Applications

Applicants can't apply during the current application cycle for deferred entry in the following application cycle.

But in the decision-making process, a conservatoire (in discussion with an applicant) can decide to offer a place for the next year of entry. The year of entry can be changed through the initial/amended decision transaction.

An RPA procedure is also available for you to consider applicants at the end of the application cycle. The RPA can be used for any applicant.

Applicants who require only a single choice, and who are already qualified, may be accepted unconditionally between the start date for the Record of Prior Acceptance (RPA) facility becoming available in web-link and the last date of acceptance for receipt of RPA by using the RPA procedure.

No application fee is required, although the capitation fee is still charged.

The RPA is created electronically in web-link by entering applicant and course details directly into the RPA. Some fields are mandatory. Conservatoires can download a paper version for their records.

We'll record the acceptance as GU1 at choice one, and make the data available to you through web-link.

As UCAS Conservatoires is an electronic application system with secure web access anywhere in the world, there are no special arrangements for applicants outside the UK to make applications or reply to offers.

For international applicants though, there's the option to select an audition location or submit an audio or video recording.

UCAS Conservatoires applicants are able to enter some European characters that aren't in the English alphabet (extended character sets) in certain fields of the application. This has been introduced to support the Welsh Language Act (1993) – and in doing so, has further allowed applicants to enter other European characters. Information shown to applicants in their application will refer to the extended characters as ‘European characters’. Fields in the application that will accept European characters are in the personal details, personal statement, referee details, and reference sections.

If applicants enter European characters, they will have to view and agree to the substituted characters version of each section before submitting their application. Characters that do not have a suitable ASCII English character version will be substituted with ‘#’.

Substitutions from Unicode extended characters to ASCII English characters

If they apply to UCAS Conservatoires in more than one application cycle:

• each application can be identified by an additional data field – Application Scheme Code
• CU01 would represent the first cycle of entry, CU02 the second cycle of entry, and so on

If they apply to both UCAS Conservatoires and UCAS Undergraduate:

• the Application Scheme Codes will be CU01 and UC01 respectively, (if it's the first time they've applied to either system)
• if they get a place in both schemes, they'll be contacted by post to ask which place they would like to take up – they'll then have to withdraw one of the applications

All applicants are asked to enter their appropriate disability from a drop-down menu. A code other than A means the applicant has indicated some form of disability, and special arrangements or facilities may be needed. Applicants can also give details of any special needs.

• A – No disability
• B – You have a social / communication impairment, such as Asperger’s syndrome/other autistic spectrum disorder
• C – You're blind or have a serious visual impairment uncorrected by glasses
• D – You're deaf or have a serious hearing impairment
• E – You have a long-standing illness or health condition, such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, chronic heart disease, or epilepsy
• F – You have a mental health condition, such as depression, schizophrenia, or anxiety disorder
• G – You have a specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, or AD(H)D
• H – You have a physical impairment or mobility issues, such as difficulty using your arms, or using a wheelchair or crutches
• I – You have a disability, impairment, or medical condition that isn't listed above
• J – You have two or more impairments and/or disabling medical conditions

We process applications from applicants with disabilities in the usual way. It's the conservatoires’ responsibility to identify potential needs and make any special arrangements prior to making any formal offer.

If a conservatoire can't offer a place to an applicant solely because they can't provide the facilities to cope with a particular disability, they should write to the applicant – with a copy of the letter sent to our Customer Experience Centre – and ask the applicant to inform us of their choice of alternative conservatoire. As substitutions become more difficult to arrange the later in the application cycle they arise, it's particularly important that applications from those with disabilities are processed as quickly as possible.

There's a question referring to criminal convictions for applicants to answer when they complete their application.

This question refers to courses leading to professions or occupations such as (but not limited to) teaching and those involving work with children or vulnerable adults, including the elderly or sick people. These professions or occupations are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974). Conservatoires can use the collection tool to flag individual courses if they require applicants who apply for these courses to declare that they have spent or unspent convictions. Courses must be flagged before our search tool goes live for the new admissions cycle.

The codes used will be:

• D – Declared – has declared a criminal conviction
• U – Undeclared – hasn't made a declaration
• X – Not presented – choice added by either UCAS Conservatoires or a conservatoire, or criminal convictions declaration not required for course.

Most applicants living in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, and the EU are eligible for fee support assessment. Even if these applicants don't expect to receive any fee support, we advise them to use option ‘UK, Chl, IoM or EU student finance services’ – this means 'Applying for student support assessment by Local Authority, Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales, Student Awards Agency for Scotland, Student Finance NI (Northern Ireland), Northern Ireland Education and Library Board, SLC EU Team, Channel Island, or Isle of Man agency'.

