THE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES ADMISSIONS SERVICE

Charity overview
Activities - how the charity spends its money
UCAS is an independent charity, and remains committed to its vision of being at the heart of connecting people to higher education. We do this by providing information, advice, and admissions services to inspire and facilitate progression in education.
Income and expenditure
Data for financial year ending 31 July 2023
Total income:
£54,039,000
Donations and legacies | £0 | |
Charitable activities | £31.50m | |
Other trading activities | £0 | |
Investments | £722.00k | |
Other | £21.82m |
Total expenditure:
£52,540,000
Raising funds | £20.47m | |
Charitable activities | £32.07m | |
Other | £0 |
-£765,000 investments gains (losses)
Total income includes £67,000 from 1 government grant(s)
Charitable expenditure
Charitable expenditure with investment gains
Charitable expenditure
Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.
In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.
Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.
By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.
Raising funds and other expenditure | £20.47m | |
Charitable expenditure | £32.07m | |
Retained for future use | £1.50m |
People

546 Employee(s)
11 Trustee(s)
Employees with total benefits over £60,000
Number of employees | |
---|---|
£60k to £70k | 33 |
£70k to £80k | 24 |
£80k to £90k | 9 |
£90k to £100k | 2 |
£100k to £110k | 4 |
£110k to £120k | 2 |
£120k to £130k | 1 |
£150k to £200k | 3 |
£200k to £250k | 1 |
Fundraising
Trading
Trustee payments
What, who, how, where
- Education/training
- Other Defined Groups
- Provides Services
- Northern Ireland
- Scotland
Governance
- 13 August 1993: Standard registration
- U C A S (Working name)
- Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
- Complaints handling
- Complaints policy and procedures
- Conflicting interests
- Financial reserves policy and procedures
- Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
- Internal risk management policy and procedures
- Investing charity funds policy and procedures
- Investment
- Paying staff
- Risk management
- Safeguarding policy and procedures
- Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
- Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
- Social media policy and procedures
- Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
- Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Trustees
Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service
11 Trustee(s)
Name | Role | Date of appointment | Other trusteeships | Reporting status of other trusteeships | ||||
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Justin James Van Wijngaarden | Trustee | 24 October 2024 |
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Daragh Michael Kelly | Trustee | 24 October 2024 |
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Dr Benjamin Duncan Calvert | Trustee | 21 August 2023 |
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Professor James Alexander Miller FRSE | Trustee | 18 July 2023 |
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Simon John Bates | Trustee | 17 October 2022 |
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Patricia Ann Carvalho | Trustee | 09 May 2022 |
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Professor Colin Gareth Bailey CBE | Trustee | 10 December 2020 |
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Caroline Hoddinott | Trustee | 01 September 2019 |
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Mark Felix | Trustee | 01 September 2019 |
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Professor Malcolm Press | Trustee | 01 September 2019 |
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Professor Edward William Peck | Trustee | 20 September 2018 |
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Financial history
Financial period end date
Income / Expenditure | 31/07/2019 | 31/07/2020 | 31/07/2021 | 31/07/2022 | 31/07/2023 | ||
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Total gross income | £50.79m | £49.86m | £51.73m | £53.82m | £54.04m | |
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Total expenditure | £45.94m | £52.65m | £40.92m | £48.69m | £52.54m | |
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Income from government contracts | £1.30m | £1.40m | £294.00k | £73.50k | N/A | |
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Income from government grants | £67.00k | £67.00k | £67.00k | £67.00k | £67.00k | |
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Income - Donations and legacies | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Other trading activities | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Charitable activities | £28.85m | £30.56m | £32.94m | £32.22m | £31.50m | |
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Income - Endowments | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Investment | £267.00k | £311.00k | £179.00k | £226.00k | £722.00k | |
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Income - Other | £21.68m | £18.99m | £18.61m | £21.37m | £21.82m | |
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Income - Legacies | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Charitable activities | £29.67m | £37.49m | £25.37m | £29.43m | £32.07m | |
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Expenditure - Raising funds | £16.27m | £15.16m | £15.55m | £19.26m | £20.47m | |
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Expenditure - Governance | £804.00k | £892.00k | £826.00k | £716.00k | £787.00k | |
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Expenditure - Grants institution | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Investment management | £48.00k | £20.00k | £63.00k | £28.00k | £45.00k | |
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Expenditure - Other | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
Assets and liabilities
Definitions for assets and liabilities
These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.
Long term InvestmentsInvestments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.
These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liabilityThis is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.
Total liabilitiesThese are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.
Asset / Liability | 31/07/2019 | 31/07/2020 | 31/07/2021 | 31/07/2022 | 31/07/2023 | ||
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Own use assets | £20.12m | £12.91m | £14.13m | £17.05m | £19.17m | |
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Long-term investments | £7.17m | £6.97m | £8.40m | £9.12m | £9.69m | |
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Other assets | £23.62m | £27.01m | £34.78m | £35.05m | £33.09m | |
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Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability | -£12.17m | -£13.68m | -£7.89m | -£2.79m | -£2.39m | |
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Total liabilities | £10.01m | £11.04m | £10.23m | £8.89m | £10.10m |
Accounts and annual returns
Title | Reporting year | Date received | Received | Download |
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Annual return | 31 July 2023 | 30 May 2024 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 July 2023 | 30 May 2024 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 July 2022 | 16 May 2023 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 July 2022 | 16 May 2023 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 July 2021 | 18 May 2022 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 July 2021 | 18 May 2022 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 July 2020 | 27 May 2021 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 July 2020 | 27 May 2021 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 July 2019 | 26 May 2020 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 July 2019 | 26 May 2020 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Governing document
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES INCORPORATED 27/07/1993 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 30/11/1999 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 28/11/2000 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 26/11/2001 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 23/11/2004 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 22/11/2005 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 11/04/2006 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 26/03/2007 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 08/04/2009 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 04/04/2012 NOW ARTICLES ADOPTED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION DATED 04/04/2012 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 06/03/2013 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION REGISTERED AT COMPANIES HOUSE ON 11/09/2013 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 29/01/2014 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 31 DEC 2017 as amended on 04 Feb 2020
Charitable objects
THE OBJECT FOR WHICH THE COMPANY IS ESTABLISHED IS TO ADVANCE AND TO ASSIST IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION IN UNIVERSITIES, AND OTHER HIGHER, FURTHER OR SECONDARY ESTABLISHMENTS IN SO FAR AS SUCH ADVANCEMENT AND ASSISTANCE SHALL BE EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE IN NATURE, IN PARTICULAR, BUT WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE FOREGOING, BY PROVIDING AND MAINTAINING AN ORGANISATION TO FACILITATE THE CONSIDERATION BY SUCH UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER HIGHER, FURTHER OR SECONDARY EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENTS OF APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO AND TO ASSIST APPLICANTS IN GAINING ACCESS TO SUCH UNIVERSITIES AND EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS.
Area of benefit
NATIONAL AND OVERSEAS
Contact information
- Address:
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ROSEHILL
NEW BARN LANE
CHELTENHAM
GL52 3LZ
- Phone:
- 01242 544823
- Website:
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