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Start by checking out available courses—not every university offers every subject, so if your dependant has a specific course in mind, that will help narrow down their choices. You can use our course finder to see if BNU offers their preferred programme. 

It’s also helpful to focus on subject areas they’ve enjoyed or excelled in at school or college, as this often leads to a strong university experience. That said, university is a great time to explore new interests too—the key is choosing a course that aligns with their passions, preferred learning style and sets them on the right path for their future career.

When choosing a university, there are several important factors to consider. Location can play a big role—some students prefer to stay close to home, while others are excited to explore somewhere new. What matters most is finding a place where your young person will feel comfortable and supported.

Cost is another key consideration—are tuition fees and accommodation costs within your expectations? We understand that financial circumstances vary widely, which is why we offer clear information on fees and funding. 

Beyond the classroom, the overall student experience is shaped by things like campus facilities, accommodation, Students’ Union and support services. You can find out more about what makes BNU a great choice, including our National Student Survey results and top-ranked Students’ Union on our why choose BNU page.

All applications for full-time UK undergraduate university courses need to come through  (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). This is the organisation that processes applications and sends out the offers.

UCAS applications open in the September the year before the course is due to start. If your dependant is starting in year 13, their school or college should help them with their applications and give them a reference.

You can find more useful information about applying to universities on the , including a  where you can sign up for newsletters and get notifications of what needs to happen and when.

For part-time or postgraduate courses, students need to apply to the University directly using our  You can find more information about applying directly through the University on our Application Guide page.

Check your dependant is likely to meet the entry requirements for the course they’re applying for. You’ll find these on our course pages. Some courses take GCSE Maths and English results into account, and others ask for an interview or portfolio of work.

If they don’t meet the stated entry criteria, we offer a wide range of foundation year programmes that can help give them the best start at university. Encourage them to email us or call us on 0330 123 2023 to discuss their options. You can even WhatsApp us on 07850 076937.

Student loans are available to help cover some of the costs of degree-level study. There are two types:

• Tuition fee loan â€“ this pays for the course and is available for full-time and some part-time programmes.
• Maintenance loan â€“ this is to help with living costs, such as accommodation, books and bills.

Student loans are different from other types of loans, as students only start repaying them once they’re working and earning a certain level of salary. It’s worth looking on the  website to find out more about the repayment terms and conditions.

There’s also a disabled students allowance, which you can find out about on the .

Your child can apply for any loans as soon as they submit their university applications. To make sure the loans are set up before the start of term, they need to apply for any finance by 31 May. Don’t worry if they change their mind about the uni they wish to study at after applying for funding. They can simply update their account online. 

They will need to enrol on their course at the start of each academic year. Their grant or loans could be delayed if they don’t.

It’s important to note that a student loan is the student’s responsibility. The Student Loans Company will only ever ask the student to repay the loan – never a third party.

At BNU we recognise that sometimes students need a little extra support. We are proud to offer an impressive package of funds and bursaries, as well as other financial support, to make sure that students can reach their full potential.

Our support options include:

• Thrive Bursary – this bursary is for those students who live in a low participation or low-income area.
• BNU Financial Aid – this fund provides discretionary financial assistance for students to help them access and remain in higher education. It is particularly aimed for those students who need financial help to meet specific course and living costs that cannot be met from other sources of support. The fund can also provide emergency payments for unexpected financial crises.
• Cost-of-living support – from free access to events and entertainment, competitive and recreational sport; skills workshops, CV building activities and of course our societies; to the Big Bucks Meal deal and a free inter-campus bus service, we work hard with Bucks Students’ Union to support our student community through the cost-of-living crisis.

For more information on what scholarships, bursaries and funding your child may be entitled to visit our Fees and Funding webpage. You can also take a look at our Cost-of-Living Hub to see how else we can support your young person during their studies.

As the parent or carer of a prospective student, you will usually need to support their student finance application by providing your own financial information. You can find advice on supporting a loan application on the .

Once they’ve made their applications, they should start getting responses back.

For each course they applied for, they’ll either receive:

• an unconditional offer (U), which means they don’t have to meet any conditions, and definitely have a place.
• a conditional offer (C), where they must meet certain conditions to get onto the course such as specific A-level grades.
• an unsuccessful response (R).

The UCAS Equal Consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses is 14 January 2026. Applications can be sent after this, but we may not be able to guarantee they’ll give it equal consideration. 

If your dependant has used all five choices, and are not holding any offers by 26 February 2026, they can add another choice using UCAS Extra. UCAS Extra is another chance for them to gain a place at university or college. If they're eligible, during this period they'll be able to apply to additional universities, one at a time. 

If your child received their last decision on their application on or before 31 March 2026, they must reply by 6 May, otherwise their application will be declined by default (DBD) - except if they’re using Extra to find a place). 

However, if your child received their last decision on their application on or before 13 May, they must reply by 3 June, otherwise their application will be declined by default (DBD) - except if they’re using Extra to find a place.