We assist the Student Loans Company (SLC) by sending emails regarding tuition fee assessment to non-UK EU applicants who receive at least one offer through us from a conservatoire in England or Wales. We're not involved in arrangements where an offer is from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Applicants who've deferred their entry from the previous year will be distinguished by the year of application field through one of our link products.

Applicants are asked to self-assess their residential category (with the help of UKCISA) to help conservatoires establish their status for the payment of tuition fees. 

The residential category codes (which applicants don't see) are given in brackets next to each category below.

P – UK citizen – England

• You are a UK citizen, or are the child or grandchild, or the spouse or civil partner of a UK citizen, and have lived in England for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you have been living in England for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in England prior to that three year period.

Q – UK citizen – Scotland

• You are a UK citizen, or are the child or grandchild, or the spouse or civil partner of a UK citizen, and have lived in Scotland for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you have been living in Scotland for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in Scotland prior to that three year period.

R – UK citizen – Wales

• You are a UK citizen, or are the child or grandchild, or the spouse or civil partner of a UK citizen, and have lived in Wales for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you have been living in Wales for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in Wales prior to that three year period.

S – UK citizen – Northern Ireland

• You are a UK citizen, or are the child or grandchild, or the spouse or civil partner of a UK citizen, and have lived in Northern Ireland for the past three years, but not just for full- time education. If you have been living in Northern Ireland for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in Northern Ireland prior to that three year period.

T – British citizen – Channel Islands and Isle of Man

• You are a British citizen, or are the child or grandchild, or the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen, and have lived in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you have been living in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man for three years partly for full- time education, you also lived in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man prior to that three year period.

U – British citizen – British Overseas Territories

• You are a British citizen, or are the child or grandchild, or the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen, and have lived in the British Overseas Territories (OT) for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you have been living in the British Overseas Territories for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in the British Overseas Territories prior to that three year period.

W – EU national (non-UK citizen)

• You are an EU national but not a UK citizen, or are the child or grandchild, or the spouse or civil partner of an EU national (but not a UK citizen), and have lived in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland or OT for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you have been living in the EEA or Switzerland or OT for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in the EEA or Switzerland or OT prior to that three year period.

2 – EEA or Swiss national

• Either: You are an EEA or Swiss national working in the UK, or you are the child, spouse, or civil partner of such a person, or you are the parent or grandparent of an EEA national working in the UK. You have lived in the EEA, Switzerland, or OT for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you have been living in the EEA, Switzerland or OT for three years partly for full-time education, you also lived in the EEA, Switzerland, or OT prior to that three year period.
• Or: You are the child of a Swiss national and have lived in the EEA, Switzerland, or OT for the past three years, but not just for full-time education. If you have been living in the EEA, Switzerland, or OT for three year partly for full-time education, you also lived in the EEA, Switzerland, or OT prior to that three year period.

3 – Child of a Turkish worker

• You are the child of a Turkish national who has lawfully worked in the UK, and you have lived in the EEA, Switzerland, or Turkey for the past three years.

4 – Refugee

• You have been recognised as a refugee by the British Government or you are the spouse, civil partner, or child under 18 of such a person at the time of the asylum application.

5 – Humanitarian Protection or similar

• You have been granted Exceptional Leave to Enter or Remain, Humanitarian Protection, or Discretionary Leave, or you are the spouse, civil partner, or child under 18 of such a person at the time of the asylum application.

6 – Settled in the UK

• You have Indefinite Leave to Enter or Remain in the UK or have the Right of Abode in the UK and have lived in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man (or more than one of these) for three years, but not just for full-time education. (However, this does not apply if you are exempt from immigration control, for example, as a diplomat, a member of visiting armed forces, an employee of an international organisation, or the family or staff member of such a person – if this is your situation, your residential category is Other.)

7 – Other

Based on the answers to the questions below, you fit into the ‘Other’ category.

