Next steps for offer holders

Congratulations! You’ve completed the first steps in your university journey. You picked your courses and institutions, crafted a personal statement, completed everything UCAS asked you to do, and now…what?

The time until results day looks quite long, but there are still a few more things you can do to keep yourself updated and informed while you wait for August to roll around.

Key dates

You might think that results day (13 August 2026) is the only key date to keep in mind. But there’s three more you should make a note of:

• 6 May 2026 - Reply to your Offers – Whether you’re going for Firm, Insurance, or Decline, you need to make your choice on UCAS by 6 May (or 3 June if you’re still waiting for some replies).
• 31 May 2026 - Student finance – Even if you haven’t made your firm or insurance choices, you can still apply for student finance (tuition fee loan and maintenance loan) now. Apply by 31 May to ensure the funds arrive on time.
• 11 September 2026 - Apply for accommodation – At Essex we guarantee an accommodation offer for first year students, as long as you complete the application before 11 September.

Offer timeline

It can feel like an age before you hear back from us after submitting everything on UCAS. But don’t worry, behind the scenes our staff are working hard to review your application and make our decision promptly.

If you are applying for certain courses, such as acting courses, a Health and Social Care course, or the LLB Licence English and French Law (Double Degree), you will be invited to a compulsory audition or interview. Details on how to book will be sent by email so keep an eye on your inbox. Our decision will be made after the interview.

Once you have an offer you can reply on UCAS making us your firm or insurance choice, or you can choose to decline our offer (if you decline and then change your mind you can always apply for another course with us during Clearing, we’d love to hear from you!)

Check out scholarships and bursaries

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries for home and international students to help you with the cost of attending university. This ranges from the £250 cash bursary for completing the Essex Preparation Programme, to the Schools and Colleges Membership Bursary and Performance Sports scholarships for talented athletes.

In addition, the UK government offers additional grants and support, including a Childcare grant to help fulltime students with children cover the cost of childcare, and a Disabled Students Allowance.

Find your accommodation

If you plan on living on Colchester campus, then once you’ve made us your firm or insurance choice, you’ll be able to apply for your accommodation.

We have a range of accommodation across campus, with shared kitchen facilities and a choice of shared bathrooms or en-suite. All bills are included, and we currently offer a three-year deal which lets you freeze the price of your room at first year rates, for all three years.

Results day!

Thursday 13 August 2026 is results day. In the morning your UCAS portal will automatically update to see if your university place has been confirmed. If you’ve been successful, then you may get a congratulatory phone call from your new department, this is an opportunity for you to ask any questions you might have.

If you previously declined your offer with us and have changed your mind (or if you didn’t get the grades you were hoping for) then you can still apply to us through Clearing, which opens in July.

In the following weeks you will receive more emails from us to confirm your enrolment, guide you through registration, issue your timetable, and provide more information on Welcome Week and arrival weekend.

Book an Open Day

If you haven’t had a chance to visit us yet, then you still have time to book your place on an open day. The next one on Colchester campus is being held on 20 June, and for East 15 applicants the next Loughton open day will be held in October 2026.