If your child has applied through UCAS Extra and do not hold any offers, they have until 1 July 2026 to add an Extra choice to their application.

They can check their application on UCAS to see their personal deadline. 

Clearing opens on 2 July 2026 and offers another opportunity to apply. 

Once your young person has submitted their application and received offers, they must then reply to them through . They need to decide on their first choice, and their second/insurance choice (in case they don’t get the grades for their first choice). They can also decline any offers they don’t want.

If they don’t receive any offers, or decide they don’t want to accept any they have received, there’s a second chance to apply through . If they haven’t used up their five choices on their application already, they can use this route to apply to any universities with vacancies.

By the summer, if they still haven’t been offered a place, they’ve changed their mind about what they want to study, or they decide late that they’d like to go to university, there’s still a final option: Clearing.

Lots of students use this route to get into university from July to September each year. Like UCAS Extra, it’s a system that matches up students to courses that still have spaces.

If your young person doesn’t get the grades they need to study their chosen degree, or they want to build their confidence up a bit more, they don't have to rule out university altogether. At BNU we offer a number of foundation year programmes to give students an extra year’s preparation before moving onto a full degree.

Once your young person has accepted an offer, they can then consider whether they wish to stay at home and commute to university or apply to live in halls of residence or private accommodation. 

At BNU we guarantee full-time, first year students a room in our High Wycombe halls* and applications for our university accommodation opens around March. We can also offer help looking for private accommodation.

*T&Cs apply. For more information, please see our accommodation page.

Although the mundane tasks of life (such as cooking, managing a budget and washing clothes) may seem like a simple task, but living at university may be the first time your child will need to do this for themselves.

Taking the time to teach them some basic healthy recipes and showing them how to budget or even work a washing machine, will help ease your worries knowing they can take care of themselves. 

While many costs, such as utilities and internet, are typically covered by the rent in university accommodation, they'll still need to budget for essentials like food, daily expenses, and leisure activities.

You may be wondering what your young person will need to bring with them when they move to university. In short, not too much. They’ll need clothes and personal items – and possibly a few things to personalise their room, like photos.

They will also need documents for enrolment, some bedding, towels, coat hangers, crockery, toiletries and some basic food supplies to cover them until they do their first shop. But it’s best to leave buying too many other things until they’ve seen what’s available in their accommodation. They can always club together with hall or house mates on kitchen items, if needed.

Students can also use our BNU New Usage scheme, which includes a range of free upcycled household goods. And of course, there are lots of shops near the University where they can buy anything they’ve forgotten, or desperately need, once they’re here.

After helping them unpack and saying your goodbyes, this moment can be emotional for both you and your young person. However, you can take comfort in knowing that we’ll be doing everything we can in the first few weeks—and beyond—to support your young person as they settle into university life and make the most of their experience at BNU.

Not knowing anyone can feel a bit daunting. But everyone’s in the same boat. At BNU we are one big community, here to support each other. As well as getting involved with activities during Welcome Week, they’re likely to make friends in their accommodation.

Encourage them to get to know their flatmates. Prop their door open and put some music on as they unpack – anyone passing is bound to say hello. And once they start their course, they’ll be meeting lots more people with similar interests.

We run lots of events for new students, so they can get to know one another and start getting their bearings around campus. Our Students’ Union also runs a freshers fair, which is a great opportunity to find out about all the clubs and societies on offer. The best part? our unique  means they’ll have access to a huge amount outside of their course, too – from free skills workshops, to societies and sports – all great for enhancing their CV, as well as being great fun.

At BNU we pride ourselves on our student support. Whether you child needs academic support and help adjusting to degree-level study, or they encounter challenges and difficulties with their mental health, we have an extensive support system available.

Have a look at our student’s success and support page to see how we can help.

A degree is a great starting point for a career. But it’s the additional skills, qualities and experience that will increase your young person’s chances of getting a good job when they graduate.  

Your young person will have access to plenty of that during their whole time at BNU, and for two years after they graduate, to support them as they progress in their career. Read more about our Careers and Employability Service.

Your young person may be off taking their first step to life away from home, and for them and you, it's still important to stay in contact.

Due to data protection regulations, we’re unable to share details about academic progress, attendance, or personal matters with anyone, including parents, without the student’s consent. However, rest assured that we’ll be keeping an eye on their wellbeing and will help guide them toward the right support services if needed. They’ll also have a personal tutor available to talk to about any academic or personal concerns.

At BNU our students and staff can make a referral to the Safeguarding Team via the , this will then be taken to the relevant support team, who will arrange to check in on the student.

If we become aware of any health or welfare issues, we may encourage your young person to reach out to you or do so on their behalf if they’ve given us written consent. In exceptional circumstances, such as a medical emergency, we may contact you directly to ensure their wellbeing.

If you’re concerned and get in touch with us, we may be able to inform your young person that you’ve reached out, but we generally recommend speaking to them directly about their university experience.