Conditional vs Unconditional Offer Letter

5 minute read
Conditional vs. Unconditional Offer Letter

Imagine that you have applied to your dream university abroad and post that, you’re waiting for revert from the university.  If the university likes your profile, they will send you an offer letter. Don’t know what an offer letter is? Generally, an offer letter means that you have been accepted for the applied program and can now proceed to the next steps. There are two types of offer letters that most international universities provide to their students: Conditional Offer Letter and Unconditional Offer Letter. Here is a blog explaining the difference between a Conditional vs Unconditional Offer Letter that will answer all your questions!

Also read about UK Universities That Issue Offer Letter Within 14 Days!

What is a Conditional Offer Letter? 

In order to understand the difference between Conditional vs Unconditional Offer Letter, let’s first get to know the meaning of these two separately. A Conditional Offer Letter means that, under certain conditions, you are allowed provisional admission to the university. Once you meet these conditions, it becomes unconditional. You can go ahead and pay for your tuition fees and buy an overseas student health cover for the entire duration of the course. If the candidate fails to fulfil certain criteria the admission cannot be valid. A Conditional Offer Letter is also called a Restrictive Offer Letter because it prevents you from accepting your offer letter unless you meet the criteria set out in the acceptance letter. 

Also read about How to Write a Joining Letter?

Prevalent Conditions of a Conditional Offer Letter

There are certain conditions that why your offer letter can be considered conditional and they are: 

  • Academic Requirements: If you cannot provide your academic documents or cannot meet the minimum qualification requirements of the university you are applying to, you may receive a Conditional Offer Letter until you meet the academic requirements at a certain point. For instance, If you are studying for a bachelor’s degree and have received an offer letter for your master’s degree, the university will indicate certain qualifications that you must obtain in the bachelor’s degree before accepting the offer.
  • Language Requirement: If you did not submit your English Language Proficiency test scores with the application, the university may provide you with an offer letter, depending on your English test results. Most colleges require a 6.5 out of 9.0 band in IELTS overall and 6.0 each in listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
  • Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE): This is also an important criterion a candidate must meet required by most of the universities abroad. Through this, the university will know your intentions and if you qualify as a genuine student or not. The universities would also require SOP, financial documents, and proof of your work experience. 

Documents Required for Education Loan

What is an Unconditional Offer Letter? 

Let’s now understand the meaning of an Unconditional Offer Letter which will further help us to differentiate between Conditional vs Unconditional Offer Letters. An Unconditional Offer Letter means that you have met all the conditions required for admission into your selected university. This means that they have already accepted you as a student at their university and now accept the Unconditional Offer Letter to continue your admission process. To ensure your admission, you must first make the admission payment for the first-semester tuition fee along with OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) for the entire duration of your studies. The universities will then issue an ECOE (Electronic Confirmation of Enrollment), which is required for the visa application. 

Conditional vs Unconditional Offer Letter 

Conditional vs Unconditional Offer Letter

Now let’s look at the key differences between a Conditional vs Unconditional Offer Letter: 

Conditional Offer LetterUnconditional Offer Letter
A letter that has specific conditions to meet A letter with no attached conditions.
Certain grades are requiredNo certain grades are required, they can be high or low. 
Offered to students with pending documents like passports, IELTS scores, academic transcriptsThis certainly means all the documents have been already submitted 
It is required for the purpose of acquiring a loan from a bankNo bank loan required
It also affects the visa approval if all the formalities are not completedNo visa delayed

Here’s a List of Important Documents Required to Study Abroad

Conditional Offer Letter Sample 

Courtesy: Scribd

Unconditional Offer Letter Sample

Courtesy: Concordia University

Can Conditional Offers Become Unconditional?

You receive a conditional offer from a university in this situation, with the assurance that if you choose to accept it as your top choice, the offer would be updated to an unconditional one. Offers with a certain amount of unconditionality are becoming more common, according to UCAS, as universities compete to enrol the best intellectual students in their programmes.

Also read the Difference Between Internship and Apprenticeship!

FAQs 

Which universities give Conditional Offer Letters in Canada without IELTS? 

The universities which provide Conditional Offer Letters in Canada without IELTS are the University of Winnipeg, University of Saskatchewan, Carleton University, Concordia University, Brock University. Along with universities, there are colleges in Canada that provide conditional offers without IELTS. These include Durham College, Conestoga College, Fanshawe College, Algonquin College, St. Lawrence College, etc.

Can I apply for a visa with a Conditional Offer Letter? 

It is advisable to apply for the visa only after you have received your Unconditional Offer Letter. In certain circumstances, also accept a conditional offer to obtain a conditional visa, but make sure you meet the certain conditions. 

Can you book accommodation with a conditional offer? 

For unconditional offer holders, you can book accommodation right away. If you are a Conditional Offer Letter holder, you’ll need to wait until you know which university you are going to. 

Can an unconditional offer be withdrawn? 

An unconditional offer is contractually binding. They can only be withdrawn if the course is cancelled or if you request to be returned.

Can universities change conditional offers? 

Generally, no, that does not happen. If you have written lies in your application or later decide to change your subjects, the university may remove or change the offer. 

This was everything that you must know about Conditional vs Unconditional Offer Letter. Reach out to Leverage Edu experts at 1800572000 and let them assist you in getting your offer letter from your dream university. Call us now! 

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2 comments
    1. Hey Rajesh Kumar. After receiving the offer letter you can apply for a student visa. However, the time required the processing of student visa depends on the course you want to study in the future. For example, it would take 62 days for higher education sector, 78 days for Postgraduate Research Sector, 19 days for Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector, and 4 months for the Vocational Education and Training Sector. For assistance related to university admissions and student visas visit the study abroad experts at Leverage Edu.

    1. Hey Rajesh Kumar. After receiving the offer letter you can apply for a student visa. However, the time required the processing of student visa depends on the course you want to study in the future. For example, it would take 62 days for higher education sector, 78 days for Postgraduate Research Sector, 19 days for Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector, and 4 months for the Vocational Education and Training Sector. For assistance related to university admissions and student visas visit the study abroad experts at Leverage Edu.