Questions to determine your provisional status

• Q1
  Are you a UK citizen or the direct descendant (child or grandchild) or the spouse or civil partner of a UK or EU national?
  YES go to question 2
  NO go to question 6
• Q2
  For three years or more prior to the start of your course, have you lived in the UK including British Overseas Territories, Channel Islands and Isle of Man?
  YES go to question 3
  NO go to question 10
• Q3
  For any of that three year period, have you only been living in the UK, including British Overseas Territories, Channel Islands and Isle of Man to receive full-time education?
  YES go to question 4
  NO go to question 5
• Q4
  Prior to that three year period, did you live in the UK, including British Overseas Territories, Channel Islands and Isle of Man?
  YES go to question 5
  NO go to question 10
• Q5
  You are likely to fit into one of the following categories:
  UK citizen – England
  UK citizen – Scotland
  UK citizen – Wales
  UK citizen – Northern Ireland
  British citizen – Channel Islands and Isle of Man
  British citizen – British Overseas Territories
  Please select the appropriate country / area you have lived in for the past three years. You must not have lived there just for full-time education. If you have lived in that country / area for three years partly for full-time education, you must have also lived in that country / area prior to that period of study.
• Q6
  Are you an EU national or the direct descendant (child or grandchild) or the spouse or civil partner of a UK or EU national?
  YES go to question 7
  NO go to question 8
• Q7
  For three years or more prior to the start of your course, have you lived in the EU, EEA, Switzerland or OT?
  YES go to question 8
  NO go to question 10
• Q8
  For any of that three year period, have you only been living in the EU, EEA, Switzerland or OT to receive full-time education?
  YES go to question 9
  NO code: EU national (non-UK citizen)
• Q9
  Prior to that three year period, did you live in the EU, EEA, Switzerland or OT?
  YES code: EU national (non-UK citizen)
  NO go to question 10
• Q10
  Are you an EEA or Swiss national working in the UK or the child or the spouse or civil partner of such a person or the direct ascendant (parent or grandparent) of an EEA national working in the UK?
  YES go to question 11
  NO go to question 12
• Q11
  For three years or more prior to the start of your course, have you lived in the EEA, Switzerland or OT?
  YES code: EEA or Swiss national
  NO go to question 12
• Q12
  Are you the child of a Swiss national and for three years or more prior to the start of your course, have you lived in the EEA, Switzerland or OT?
  YES go to question 13
  NO go to question 15
• Q13
  For any of that three year period, have you only been living in the EEA, Switzerland or OT to receive full-time education?
  YES go to question 14
  NO code: EEA or Swiss national
• Q14
  Prior to that three year period, did you live in the EEA, Switzerland or OT?
  YES code: EEA or Swiss national
  NO go to question 15
• Q15
  Are you the child of a Turkish national and is your parent living (and has lawfully worked) in the UK?
  YES go to question 16
  NO go to question 17
• Q16
  For three years or more prior to the start of your course, have you lived in the EEA, Switzerland, OT or Turkey?
  YES code: Child of a Turkish worker
  NO go to question 17
• Q17
  Are you a refugee recognised by the UK government or were you the spouse, civil partner or child under 18 (of either the refugee or their spouse or civil partner) at the time of the asylum application?
  YES code: Refugee
  NO go to question 18
• Q18
  Have you been granted Humanitarian Protection or any other form of immigration permission to stay in the UK as the result of having applied for refugee status, or were you the spouse, civil partner or child under 18 (of either the refugee or their spouse or civil partner) at the time of the asylum application?
  YES code: Humanitarian Protection or similar
  NO go to question 19
• Q19
  Does your permission to stay in the UK have any actual or implied time limit attached to it, for example a specific date or when your parent’s posting to the UK will end?
  YES code: Other
  NO code: Settled in the UK

In all other cases, please put ‘Other’ as your residential category.

Applicants can withdraw completely from the scheme at any time – ending any further dealings in the scheme for that application cycle.

Applicants can withdraw choices where decisions are still outstanding, so they can make replies to offers already received.

If an applicant contacts the conservatoire wanting to decline (D) or withdraw (W) their choice, we no longer need permission from the applicant if the conservatoire contacts us to make the reply / offer change.

After the initial processing has been completed, we email applicants with their login details to let them know.

Consumer protection regulations provide applicants with the ‘right to cancel’ their contract with UCAS Conservatoires. Under the terms of the regulations, applicants have 14 days to contact us if they've changed their minds about the initial choices made on their application – and about replies made to offers.

Applicants who cancel within 14 days are entitled to a full refund of their application and assessment fee submitted to UCAS Conservatoires. Cancelled applications can't be reinstated. Applicants who cancel their application and then decide later they want to reapply must complete a new application.

Applicants who completely withdraw their application after 14 days won't be entitled to a refund of their assessment fee. They're advised to contact conservatoires directly for a refund of the audition fees, which UCAS Conservatoires collects on their behalf. Applicants who completely withdraw their application can't make a second application in the same cycle – they'll have to wait until the following cycle.

Applicants can change their choices within 14 days of the date on their welcome email.

We'll cancel an applicant’s record from the current year’s scheme in the following circumstances only:

• death of applicant
• fraudulent application
• duplicate application
• non-payment of application fee – if it isn't received in 21 days, the application will be cancelled

Conservatoires mustn't communicate under any circumstances with an applicant whose record has been cancelled. Our Customer Experience Centre will be able to provide reasons for the cancellation if required.

Under normal circumstances, we're informed of a death by either the family or the school / college attended by the applicant. In these cases we immediately cancel the record. The cancellation generates no letter to the applicant, and further distress to the family is therefore avoided.

If you're informed of an applicant’s death, please inform our Customer Success Team immediately so the record can be cancelled. You then don't need to take any further action.