The University of the Free State (UFS) is one of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in South Africa, and this common fact makes it a well sought after university – for parents and guardians who want their kids to get the best education there is, and for students who want to be associated with the crème of notable individuals that have gone through the academic institution. Every year, the UFS receives thousands of applications from prospective students – both at home and abroad – who seek admission to study courses of their choice. However, because the university has strict policies in terms of admission limits every academic session, it becomes a rat race by parents, guardians, and students alike in search of the limited admission spaces available to each faculty or department.
It should be known that a successful application for admission into UFS does not mean that an admission offer is guaranteed – even if you have met all the requirements. Because of this, parents/guardians and students are always eager to know if admission has been offered. If you are a prospective student and have submitted your application successfully, but you are still anxious to find out your UFS application status, this post takes you through the process of achieving that.
How Long Does UFS Take to Respond to Applications?
Okay! We know you are very anxious right now about your UFS application status, and it seems you can’t wait for the long wait to be over. However, it may not be such a long wait after all. The University of the Free State (UFS) responds to every application for admission as long as you have (and submitted) a functional email address and your contact details are well specified. Once the application is received, an acknowledgment is sent. Those who applied online with valid email addresses would receive theirs via e-mail, while those who applied offline (and perhaps, don’t have email addresses) would receive theirs via post. After that, you can now look forward to an admission offer.
After this, you should expect a response (the admission offer, if yours is approved) – from the school in six weeks (and that depends on when you actually applied). UFS begins its admission feedback process only when all applications have been closed. But if you are not patient enough, or for some reason, the six weeks have elapsed, and you haven’t received any feedback from the school, you can check your UFS application status by yourself through a straightforward process.
How To Check UFS Application Status
As a prospective student of UFS, it is your duty to always check if your application for admission has been approved, especially if you have waited longer than six weeks after you submitted your application. The question on your mind may be “How do I check my UFS admission status, and where can I do that?” Below are the steps to take to access your application status at the UFS portal login. Note that you should have your student/reference number nearby.
- Get an electronic device that can access the internet and go to the UFS portal: https://pssa.ufs.ac.za/psp/csprd/?cmd=login. You will be redirected to the Student iEnabler login page, where you are required to enter your login credentials (student number and password).
- Check your biodata and update your contact details. This will ensure that the university can communicate with you – when the need arises.
- Fresh students would have to change their temporary password and challenge-response questions.
- Click on the Student Enquiry Link on the right side of the screen – under Student iEnabler.
- You can then click on Academic Admissions Status.
You can also contact the University of Free State Admissions Department at:
- Tel: +27(0)51 401 1942/3696/3693/9864
- or send an email to [email protected]; [email protected] with your ID number and a valid contact number.
- You can also contact UFS Application Helpdesk agents to assist you in tracking the status of your application.
Does UFS Accept Late Applications?
The University of the Free State (UFS) opens its admission portal for prospective students to apply for their preferred course of study mid-year – around the 2nd quarter of the year. Anyone interested in running a program at the institution is free to apply for admission at this time irrespective of the category. Whether as an undergraduate, postgraduate, or diploma student, the onus falls on you to submit your application early during this application cycle.
The cycle is with each department/faculty giving out the precise date the cycle closes for them. For some faculties, application for admission – both online and offline – ends as early as August while for some others, it runs till October. However, it is also known that some departments leave their window of application open till November. Early application means the student is waiting for the university to respond with the offer of admission. However, for some prospective students, they are not afforded the luxury of early application which several factors could cause, and this leaves them in a rat race to beat the deadlines.
The question of late application is a no-brainer for the UFS. This is simply because applications for admissions received every year always exceed the number of slots available, so there is always no opportunity for late applications. As such, applications for admission, which come in after the deadline, are not considered. However, it is expedient to mention that deadlines could be extended by the school or individual campuses or university faculties as the occasion demands, but those are only exceptions and not the norm.
For instance, the UFS extended the deadline for application for admission for the 2015/2016 academic session from September 30, 2015, to December 31, 2015, for students living in South Africa only. Late applications after the December 31 deadline were also considered that year. However, the offer was for non-selection programs only, while international students were exempted from this magnanimity. The reason for this was the fact that at the initial deadline of September 30, 2015, the slots for admission for that year were yet to be filled up.
Another point of an instance where such happened was in the 2020/2021 application cycle where the duration was extended to early 2021 – February 15, 2021, for selected programs only. This was just done on the Bloemfontein campus alone.
Does UFS Accept Alternative Applications for Other Programs?
The question of alternative applications arises when a prospective student misses the deadline for the application. However, even though the situation is likely in other South African universities and colleges, UFS does not accept an alternative application for other programs after the application deadline is passed.
