# Can I defer my UK university offer for a year?

> Many universities let you defer your place by a year, but you must request it.

Many UK universities allow international students to defer an offer to the following intake, typically by one year, though policies and eligibility vary by university and course (some competitive courses do not permit deferral). You usually request deferral through admissions and receive written confirmation. Remember that deferral affects your timeline for the CAS, visa and any scholarship — a scholarship is not always held for a deferred year. Always confirm deferral in writing and check the knock-on effects. Study UK Now manages a deferral cleanly.

## Quick facts
- **Possible?:** Often, by one year (varies by course)
- **How:** Request via admissions; get it in writing
- **Affects:** CAS, visa timeline, scholarship
- **Watch:** Scholarships may not carry over

## Key takeaways
- Many universities allow deferral by a year, but some competitive courses do not.
- You must request deferral and get written confirmation — it isn't automatic.
- Deferral shifts your CAS and visa timeline to the new intake.
- A scholarship is not always held for a deferred year — check this.

## How deferral works
If you have an offer but want to start a year later — for personal, financial or other reasons — many UK universities will let you defer your place to the next intake, usually for one year. You request this through the admissions office, ideally with a brief reason, and you should receive written confirmation of the new start date. Not all courses allow it: some competitive programmes (and certain scholarships) require you to start in the year you applied, so always check before assuming.

## The knock-on effects to check
Deferral moves your whole timeline: your CAS will be issued for the new intake, so your visa application shifts accordingly, and you should not apply for the visa until the new CAS is ready. Crucially, a scholarship awarded for one year is not always held for a deferred start, so confirm this with the funder. Study UK Now handles a deferral end to end — confirming it in writing, realigning your CAS and visa timeline, and checking your funding still stands.

## Frequently asked questions
### Can I defer my UK university offer?
Often yes — many UK universities let you defer your place to the next intake, usually by one year, though some competitive courses do not allow it. You must request deferral through admissions and get written confirmation. Deferral shifts your CAS, visa timeline and possibly your scholarship, so check the knock-on effects before confirming.

### Does deferring my offer affect my scholarship or visa?
It can. Your CAS and therefore your visa application move to the new intake, so you apply later. A scholarship awarded for the original year is not always held for a deferred start, so confirm with the funder. Study UK Now checks both the visa timeline and your funding when arranging a deferral.

## Sources
- [UCAS — deferred entry](https://www.ucas.com/applying/applying-university/dates-and-deadlines-uni-applications) — UCAS

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Verified: 2026-06-16