Parents' and Guardians' Guide

Welcome to the University of Roehampton!

We understand that university is a big step in a student's life. As students prepare to embark on this new chapter, we want you to know that we are here to support both you and them at every step of the way. We've gathered everything you need to know, as a parent or guardian of a student, to feel comfortable that we put your child first, ensuring that they are secure and supported throughout their time with us. Here, you will find resources to help them prepare for and navigate their time at Roehampton.

For those seeking more information about Clearing, our Clearing Guide covers everything you need to be well-prepared ahead of results day.

We also offer a range of services to support students throughout their time at the university, including Wellbeing Services, Cost of Living Support, Financial Support, Career Advice. To find out more about our services visit Student Support and for university life visit Student Life.

Additionally, we warmly invite all parents, carers and supporters to attend one of our Open Days. These events provide a wonderful opportunity to experience our beautiful parkland campus firsthand, meet our esteemed faculty, and learn more about the exceptional educational opportunities we provide.

We are dedicated to making this journey as smooth and enjoyable as possible for your family. If you have any questions or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to Contact Us. We are genuinely excited to embark on this educational journey together with you and your loved one.

About us

At Roehampton, we change lives by helping our students to develop the confidence, knowledge and adaptability they need for a successful graduate career.

We are a supportive, close-knit and inclusive community, where anyone can fit in and feel inspired do their best. We have a proud history in higher education stretching back more than 175 years. Through the oldest of our four Colleges, Whitelands, we have been providing higher education to women for longer than any other university in the country.

Our values come from this rich history, built on community, engagement and partnership, with a belief that no matter their background, we can help our students realise their ambitions. Our graduates today have excellent employment prospects, and are part of a thriving global community of Roehampton alumni.

Timeline of selection and application process for home undergraduate students

Please click through the timeline to see the actions that need to be taken.

Year 12

What happens?
Year 12 students get the opportunity to attend a UCAS or a Higher Education (HE) Fair at their school or college.

Parent actions
Help to research the courses that your child is interested in and then look at which universities that offer them – this will help as your child will tackle the fair in a productive way.

Year 12 and 13

What Happens?
Attend university open days.

Parent actions
Go along to open days with your child, if they would like you to. This will give you both an opportunity to look at each of the options and discuss the positives and negatives.

What Happens?
Start writing a personal statement for the UCAS application. Students can create a UCAS account now but cannot submit applications.

Year 13

What happens?
Submit applications through UCAS any time from early-September.

Parent actions
Your child will have to register with UCAS in order to start completing their application. The application can be completed in stages, so you could offer to proofread and check it with them.

What happens?
UCAS applications will be submitted to your child's school or college before being sent on to UCAS. The school or college will add their reference as well as predicted grades.

Parent actions
Check with your child’s school or college on when they need to get the UCAS application in by, as this is different to the overall UCAS deadline.

What happens?
Student applications must be submitted to UCAS by late January, but there is still a chance to apply after this deadline.

Parent actions
The late January deadline is for most courses starting in September that year. There are additional dates in the application cycle where students can apply if there are spaces left, so do not worry if this date is not met - the can still apply later in the application cycle.

What happens?
Applicants will start to receive ‘offers’ and will be invited to attend offer holder events. If an applicant has used all five choices and is not holding any offers, they can add another choice using UCAS ‘Extra’.

Parent actions
This can be a stressful time. Try to reassure your child, their friends may receive their offers before your child but their chosen universities will get back to them.

What happens?
Applicants who have received all their decisions by the end of March must reply by the start of May

Parent actions
Your child needs to make a decision about which offers they want to make their firm and insurance choice. Their firm choice should be the university they most want to go to. Their insurance choice should also be a university they want to go to but it should have a lower offer to act as a back-up. This can be a difficult decision, so you may need to act as a sounding board and discuss options with them.

What happens?
Applicants who have received all their university decisions by the beginning of May must reply by early June.

Parent actions
Check with your child when this date is and encourage them to reply – they can find this out on their UCAS Track.

What happens?
Applications who received all their university decisions by the start of June must reply by the end of June.

Parent actions
If your child decided to make an application later in the cycle this will be the date they need to adhere to but you will need to check in with them to see what date the UCAS Track has given them.

What happens?
This is for all late applications and decisions must be made by this date

Parent actions
UCAS Track will advise your child about the dates they need to make decisions by – you can help them to make a decision and ensure they reply on time.

What happens?
Results Day for many qualifications. Clearing opens. Your child can use Clearing if they are still looking for a university place.

Parent actions
If all goes well, it's time to celebrate! However, if your child's grades fall short of what they needed for their Firm Offer, we recommend you encourage them to contact their chosen university and discuss their options before making any big decisions.

