How can we help?

No – it is entirely optional to give this information – you do not have to let the university or college know if you don’t want to. However, we recommend that you do, so they can understand the context of your achievements and make sure you know about any support that can help you during your studies. Even if you don’t feel you need any extra support now, you may feel differently later on. 

If you prefer, you can contact the university or college directly to discuss your circumstances and talk about any support you might need. If you have any questions, they will be happy to give you more detailed information and advice at any time before or after you apply.  

• Find out more about applying to university if you are a UK Armed Forces veteran or a Service Leaver.
• Read more about the UK Armed Forces Covenant and how it can support you with applying to higher education.
• The MOD’s Service Leaver’s Guide provides more information about educational support, and the schemes available to help you access higher education.
• The ELCAS website gives full details about the MOD’s Enhanced Learning Credits scheme.
• The MOD’s Career Transition Partnership (CTP) website offers advice about all aspects of resettlement, including education.
• QUEST is an independent website offering information on education and careers for serving military personnel and veterans.

No. This question is to identify people who have served in the Regular or Reserve UK Armed Forces.

However, we strongly recommend talking about your cadet experience in the personal statement to outline the skills and strengths you've gained as a result.

This information is shared (securely) with those who are responsible for supporting you at university or college (e.g. the student services team).

Knowing about your circumstances may also help admissions staff to take your achievements into account and gain a better understanding of your achievements and potential in context. They may get in touch with you to share more details about the support and opportunities they offer, or events and resources you may find useful to prepare for higher education. They may also be able to tell you about any opportunities to support their own work with the wider Armed Forces community.

Your information may also be used (anonymously) for monitoring purposes. This helps the university to inform and improve the support they provide to other students from a military background in the future.

The information you share with UCAS is kept in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.

For more information about who your information is shared with, read UCAS’ privacy policy.

For ex-Service personnel, there may be unique challenges involved in applying to a course of higher education, such as recognition of the training and qualifications gained during your time in the UK Armed Forces.

When you give this information, you're letting the university or college know you may need additional support during your studies, or have perhaps faced particular challenges. They may get in touch with more information about the support available and to discuss whether you want to access it. Remember any support provided is designed to ensure you have a fair chance to succeed in your studies.

Before you apply, you might find it's a good idea to contact student services at the university or college to check what support is available. A number of higher education providers have signed the UK Armed Forces Covenant, and details about this can be found on their individual websites.

Read more about the Covenant and what it means for you on the UK Armed Forces Covenant website.

Knowing about your circumstances may also help admissions staff to take your achievements into account and gain a better understanding of these achievements and potential in context. It won't reflect negatively on your application or academic ability, but instead will enable the university or college to form a more complete picture of you as an individual and identify applicants who have the potential to succeed.

Don’t forget to also use the UCAS personal statement to showcase how your experiences and prior training have helped you develop unique skills and strengths that may be helpful in your studies.