You’ve applied for universities abroad. Now you’re waiting anxiously for offer letters.
An offer letter means that you’ve been accepted into the program you applied for. However, if you’ve received a conditional offer letter, there’s still more to do before you gain admission.
There are two types of offer letters you may receive from universities and colleges abroad:
- Conditional offer letter
- Unconditional offer letter
What is a Conditional Offer Letter?
A conditional offer letter means you’ve been accepted into the program you applied for, provided you fulfill the requirements stated. A conditional offer letter is also known as a provisional offer of admission.
Once you meet the conditions outlined, a conditional offer becomes unconditional.
Conditional offer letters conditions include:
Academic Requirements
A conditional offer letter may require you to meet stipulated academic requirements before you can be admitted to your program.
For instance, if you’re a high school student who applied before your final exams, the university may require that you achieve a certain score for the offer to become unconditional.
English Proficiency Test Score
If you applied before taking the required English proficiency test, the university can give you a conditional offer letter—indicating that you have to attain a certain score.
In the U.S, most universities require a band of 6.5 overall out of 9.0 in IELTS with no subset less than 6.0 which includes Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
Genuine Temporary Entrant
You might also receive a conditional offer letter that requires you to submit final documents such as:
- Financial documents
- Statement of purpose
- Letters of recommendation
- A copy of your passport
While a conditional offer is amazing, it means that you’ll have to put in more work before you gain admission. However, a conditional offer letter will come in handy for applying for scholarships.
Can you apply for a student visa with a conditional offer letter?
A conditional offer isn’t ideal for applying for a student visa—if you don’t meet the conditions outlined, it can lead to delays in the visa process.
However, in certain circumstances, you might have to apply for your student visa with a conditional offer letter. You have to make sure that you fulfill all the conditions mentioned in the offer letter before traveling to your study country
What is an Unconditional Offer Letter?
As the name suggests, an unconditional offer letter means that you’ve been accepted into your program without needing to provide further documentation.
International students who’ve submitted all the required documents are likely to receive an unconditional offer letter. If you receive an unconditional offer letter, all you have to do is accept and proceed with the admission process.
To secure your admission after receiving an unconditional offer letter, you’ll be required to pay the tuition fees along with any other mandatory fees. Once you’re admitted, the university will issue you with a eCOE (Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment) letter which is required to file your visa application.
Are you looking for scholarships or student loans to finance your education abroad? Find a scholarship through our extensive scholarship database and compare different loans on the 8B student loan marketplace.
