What does deferring mean?

Deferring means applying for a course at University, then taking a year or a few months out before starting your chosen course – for example, you could apply in September 2023 to start university in September 2025.

If you hold a deferred offer, your university place will be ready and waiting for you to start the following year. This can be useful if you want to take a year out after school / college before starting university, often called a gap year. Alternatively, you may experience an unexpected change in work, family or other personal circumstances which mean you need to delay starting your studies as planned.