Offer Holders

If you have applied via UCAS, once you have received a response from all the universities that you have applied to, you’ll need to decide which two universities you will select as your firm and insurance choice.

Your firm choice is the course and university you most want to go to. Your insurance choice is your second choice, which is where you would want to go to if you don’t meet the conditions of your firm choice.

After you’ve made your decision, you’ll need to log into UCAS Hub and reply to your offers via the online portal.

If you have applied to Essex directly, visit your MyEssex Applicant portal and go to the 'My applications’ section where you will see an option to reply to your offer.

Offer Holder Days are exclusive events at our Colchester campus for offer-holders where you will get to explore your chosen subject and department in detail, meet other students who have applied to your course and explore our beautiful campus and accommodation options.

If you are a UK student with an offer from us for undergraduate study in 2025, you will have received an email inviting you to an event from February – May 2025. We’re pleased to offer a travel bursary worth up to £150 to contribute to the cost of travel on the day and have a team ready to help should you have any questions: offerholderdays@essex.ac.uk

If you are an international student, you’ll soon be invited to join us online for our exciting Experience Essex series, to explore Essex from the comfort of your own home!

If you hold an unconditional offer, skip ahead to step 4!...

Next, it’s time to meet any conditions of your offer. These will be specified on your offer letter and often include academic and English Language conditions. A small number of our courses ask for a reference. Please read your offer letter carefully as this will outline what conditions you have, how to meet them and the deadlines that they need to be met by.

Most applicants that need a Student visa to study at Essex will need to pay a tuition fee deposit. See our Tuition Fee Deposit Policy (which is also available on your myEssex Applicant portal) for information about who needs to pay a deposit, who does not, and how much it is.

If we need you to pay a tuition fee deposit, we will provide you with more information once you’ve accepted an offer, met any offer conditions and your place has been confirmed. You are also welcome to pay as soon as you have accepted your offer if you would like to. Once you have accepted your offer, we will send you an email with a link to our Flywire payment platform where you will be able to make your deposit payment.

If you require a Student visa in order to study in the UK, you will need a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies). More information about visas and immigration (including information about the graduate route) can be found here.

Our Admissions team are responsible for issuing CAS to new students. The first step is your CAS questionnaire which will be available on your myEssex applicant portal once any offer conditions are met and you have paid your deposit. Please complete this as quickly as possible. You can check on the status of your CAS at any time, by visiting your myEssex portal and viewing your CAS tracker. Once we have completed our checks and are satisfied that you are eligible for our immigration sponsorship, we will issue you with a CAS and your CAS statement will be available to view on your myEssex portal. We normally start to issue CAS statements around 6 months before the course start date – or 3 months before for January and April start dates.

You must check to make sure your CAS statement is correct. Please alert Admissions as soon as possible of any changes that need to be made by e-mailing visaquery@essex.ac.uk

Now it’s time to apply for your all-important Student visa, which is needed in order for you to legally study in the UK as an international student.

There is some important information that you should read before making your application. Please see our Student route application pages, which will guide you through this next stage of the process.

If you have chosen Essex as your firm or insurance choice, applications for accommodation for October 2025 are open. With a variety of room designs to suit different budgets and needs, we’ve got the perfect place for you to call home. At Essex your rent includes your energy bills, internet access, 24/7 security, wellbeing support and even gym membership – meaning you can keep an eye on your budget whilst making the most of our campus facilities.

It’s important to plan ahead and get to grips with tuition fees, government loans, scholarships and bursaries - we’ve got a wide range of resources to guide you. Student Finance England offers eligible students tuition fee loans and maintenance loans to cover tuition fees and contribute toward living costs – you can explore the funding available and apply online here. You don’t need to have confirmed your place before you apply, so make sure you apply before the relevant deadline.

Use the Essex scholarship finder to explore what additional funding may be available and find out more about the ways we have supported our students through the cost-of-living crisis.

• Essex Futures Bursary 2025 -Up to £3,000 support package awarded to eligible students with a household income up to £35,000
• Schools Membership Bursary 2025 - £1,000 bursary awarded to eligible students progressing from Schools Membership Schools and Colleges (including Plus, London, South East and Midlands)

The best way to find out more about what to expect at Essex, is to hear from the students already living it. You may have questions on your course, finance or employability, or simply want to find out the best places to eat on-campus, the comfiest accommodation or the liveliest night out in welcome week – chat to us on Unibuddy

Better yet, join our offer holder community to chat to those who are also planning to join us in 2025 to start building your Essex network before you arrive.

The innovative Essex Preparation Programme is a short 6-module online study skills course to support students in making a flying start at Essex. Covering topics from academic integrity to critical thinking, you’ll build your academic skills to help you succeed at university.

You’ll be invited to complete the course over the summer and if you do so by the October deadline, you’ll receive a £250 bursary (T&Cs apply).

Get ready for an incredible journey! Join us on Social to follow our vibrant and diverse community and explore the adventure that awaits you.  

We understand university life can be challenging at times, and we want to ensure you receive the appropriate emotional and mental wellbeing support. Our Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity Service (SWIS) are here to support you and can provide free, confidential help and guidance for any concerns that you might have during your time at Essex. They can advise and signpost you to the support available for mental and emotional health, disability support, academic concerns, financial worries, and accommodation issues.

Our friendly Student Services Hub is the place for advice, support and the information you need. Your question matters and you’ll get answers from experts.

Before you can start studying with us, you will need to Register and pay your tuition fees. card and access to everything you need to become a student at Essex. Registration will usually open the month before you are about to start with us.

Your first few weeks here on campus is called Welcome - we'll have a range of activities and events taking place throughout this time to help prepare you for your future with us. This'll be your opportunity to make new friends and familiarise yourself with your campus, and academic life.