if they lose access
to it (usually because it is a school or college
account and they have left) and checks their
junk folder regularly. If they don’t, they may miss
out on crucial information from the universities
they have applied to.