Deferring your graduate taught offer

However, we understand that there are sometimes exceptional circumstances that are outside of your control which means that you will not be able to enrol this year.

If you need to defer for one of the reasons below, we will consider your request.

We will consider a request to defer only in the following circumstances:

• The serious illness of the offer holder or the serious illness of a parent, guardian, partner or child of the offer holder.
• The death of a parent, guardian, partner or child of the offer holder.
• The need to take parental or adoption leave during the next 12 months.
• Where the offer holder is directly and severely affected by a natural or human-made disaster (i.e., war, earthquakes or flooding).
• The offer holder has been awarded a UCL scholarship (including UCL partnership agreements and Faculty awards); or a full scholarship (tuition fee and maintenance support) from a recognised funding body - for study in the following academic year. (A ‘scholarship’ does not include student loans. The UCL Student Funding office can confirm the standing of a funding body or partnership as required).
• The offer holder holds an offer to study the UCL International Pre-Masters.

Please also be advised that to be eligible for a deferral you must hold an unconditional offer which you have accepted. The exception to this is if you hold an offer for the International Pre-Masters, in which case an accepted conditional offer is allowed. You must also have paid the tuition fee deposit in full or be marked as exempt (if a deposit requirement is in place for your programme).

If you wish to defer but do not fall into one of the above categories you are most welcome to apply for the next academic year once applications open, however, applications will be considered anew and in competition with all other applications for that intake.

Requesting a deferral

If you need to request a deferral for one of the above reasons you will need to do so on the offer page of your application portal.

If you are requesting a deferral due to illness or parental or adoption leave you will need to provide a letter from a relevant medical practitioner.

Contact us to request a deferral if you hold an offer to study the UCL International Pre-Masters.

If your request is made on the basis that you have been awarded a scholarship for study in the following academic year you will be required to upload a copy of your official scholarship award letter. 

UCL reserves the right to request more information from the offer holder, scholarship body or medical practitioner before making a final decision.

You cannot defer twice

An application cannot be deferred twice. Applicants wanting to defer for two years must re-apply and be considered as a new application in competition with other applicants.

Deadline for deferral requests

The deadline for requesting a deferral is two weeks prior to the start of the course.  

Unsuccessful deferral requests

If your deferral request is unsuccessful, we hope that you will choose to join us this year. If you cannot, you are most welcome to apply for the next academic year once applications open, however, applications will be considered anew and in competition with all other applications for that particular intake.

English language tests

If you have had your deferral request approved, you will receive a new offer letter. It is important to read through your offer carefully as you may need to take a new English test if your current English language qualification expires before the revised start date. 

Tuition fee deposits

If your request to defer is approved, any tuition fee deposit payments will be held on account until enrolment.