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Deferred Entry/Deferrals Policy

Deferred Entry/Deferrals Policy

Policy Owner: Director of Recruitement and Admissions

Policy Operator: UCC Admissions Office

Date Approved: 21 October 2020

Approval Body: Academic Board

Operational aspects of how Postgradaute Taught deferrals are processed were amended at office- level, August 2022, pages 3 and 4.

July 2024 – Operational changes made to Undergraduate EU processing, page 2

 

PURPOSE

This policy sets out that students who have been offered a place in University College Cork may apply defer their entry to the University for one year. The application process and conditions therein are set out.


SCOPE

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate students who have been offered a place in UCC. It should be noted that the procedures for deferred entry differ for different cohorts and that it is not always possible to defer a place. Deferred entry/ deferral requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and a range of factors are taken into account, including programme quota, the nature of the offer, and the reasons set out by the applicant.[1]
Any application for deferred entry being made on medical grounds should be evidenced by a letter or certificate from a doctor. There is no guarantee that a deferred entry/deferral application will be approved.

RELATED PROCEDURES

1. CAO (EU) Undergraduate Applicants

Students who have been offered a place in University College Cork through the CAO may be permitted, on application to the Admissions Office, to defer First Year entry to the University for one year. CAO (EU) Undergraduate applicants may not always be able to defer entry to a programme however. For example, in order to ensure adequate places for next year’s applicants, there is a limit to the number of deferrals which can be granted in any course.


Applying for Deferred Entry of a CAO Place

  • Applicants should not accept the CAO offer;
  • Applicants complete and submit the Deferred Entry Request Form immediately and no later than two days before the 'Reply Date' shown on the CAO Offer Notice;
  • A non-refundable administrative fee is required to process your deferral application;
  • The Undergraduate Admissions Office will communicate the decision to the applicant by email within one week of the application.

Late Deferred Entry Applications

  • If a student accepts an offer and later wishes to defer, the Admissions Office must be contacted immediately. It may be then be possible to offer the place to the first applicant on the waitlist.
  • After week 3 of semester 1, Deferred Entry applications can only be considered in very exceptional circumstances, e.g. serious medical grounds.
    Deferred Entry Conditions
  • Deferrals will not be approved for students who intend to take up another third level place in the current academic year. Doing so will forfeit the deferral;
  • Applicants must follow the procedure for taking up a Deferred Entry place as outlined above;
  • Deferral places may be subject to a quota;
  • Deferrals will not normally be granted in the following situations:

        (1) Late round offers, i.e. where candidates have not achieved the Round 1 cut-off points score;

        (2) Where granting a deferral will significantly disadvantage applicants competing for places on the course the following year;

        (3) For places on Medicine or Dentistry programmes;

  • The University cannot guarantee that the programme will run for the planned year of entry, or that it will not be amended, or that the student fees will not change.

2. International Undergraduate Applicants (Non-EU)

International students from outside the European Union who have been offered an undergraduate place in UCC through UCCApply may be permitted to defer First Year entry to the University for one year. Non-EU Undergraduate applicants may not always be able to defer entry to a programme however. For example, in order to ensure adequate places for next year’s applicants, there is a limit on the number of deferrals which can be granted in any course.

Applying for Deferred Entry of a Non-EU Place

  • To apply for a deferral, applicants must accept their offer and must have met all offer conditions.
  • In certain circumstances, a deferral may be provided to a conditional offer holder.
  • If a programme deposit is required, on acceptance of a place on the course, this must be paid to continue with the deferral application process. Applicants who do not wish to pay the deferral deposit may choose to reapply and compete for a place in the normal way the following year.
  • Complete and submit the Deferred Entry Request Form immediately, but no later than the acceptance deadline outlined in the offer letter.
  • The International Office will communicate the decision to the applicant by email within one week of the deferral application.

Late Deferred Entry Applications (Non-EU)

  • After week 3 of Semester 1, Deferred Entry applications can only be considered in very exceptional circumstances.

Deferred Entry Conditions (Non-EU)

  • Applicants must follow the procedure for taking up a Deferred Entry place, i.e. applicants must have accepted their offer, paid their deposit and must have met all conditions of their offer;
  • Deferral places may be subject to a quota;
  • Deferrals will not normally be granted for places on Medicine or Dentistry programmes;
  • The University cannot guarantee that the programme will run for the planned year of entry, or that it will not be amended, or that the student fees will not change.

3. Postgraduate Taught Deferrals (EU students)

Not all postgraduate taught programmes allow deferrals. Programmes that allow deferrals are listed in the Deferral Application Form.

Applying for a One Year Deferral

  • To apply for a one-year deferral, applicants must firstly accept their offer and must have met all offer conditions.
  • If there is a programme deposit required on acceptance of a place, this must be paid to continue with the deferral application process. Applicants who do not wish to pay the programme deposit will have to cancel their acceptance and instead re-apply and compete for a place in the normal way the following year.
  • Any deposits paid will be deducted from the postgraduate fees once the student has registered.
    • Applicants must complete the online Deferral Application Form and pay a non-refundable administration fee.
  • If a deferral is granted, a confirmation email will be sent to the applicant and a place will be held and re-offered the following year.

Deferral Conditions

  • Deferral requests will only be considered from applicants who have accepted a place and fully met the conditions of their offer.
  • Deferral requests will only be considered prior to online registration.
  • Deferrals are granted for one year only, extensions will not be permitted.
  • Some programmes only allow a maximum quota of deferrals.
  • The University cannot guarantee that the programme will run for the planned year of entry, or that it will not be amended, or that the student fees will not change.
  • Applicants must follow the procedure for deferrals as outlined above.

4. Postgraduate Taught Deferrals (Non-EU) Applying for Deferred Entry of a Non-EU Place:

  • To apply for a one-year deferral, applicants must firstly accept their offer.
  • In certain circumstances, a deferral may be provided to a conditional offer holder.
  • The programme deposit must be paid to continue with the deferral application process. Applicants who do not wish to pay the programme deposit will have to cancel their acceptance and instead re-apply and compete for a place in the normal way the following year.
  • Any deposits paid will be deducted from the postgraduate fees once the student has registered.
  • Applicants submit their request to defer to internationaloffice@ucc.ie
  • If a deferral is granted, a confirmation email will be sent to the applicant and a place will be held and re- offered the following year.

Deferred Entry Conditions

  • Deferral requests will only be considered from applicants who have accepted a place.
  • In certain circumstances, deferral requests may be considered after online registration has taken place.
  • Deferrals granted are for one academic year only.
  • Applicants must follow the procedure for deferrals as outlined above.
  • The University cannot guarantee that the programme will run for the planned year of entry, or that it will not be amended, or that the student fees will not change.

 

[1] The terms ‘deferred entry’ and ‘deferral’ are sometimes used interchangeably here and elsewhere. ‘Deferred entry’ will normally describe the procedure for undergraduates who do not wish to take up their University place for a year, while ‘deferral’ will normally refer to the procedure for postgraduates who wish to defer a place in the University for a year.

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