Pre-allocation

Non-urgent advice: UKFP 2026 Pre-allocation guidance and application forms

Updated guidance and application forms will be published this summer for use in the UKFP 2026 application process.

The guidance for 2025 remains available below for applicants to refer to however this will be archived in due course.

Applicants should note that the new guidance and application criterion are subject to change.

Non-urgent advice: UKFP 2025 Pre-allocation guidance and application forms

The updated UKFP 2025 Applicant Guide to the Pre-allocation process and new application forms are available below. All pre-allocation applications must be submitted using the UKFP 2025 application forms, and not on the UKFP 2024 application forms or on forms from other previous recruitment rounds as these will not be accepted.

It is important that applicants note the information about the 2025 Key Changes below.

Note: Updates were made to the Applicant Guidance document on 13 September 2024. The affected sections of the guidance are listed below under “Pre-allocation 2025 Guidance”.

Applicants who have previously referred to the UKFP 2024 pre-allocation guidance for information about the application process and criterion must ensure that they now read the 2025 guidance when completing their application form, and not the 2024 guidance.

If you need to be allocated to a particular foundation school due to your personal circumstances such as caring responsibilities, health reasons or for ongoing educational support, and your circumstances meet one of the national criteria, you can apply for pre-allocation to a particular foundation school in the main application form on Oriel.

Pre-allocation applications and the required supporting evidence need to be submitted at the same time that the main FP application is submitted on Oriel. Refer to the main application timeline.

Pre-allocation applications cannot be submitted after submission of the main FP application on Oriel or after the application window has closed.

Applicants can apply for pre-allocation to a specific location for the following:
Parental/legal guardianship responsibilities
Significant caring responsibilities
Health condition or disability circumstances
Extraordinary circumstances
Educational circumstances
Widening Participation

UKFP 2025 Applicant Guide to the Pre-allocation Process [.pdf 421KB]

Applicants are advised to read this guidance carefully before completing and submitting their application form.

Applicants must ensure that they have read and understood the 2025 Key Changes and the updated proof of address appendix which can be found within the applicant guide, before submitting their application on Oriel.

Updates were made to the following sections of the “UKFP 2025 Applicant Guide to the Pre-allocation Process” guidance and published on 13 September 2024.

– Key Changes – page 3

– Completing the application form – page 4.

– Criterion 3: Health condition of disability – page 12

– Appendix 1 Evidence of proof of address – pages 19-20

The application forms used for UKFP 2025 have been removed so that they are not used in error for UKFP 2026.

Updated application forms will be published this summer ahead of the UKFP 2026 application process.

Applications for pre-allocation must be submitted during the national application window alongside the main Foundation Programme application form on Oriel and by the deadline which can be found within the application timeline.

Applicants should refer to the application timeline for the following dates and deadlines which are relevant to pre-allocation:

– Application window and submission deadline

– Release of pre-allocation application outcomes

– Process and deadline to withdraw from pre-allocation process

– Appeal timeline for pre-allocation outcomes

Pre-allocation applications cannot be submitted after submission of the main FP application on Oriel or after the application window has closed.

Applicants who wish to withdraw their application for pre-allocation must complete and submit this online form by 06 February 2025 (12:00 midday GMT), after reading the Pre-allocation Application Withdrawal Process document.

The following changes have been made to the titles of the Pre-allocation criteria for UKFP 2025:

Criterion 2a “Primary Carer” and Criterion 2b “Significant Carer” have been merged into a single carer criterion, which is now called Criterion 2 “Significant Caring Responsibilities”.
Criterion 3 “Medical Condition” has been renamed “Health Condition or Disability”.
Criterion 4 “Unique Circumstances” has been renamed “Extraordinary Circumstances”.

Character limits have been introduced on the application forms for the applicant statement section and the applicant and supporting signatory answer boxes.

The requirement for applicants to sign and date a declaration on their pre-allocation application form has been removed. The declaration that applicants accept when submitting their main Foundation Programme application on Oriel will apply also to the completion and submission of the pre-allocation application.

Mandatory fields in the application form are now identified with an asterisk, “*”. If a mandatory field has been marked with an asterisk, information is required from either the applicant or supporting signatory/medical school in that section/field of the form. If a field is marked as mandatory and has been left blank, the application is likely to be rejected by the national review panel.

The Widening Participation application form no longer includes an applicant or medical school supporting statement box. This has been removed because it is not information that is required by the national review panels as part of the review/approval process.

The 2025 pre-allocation webinar was held on the 12 September 2024. The recording and slides are available for applicants to view on the webinars page under Foundation Programme Application.