UCAS Status Codes, Personal ID and Other UCAS Codes Explained

UCAS status codes are two personal codes that UCAS creates once it has received your application. Banks use them to check you're a student when you open a student bank account, and you'll find them in your application in the UCAS Hub. They're not your Personal ID, which is the ten-digit number on every UCAS email.

So if a bank's form is asking for a code you've never heard of, don't panic. It's already sitting in your application once UCAS has it. Below you'll find exactly where to look and what every other UCAS number is for, so you hand the right one to the right form. If you're new to all of this, start with what UCAS is and how it works.

Where do I find my UCAS status codes?

Your status codes are kept inside your application in the UCAS Hub. UCAS creates them once it receives your application, so they won't be there while you're still filling it in.

1. Sign in to the UCAS Hub. Use the same account you applied with.
2. Open your application. UCAS says the codes are "in your application", so go into the application itself rather than stopping at the Hub's front page.
3. Find the bank status codes. Look for the part of your application that mentions bank or status codes. Screen wording can change, so scan for those words rather than a fixed menu name.
4. Copy both codes exactly. Note which is which, because different banks ask for different ones. Keep them to yourself: UCAS says your codes are unique to your application, so a friend can't use yours.
5. Give your bank the code it asks for. Check the bank's form for the length it wants, then enter the matching code.

If nothing shows up, the likeliest reason is that UCAS hasn't received your application yet. If you applied through a school or college, check with them that it has actually been sent.

Why do banks ask for a UCAS status code?

A student account is only for students, so a bank needs proof that you're starting a course. Your status codes give it that proof. UCAS says the two codes "may make it quicker" to open an account, because the bank can quickly confirm you're a future student.

Where the 4-digit and 16-digit numbers come from

UCAS itself never says how long its status codes are. The lengths come from the banks' own websites. Two examples:

• Santander asks for a "UCAS 4-digit status code" and says you can use it as proof of study.
• NatWest asks for a "unique 16 digit UCAS status code" to confirm you're a student.

So when a bank asks for a 4-digit or 16-digit UCAS code, it means one of your two status codes. Other banks may word it differently, so follow whatever your bank's form says.

When can you use them?

That depends on the bank. UCAS says some banks let you open a student account once you've accepted a conditional offer, while others want your place confirmed first. If you're still weighing up your offers, read how to accept your UCAS offers before you start filling in bank forms.

When you're ready to choose, our guide to the best student bank accounts walks through overdrafts, fees and perks.

What is my UCAS Personal ID?

Your Personal ID (UCAS also calls it your UCAS ID) is a ten-digit number shown in the format 123-456-7890 on every email UCAS sends you. It identifies you and your application. Forms don't always use the same name for it: the 2025/26 student finance form called it your "UCAS personal identification number".

Two things catch people out:

• It doesn't exist until you start an application. Registering on the Hub isn't enough. If you've only made an account, you won't have a Personal ID yet.
• It isn't a status code. Banks want your status codes. Universities in Clearing want your Personal ID, and so did the 2025/26 student finance form.

Here's where you'll use it:

• Identifying your application. UCAS's glossary says your scheme code is used along with your Personal ID to identify your application.
• Clearing. Before you add a Clearing choice, you give the university your Personal ID and your Clearing number so they can look you up.
• Student finance. The 2025/26 Student Finance England PN1 form asked for your UCAS personal identification number, plus a UCAS university/college code, a campus code (if applicable) and a course code. Later forms may differ, so check the current one when you apply. Our student finance basics guide covers the rest of the process.

What are UCAS course codes and institution codes?

UCAS course listings show a set of "Application codes". On one 2027 listing, UCAS shows them like this: Course code W8OA, Institution code F33, Campus name Main Site.

UCAS says the course code is "only for reference". When you add a course to your application, search for it by its title, not its code. You'll still see codes used elsewhere, though. UCAS itself refers to Cambridge's medicine course as A100 and its graduate medicine course as A101.

Codes are worth noting once you know where you're going, because the 2025/26 student finance form asked for a UCAS course code and a university/college code. Copy them straight from your course listing rather than guessing.

What is a UCAS buzzword?

A buzzword is a word your school, college or centre gives you. When you enter it in your application, it links your application to them. They can then follow your application and add your reference. If you're applying independently, you don't need one.

If you don't know your buzzword, ask your teacher or careers adviser. To see what your school does with that link, read our guide to how your UCAS reference works.

What are the scheme code and Clearing number?

Scheme code

UCAS's glossary describes the scheme code as something used "in your application" along with your Personal ID to identify your application. UCAS's guidance doesn't give a format for it, so copy it exactly as it appears if a form asks for it.

Clearing number

Your Clearing number only appears if you're eligible for Clearing. When it does, UCAS says it shows under "Application status" in your application. Before you add a Clearing choice, contact the university and give them your Clearing number and your Personal ID so they can look up your application. Our UCAS Clearing guide explains how the rest of Clearing works.

Every UCAS code at a glance

Can't find your UCAS code?

Most "missing code" problems have a simple cause. Work down this list:

• Status codes not showing? UCAS only creates them once it has received your application. If you haven't sent it yet, check the UCAS deadlines for 2027 entry and get it in.
• No Personal ID? Open any email from UCAS, since it's shown on every one. If you've registered but not started an application, you won't have one yet.
• No Clearing number? It only appears under "Application status" once you're eligible for Clearing.
• Don't know your buzzword? Ask your school, college or centre. Independent applicants don't need one.
• Looking for UCAS Track? Track no longer exists. Your application is tracked in the UCAS Hub.
• Seeing a status message, not a code? Messages such as "Waiting for confirmation" or "You are now eligible for Clearing" tell you where your application has got to. They aren't the status codes banks ask for.

Still stuck with your status codes? UCAS's status codes page invites questions through its social media channels, and your bank can tell you exactly which code its form needs.

While you're in your application

Once your application is in, the next big moment is your offers. Some offers are made in UCAS Tariff points, though many universities base their offers on grades instead. It helps to know where your predicted grades put you before the decisions arrive.

Work out your UCAS points