UCAS is an independent charity. All our activities are funded by application fees, by universities and colleges, and through gift aid from the profits of our wholly owned commercial subsidiary, UCAS Media Ltd. We share a brand so we're often seen/referred to together as “UCAS”. We aim to be as transparent as possible with all our customers about which part of UCAS they are engaging with.
100% of profits generated by UCAS Media are gift-aided to the charity part of our business. Using the income from commercial activity in this way ensures that the charity can keep application fees for students as low as possible, as well as improving services for all our customers.
We always aim to work with companies who share our values and ethos; and provide products and services which are likely to be useful for students. Students receiving information from us have proactively chosen to do so and can easily opt-out at any point if they don’t feel the information is relevant.
If you're a student and have signed up to any UCAS commercial services, you can understand more about how we use your data at ucas.com/optin.
You can also view our privacy policy here.
How can you tell which services are provided by UCAS the charity and which are provided by UCAS Media Limited?
On our website:
When applicants register for UCAS on the Hub or sign up for an event, they're given the option to opt in for education or commercial content, which means from time to time, data may passed between UCAS and UCAS Media as the UCAS Group. When we send paid-for messages on behalf of commercial or education clients, we'll indicate this in the email or direct mail. Campaigns are always transparent, stating that the message has come from UCAS on behalf of a client and that we don't endorse any product or service.
On the UCAS.com website, we'll indicate if the service (such as advertising or sponsored content) is being provided by UCAS Media. This content is tagged as "ads", "sponsored" or "UCAS Media service".
At our events:
When you attend a UCAS event, the aim is to help you decide on your next steps. You'll find lots of information advice and guidance to support an application to university. These services are provided to you by us, as a charity.
Universities and colleges will be present to speak to about the courses on offer and the benefits of choosing to study with them. You'll also be able to speak to employers and apprenticeship providers, and you'll find a range of lifestyle promotions such as travel options and financial planning and budget management. These services are offered by UCAS Media.
We welcome feedback from all customers to make sure UCAS is providing the right information for them. If you'd like to share feedback with us, you can contact us at: [email protected].