Published by: UCAS
Published on: 20th March 2020
Changes to decline by default (DBD) and reject by default (RBD) dates, and updating vacancy statuses
Following recent developments around COVID-19 and the announcement of the closure of schools, we continue to work closely with the Department for Education (DfE) and have taken the decision to put the rolling UCAS Teacher Training and DfE Apply for Teacher Training decision-making deadlines on hold for four weeks. From today, all RBDs and DBDs will be paused until 20 April at the earliest – this means that during this time, no offers will be automatically declined, or applications automatically rejected.
Below are details of what this means for UCAS Teacher Training applicants, based on where they are in the application cycle.
Applicants with RBD/DBD dates between 23 March and 19 April
- You’ll have until 20 April to make decisions for these applicants.
- Applicants will have until 20 April to reply to offers they’ve received, if their DBD date is within this period.
- Track will show the extended dates for applicants, but this may take around seven days to update. We’re also telling them about this change by email, so they have the information straightaway.
Applicants who have RBD dates after 19 April
- You’ll have an extra four weeks to make decisions for these applicants.
- The RBD dates will be updated in Track and web-link.
- We will email these applicants, telling them to check Track to see the new RBD date.
- The DfE will email applicants who have applied through their new Apply service, to tell them about the changes.
Applicants who apply between 23 March and 19 April
- The 40-day RBD timeframe will start from 20 April, so you’ll need to make decisions for these applicants by 15 June.
- Track will show the updated date for applicants.
If it’s necessary for us to extend these dates further, we’ll email you to let you know.
Please update your vacancy statuses
Please update the status of your training programmes to let potential applicants know if you’re not recruiting while your provider is closed.
- Providers in England can do this using the Department for Education’s Find service.
- Providers in Wales can do this using UCAS’ collection tool.
If you have any questions about these UCAS Teacher Training changes, please contact your relationship manager – they’re available to support you during this time. If you need help with the DfE’s Find or Apply service, please email becomingateacher@digital.education.gov.uk.
Kind regards
Provider Communications
UCAS