Your child may have to apply for a course using Clearing. This involves calling universities who still have places on their courses and chatting to an advisor to see if your child meets the Clearing entry requirements.

What happens?
Applicants need to make sure they meet all the conditions of their offer by late August. This includes any outstanding GCSE results.

Parent actions
Make sure they read all emails and instructions from admissions and send any evidence needed to admissions in good time.

What happens?
Applicants arrive at their chosen university

Parent actions
September is a busy month, especially if your child is going to live at the university – help your child to prepare by encouraging them to read all the information they are sent by their new university and student finance.

Applying through UCAS

UCAS stands for Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. It's the centralised service that students use to apply to university.

Your child will have to register with UCAS in order to start completing their application. The application can be completed in stages, so you could offer to proofread and check it with them. Check with your child’s school or college on when they need to get the UCAS application in by, as this is different to the overall UCAS deadline.

Applicants will receive all their university decisions by the beginning of March at the earliest. They must reply within a month of receiving this information. UCAS will advise your child about the dates they need to make decisions by – you can help them to make a decision and ensure they reply on time.

All new Roehampton students have the option of living in on-campus accommodation on our beautiful parkland campus.

All students living in halls are part of one of the four historic Roehampton colleges, which provide extensive flat rep, welfare support, regular college dinners, and other social events.

We are one of the most affordable London universities for overall living costs (Which? Student Budget Calculator, 2023).

We offer plenty of accommodation options to suit different tastes and budgets, including quiet, single-sex flats and flats dedicated to postgraduate students.
All our private and secure rooms are on-campus, with 24/7 security and plenty of catering outlets and shops to choose from on campus and locally.
All bills are included in the cost, so there is no hassle and it is easy to budget.
We can give students guaranteed accommodation on our campus, as long as they apply by the deadline. Read our accommodation guarantee here.

Students can book accommodation as soon as they have a firm offer from us. With our risk-free policy, if they don't get the grades or receive their visa we will release them from any agreements. Find out more here.

At Roehampton we are dedicated to supporting our students throughout their academic journey. We understand that finances and cost of living can be a concern, and that's why we offer a comprehensive range of financial support options.

Scholarships are available for various categories, recognizing academic achievements, talents in music, sports, and esports. We also extend our support to high-achieving international students and those recommended by a Roehampton alumnus.

For students facing financial difficulties, our Student Hardship Fund is available. It provides valuable financial assistance during challenging times, offering grants or interest-free loans that can be repaid at your convenience. Applying to the fund is possible at any point throughout your program.

Beyond financial aid, our dedicated team is here to offer guidance on undergraduate and postgraduate loans and assist with personal budgeting. We want to ensure you have the necessary resources to focus on your studies and personal growth.

Commuting and accommodation are also designed with affordability in mind. We offer a free bus service between Roehampton, Barnes Station, and Wimbledon, making transportation easy and cost-effective. Free on-campus parking is available, a rare feature among London universities. Additionally, our cycling facilities offer secure bike storage, with the convenience of ebike hire on campus. You'll also find free college kitchens for heating and eating your own food, along with a variety of on-campus catering outlets.

When it comes to student accommodation, we take pride in providing some of the most affordable options in London. If you accept our offer by the deadline, we guarantee you access to our reasonably priced and comfortable accommodation.

For more detailed information on the wide array of financial support we offer, please visit our financial support page.

Going to university is a huge milestone in your child’s life, we know there may be times they need support, whether it is to talk through personal matters, manage a health issue or seek advice.

We provide health and wellbeing services, financial guidance and support to develop your child’s study skills. They will also have access to careers advice, work placements, work opportunities and career mentoring.

You can read more about all the support services we offer students here.

At Roehampton, we provide a wide range of opportunities for your child to get involved with, this could be through volunteering, playing sport or music, or joining one of our many active student societies.

We offer multi-faith chaplaincy with chaplains, associate chaplains, chaplaincy community workers and faith supporters from a number of faith traditions.

The Roehampton Students’ Union provides a variety of opportunities to help your child get the most out of their time with us, as well as providing student support services, there are over 55 student-led societies, so there is something for everyone.

You can read more about student life at Roehampton here.

We run a series of open days and virtual events throughout the year. We also run campus tours, when government guidance allows for this.

These events will give you and your child the chance to talk to our friendly staff, explore our campus and see our facilities, you will also get to meet current Roehampton students.

We recommend joining one of our events, as they provide a great introduction to Roehampton and offer a chance to find out more about the intended subject of study. Even if your child isn’t quite sure what course they want to do, an open day can help them make up their mind.

You can find out more about our events and book a place here.