Unconditional offers: guidance for providers
Here is a range of resources to support you with unconditional offer-making.
Unconditional offers have always been a feature of university and college admissions, and are used in a variety of circumstances – for example, in admitting mature students who have already achieved sufficient qualifications to meet entry criteria.
Likewise, in Scotland, a substantial proportion of applicants aged 18 have already attained SQA Highers, and therefore met the academic requirements to enter higher education.
In 2013, there were 2,985 offers recorded as unconditional, accounting for 0.4% of all offers to that group of applicants. By 2018, unconditional offers had increased to 67,915, accounting for 7.1% of all offers. More than a fifth of 2018 applicants (22.9%, 58,385) received at least one unconditional offer – a rise of 29% on 2017. More information on this can be found in the reports below:
In response to this, and concerns raised by the sector, UCAS convened a working group who developed resources to support the sector. These aim to equip providers with the key considerations to assist in compiling a policy, procedures, and processes for making unconditional offers to applicants. They may also be used when reviewing the efficacy of existing strategies.
- – highlights a series of principles, and key considerations to help with compiling or reviewing strategies and policies for making unconditional offers.
- – outlines the broad categories and criteria providers use to select suitable applicants for unconditional offers.
In recent years, the number of unconditional offers made to 18 year old UK applicants with pending qualifications has started to decline. However, there are still concerns among pre-HE sector practitioners, who worry about potential impacts on student motivation, Level 3 attainment, and preparation for higher level study.
Evidence-based decision-making that protects and prioritises the interests of applicants is at the heart of fair admissions, and more recent sector-led work discusses the use of unconditional offers. Conditional unconditional offers, where an offer becomes unconditional if an applicant accepts a university or college as their firm choice, are specifically referenced; this type of offer was prohibited in England by the OfS from 2020 to 2021.
Fair admissions code of practice.
Thanks to those involved
We would like to thank the following for their help and support in the production of these good practice resources:
Carolyn Deeming, Plymouth College of Art
Claire Pryke, University of Bradford
David Moyle, Aberystwyth University
Dominic Davis, City, University of London
Michelle Morgan, Bournemouth University
Natasha Cresswell, University of Gloucestershire
Nicky Stecker-Doxat, University of Southampton
Ross Sands, University of Northampton
Simon Jones, Coventry University