Unsure about uni, accept offer and decide in Sept?

[donutsdonuts]

DD is now unsure about uni, has 5 offers.
is it possible to accept an offer for a local uni so no halls needed, apply for finance as usual then decide for definite in September?
The uni has a 2 week cooling off period and if she hasn’t found a job Im thinking she could do the two weeks then decide if she stays or defers for the following year.
is thus a totally silly idea?
What are the consequences of doing this?
I think she just has cold feet and after trying to apply for jobs she will decide to go but she might also defer who knows!
Advice please from thise who know the system better than I do

You can accept a maximum of two offers out of your five UCAS choices. Once you receive all decisions, you must pick one as your Firm choice (first choice) and a second as your Insurance choice (backup). All other offers must be declined,

Surely you’ve missed the UCAS deadlines for offers beng accepted for this Sept ??

You're correct. Iirc it was Summer (over a year before) for veterinary and Oxbridge. That would make it roughly that medical schools were mid October 2025 and mid January 2026 for general UCAS applications for this September.

@PolyVagalNerveand @ThePerfectWeekenderyou missed the fact she has five offers already. The deadline for acceptance is 6 May https://www.ucas.com/applying/after-you-apply/types-of-offers/replying-to-your-offers#:~:text=Check%20your%20application%20to%20see,to%20discuss%20what%20to%20do.

@donutsdonutsyes she can do this however for the student finance it says
Tuition Fee LoansYou’ll need to repay at least some of your Tuition Fee Loan for the year that you suspend or leave your course.
You’ll need to pay back:
25% of the loan for the year if you suspend or leave in term 1
https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-if-you-suspend-or-leave/repaying-your-student-loan#:~:text=Tuition%20Fee%20Loans,or%20leave%20in%20term%203 so that’s a factor to consider

No, the poster is not correct.

The offer acceptance deadline can be as late as July. Ds1's deadline for accepting is a date in May, for start dates of this September.

You can have everything in place and decline or defer before a certain date .

Has she got any offer holder days coming up to help her decide?

She has until start of May to accept/decline her offers

Yes she will be doing those

There’s no rush to decide.

Follow the process as if she was going and give her more time to considerate the different options.

As far as I know though, once you’ve started you will be liable for some fees.

If she’s unsure, would consider taking a year out and reapplying for entry in 2027 with grades in hand?

Check the accom rules at the other universities - some allow you to cancel accom if you don't come, even if it is your choice not to, rather than failing grades.

Also, in the summer if she is leaning more to not going, she could always ask for a deferral, to keep the offer in hand for another year

I wasn’t sure how late she could defer. She would be staying at home so no accommodation fees to think about. Its just how much she would need to pay for course fees if she decides not to go at the last minute or in the first few weeks and whether she could still defer if she leaves after a few weeks

It's not just being liable for the fees for any portion of the year started - for the purposes of further funding, attending for even part of a year is counted as a whole year for eligibility purposes, with the formula being length of current (new) course, plus one year, minus any years of previous study (and it's 'study', not 'finance', so comes into the equation even if you didn't have a loan). So leave in first year, fine - full funding for a new course - assuming started the following, or in a later, year, just not scope for another false start or needing to repeat a year.

An exception is made where the course is abandoned through compelling personal reasons, such as severe ill health, but 'indecisiveness' / 'changing one's mind' would hardly come under that heading.

OK very good point, thanks for that

Yes she can accept the offer and withdraw later, usually up to two weeks into term, although better to do so before SF arrives.

@MarchingFrogs
Does it still count as one year of study if you leave in the first two weeks?
She does have issues going on hence the indecision, currently waiting for ADHD/autism assessment and also has long standing anxiety, would this count as good reason if she left after say 1 term?

Thanks, when does SF arrive?

Ds declined his offer the day after results day. He has reapplied with grades in hand. Best to firm now and make decisions when she has her results.

Fee loans are usually triggered by enrolment, maintenance loan first week or so of term.

So from what I have been reading it looks like attending for one day would count as losing a years funding entitlement for tuition fee loan. So if a repeat year was needed the funding wouldn’t be available for 4 years only three because she would have already used one year. However if she could show ‘compelling personal reasons due to her MH’ she would still get the 4 years if needing to repeat.

Can she still defer right upto enrolment day does anyone know before I spend ages looking it all up, thanks

That is up to the uni, she can request it but the uni does not have to agree. Some unis are less flexible than others..