What do I do in my super specific situation about not receiving my grades in time?

Hi! I'm a British National currently living in Serbia for schooling (year 7 to year 13 equivilent in UK). I have offers from Universities that I've applied to via UCAS and I'm set to start uni in this september of 2025. However, this might not happen. Not sure if ANYONE is aware of this, but in the country I'm currenly in (serbia as mentioned before), there are huge protests and demontrations by students and teachers across the entier country that are completely stopping the schools from operating. I literally havent been to school since December of 2024 since there is no school (its all in blockades). I'm not sure if my school here will give me my grades and diploma in time for me to send them to my University of choice. I've reached out to some of my offers but they've just said that i can postpone my entrance until 26/27. I'm not really keen on doing this. Does anyone else have any ideas / suggestions that might help me?I've been accepted for Home fees btw if that helps, since im a uk national. As a side note, students in Serbia who plan to stay here like normal and also won't get their grades are told not to worry, as they will not need to pass an entrance exam to get into university here in Serbia.ANY help is appreciated!

Reply 1

artful_lounger

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

That's unusual you've been accepted as a home fees student, as this is not normally determined on the basis of nationality but on the basis of domicile (i.e. whether you are living in the UK continually for 3 years before starting university). Have you had SFE and the universities confirm that you are considered a UK/home fees student for all your offers and are they aware you have been domiciled in Serbia for the last 6 years? If you did not disclose that to them then the may be liable to change your fee status once they find out...so it's something to be crystal clear on before anything else.

As for the political situation there in terms of your schooling and results - as I understand for UK university offers you normally need to meet all requirements of your conditional offer by their deadline before/during matriculation (usually late August of the year you are applying in). If you won't meet those in that time frame then you might have some difficulties as you wouldn't be able to defer either in that case (as you can only defer an unconditional offer i.e one you have already met all the requirements for). Note this should be the case regardless of whether considered a home fees or international fees student.

I think you need to reach out to the universities you've applied to and be more specific and ask what will happen if by matriculation you have not received any of the relevant certificates etc normally issued due to the political situation in the country. Because if they say you will be considered as not meeting the requirements and be unable to matriculate, you will also necessarily be unable to defer your offer and would need to at best reapply in a gap year - so this is I think the key point you need to confirm (other than the aforementioned financial matters).

Reply 2

supercoolguy64

Original post

by artful_lounger

That's unusual you've been accepted as a home fees student, as this is not normally determined on the basis of nationality but on the basis of domicile (i.e. whether you are living in the UK continually for 3 years before starting university). Have you had SFE and the universities confirm that you are considered a UK/home fees student for all your offers and are they aware you have been domiciled in Serbia for the last 6 years? If you did not disclose that to them then the may be liable to change your fee status once they find out...so it's something to be crystal clear on before anything else.
As for the political situation there in terms of your schooling and results - as I understand for UK university offers you normally need to meet all requirements of your conditional offer by their deadline before/during matriculation (usually late August of the year you are applying in). If you won't meet those in that time frame then you might have some difficulties as you wouldn't be able to defer either in that case (as you can only defer an unconditional offer i.e one you have already met all the requirements for). Note this should be the case regardless of whether considered a home fees or international fees student.
I think you need to reach out to the universities you've applied to and be more specific and ask what will happen if by matriculation you have not received any of the relevant certificates etc normally issued due to the political situation in the country. Because if they say you will be considered as not meeting the requirements and be unable to matriculate, you will also necessarily be unable to defer your offer and would need to at best reapply in a gap year - so this is I think the key point you need to confirm (other than the aforementioned financial matters).

Thanks for the response! I have told all the universities that have considered me for Home fees about where i've been living, so im 100% sure that they understand i've been living in serbia for the last 6 years.

As for what to do, im going to see with more universities about what they can do, and ask about more. Thank you very much for you reply once again :smile:

Reply 3

artful_lounger

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by supercoolguy64

Yeah I think it's really a case of understanding what happens to your offer when the deadline to send results/upload certificates etc passes - I'd like to believe they must have some kind of process for this for students applying from countries with even more volatile political situations and/or all out war but, it's hard to know :redface: