Parents and supporters’ guide to application

From choosing a course to finding somewhere to live, our helpful guide will support students through their university application.
new student with parent

Why go to university?

Going to university is a big decision and you may be wondering if it’s the right choice for your family member. There are many paths they could take after school or college but going to university is a life-changing opportunity that offers more than just a career path. 
Guardianship
If your family member will be under the age of 18 on commencement of their studies they are required to provide us with details of a guardian in line with our safeguarding policy.

Applications for 2026 entry

Find out what to expect from the application process when applying for degrees that start in September 2026.
 

Reasons why going to university may be the right option

Improve career prospects and earning potential
These days, the careers market is competitive, and a degree will give your family member a head start on their chosen path. With a degree, they are also more likely to progress faster up the career ladder. 
At Plymouth, we are proud to say we are one of a select number of UK universities to achieve triple gold – gold overall, and for student experience and student outcomes (TEF, 2023).
According to the most recent graduate outcomes survey over 95% of our graduates are in work or further study.*
The University of Plymouth is ranked among the UK’s top 25 universities for career prospects (source: Whatuni 2025).
*Excludes those travelling, retired or caring for someone, out of all UK domiciled, full-time first-degree graduates. Contains HESA Data: Copyright JISC 2022. JISC cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from its data.

Develop life skills
Going to university and living away from home for the first time gives students the chance to develop independence and self-confidence in a supported environment.
Find out about the support available in our new Student Hub

Our degrees also provide scope for our students to develop their communication and presentation skills. University presents plenty of opportunities to develop time management, teamwork and organisation – all of which are important lifelong skills.

Enjoy new opportunities
Both within their course and through our vibrant Students’ Union, our students will have new opportunities available to them throughout their time with us. Our Students’ Union has over 110 societies and 55 sports clubs to choose from.

Many courses at the University of Plymouth provide the option of a placement or work-based learning. If a course doesn’t offer this, then our Careers Service can explore other work experience options. These opportunities will give our students the opportunity to gain real-world experience and pick up a range of employability skills to kick-start their career.

Make lifelong connections
Joining us here at Plymouth is an opportunity to make lifelong connections with fellow students from different backgrounds and cultures. We provide guaranteed places in halls for all our undergraduate first years, and our Residence Life and Student Accommodation team are there to offer advice and guidance.
 “University is probably the best opportunity you will get to meet new and like-minded people, join endless societies and try things you have never done before. It’s a chance to have lots of fun (and gain a degree of course) before you enter the world of work. You want to be able to look back at your experience and think, I did everything I could have done and had an amazing time. So do it!”

Nina, BA (Hons) Fine Art and Art History
Accommodation UPP halls Radnor Pilgrim
Accommodation
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Fees and funding
Student Hub
Student Hub
Open day homepage
Open days
undergraduate open day programme2
Offer holder days

Find the right course

We understand that finding that single perfect course from thousands of options is much harder than selecting four A level subjects from a limited list.

Because of this, we encourage applicants to hone in on a broad subject area and to then research University course webpages thoroughly to start to build a picture of what distinguishes one course against another.

Open days also offer a great way for applicants to confirm that they have found the right course or to learn something new about previously overlooked courses.

Browse our course options

Search for a course

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Frances Burdett, MEng (Hons) Civil and Coastal Engineering student
 

Writing a personal statement for your UCAS application

It’s likely that writing a personal statement will be a new experience for students - that’s why we’ve pulled together some top tips, so you can support them and know what to look out for.
Female student on campus carrying a laptop
 
*Excludes those travelling, retired or caring for someone, out of all UK domiciled, full-time first-degree graduates. Contains HESA Data: Copyright JISC 2022. JISC cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from its data. 
†Source: livingcost.org.