UCAS Update

By Ballyclare High School on 20 August, 2020

UCAS UPDATE: 18^TH AUGUST 2020

Following recent announcements, we are working closely with awarding bodies to receive students’ revised grades and are aiming to share these with universities and colleges by this Friday, 21 August.

It’s important to note that we will only be sharing students revised grades with universities and colleges that are higher than the grades they received on results day.

UCAS will not be communicating the revised grades with applicants. You will need to share your students’ revised grades with them. If then your students wish to reconsider their options, they will need to wait until universities and colleges have received their revised grades before they can reach out to discuss their options. We will let you and your students know as soon as this has been done.

We have emailed your students today to provide an update and advise them on their next steps. Please remind students that no one’s grade will go down, and if they already have a place, this will not change – it’s still theirs if they want it.

It’s really important your students understand:

1. Offers will not automatically changein Track.
2. When the revised grades are issued, students will not automatically be confirmed at their original firm choice.
3. Students will need to contact their preferred university or college (including their original firm) who will be able to advise what to do next.

 

CENTRE ASSESSED GRADES AND UNIVERSITY PLACES

 

• UCAS and universities only heard the news that CAGs (Centre Assessed Grades) were to be used at 4.00pm on Monday 17^th August as did schools.
• Policies and funding negotiations are being put in place asap.
• Key advice: don’t rush to release yourself from UCAS Track if you now have the grades for your CF offer.
• Universities will not make decisions until they receive the CAGs from UCAS.
• UCAS hopes to get these grades from the exam boards later in the week.
• UCAS will then have to provide universities with the names of those applicants whose CAGs are higher than their standardised grades.
• Universities will not accept grades sent from schools or from applicants, so there is no point in contacting universities tomorrow.
• Keep an eye on university websites where regular updates will be provided.
• Also keep an eye on UCAS Track.
• Places which have already been confirmed will be honoured.
• Where possible, universities will honour previously unsuccessful CF offers if applicants’ CAGs mean that they have the entry grades requested as conditions of their offer.
• In many instances, this will require extra funding for teaching space etc. This is particularly true for clinical subjects which are subject to Department of Health quotas.
• Negotiations are going on with the Dept of Health in England regarding the funding of more places in medicine and dentistry.
• Temporary student number controls have been removed to allow universities to take more students.
• Universities are in a difficult position as many have filled all their places and don’t know how many more students they will feel honour bound to accept.
• Some students may be given offers for 2021 entry if they can’t be accommodated this year.
• Ulster University: update to be provided tomorrow.
• QUB :2 categories of courses:-
• Courses with controls on the number of places ie medicine, dentistry, social work, nursing, midwifery and the higher level apprenticeship in partnership with PwC. No flexibility to accommodate lots more students. No more students will be taken into dentistry. Nursing and midwifery have already had their numbers increased. All firm and accepted offers for medicine will be held as a ‘gathered field’ until 7^th September. All re-grades will be studied and a rank order created. Some from the list will be taken into the class of 2020 (as far as there are places available) and the rest will be offered places for 2021 entry. QUB is in negotiation with PwC regarding the funding of more than the current 20 places on the HLA.
• Course with no number controls: those whose CAGs meet the conditions of their offer will be reinstated by 7^th September for 2020 entry. Where possible, those who just missed the original conditions of their offer will be accommodated.