Services provided by UCAS include several online application portals, several search tools, and free information and advice directed at various audiences, including students considering higher education, students with pending applications to higher education institutes, parents and legal guardians of applicants, school and further education college staff involved in helping students apply and providers of higher education .
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UCAS is based near Marle Hill in Cheltenham at the junction of the B4075 and the A435, near Cheltenham Racecourse and a park and ride.
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UCAS was formed in 1992 by the merger of Universities Central Council on Admissions and Polytechnics Central Admissions System and the name UCAS is a contraction of the former acronyms UCCA and PCAS.
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Those that do not meet their "firm" and "insurance" offer conditions are eligible to use UCAS' Clearing service – which enables unplaced students to apply for courses with vacancies directly to the university.
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UCAS operates Conservatoires UK Admissions Service in conjunction with Conservatoires UK, managing applications for both undergraduate and postgraduate music, dance, and drama courses at nine UK conservatoires:.
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UCAS Teacher Training is an application service for postgraduates that want to become teachers.
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UCAS has launched UCAS Progress, a service enabling GCSE students to search and apply for post-16 work and education-based training courses – including academic and vocational courses, as well as Apprenticeship and Traineeship programmes.
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UCAS Progress helps schools, colleges, and local authorities address recruitment issues and statutory obligations resulting from raising the age of participation in secondary education; an initiative that legally obliges students to remain in full-time education or work-based training until the end of the academic year that they turn 17.
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UCAS Media is a commercial enterprise that raises money by offering commercial organisations and education providers a channel to communicate with prospective students: in effect, it sells targeted advertising space.
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Students should be explicitly asked for their permission before UCAS can sell their information on and UCAS should be open and transparent about who it is selling the data on to.
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In 2019, Martin Lewis, the consumer finance expert, accused UCAS of abusing its position after it allowed a private debt company to promote high interest commercial loans to school leavers.
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UCAS had sent an email promoting loans by Future Finance, with interest rates of up to 23.
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