Difference: Conditional vs Unconditional Offer Letter

After you are done applying to the universities of your choice, the next step is to get an offer letter from those Universities. There are two types of offer letters that universities can send to both domestic and international students: conditional offer letters and unconditional offer letters. 

An offer letter or a letter of acceptance serves as evidence regarding the confirmation of your admission to a university. In simple terms, this letter means that you have been accepted for the program you applied to. Check out the article below for more details on Conditional vs Unconditional offer letters. 

What is a Conditional Offer Letter?

Although a conditional offer letter, also called a restrictive offer letter, has some conditions attached to it that the students need to meet they shouldn’t be disappointed in receiving the same. It would still mean that the university considers you fit for enrollment, but just needs you to meet certain criteria which are crucial for admission into that particular university.

A conditional offer letter is a success as the university authority found you a worthy candidate. Still, they offer you a conditional offer letter due to a lack of some qualifications. 

Common Conditions in Conditional Letter

The most common and usual conditions applied in a conditional offer letter are received which are described below:

• There may be issues with the academic documents submitted by the applicant. Either they are missing or the grades don’t match with the already submitted details on the application.
• The test score reports may not align with the application or scores that were not submitted may be required by the university. 
• Financial information may be missing hence, more details can be requested from the applicant.

The application’s conditional status varies on a case-by-case scenario, thus, applicants should ensure that they submit their applications with all possible details and not just submit them incomplete.

What is an Unconditional Offer Letter?

An unconditional offer letter is a green signal for applicants to go ahead with their student visa applications. This letter ensures that students have submitted all documents and that they can proceed with further steps. Once the applicant gets an unconditional offer letter, he/she cannot submit additional documents or test scores of standardized tests in case they have taken it again after submitting the application. 

Difference Between Conditional and Unconditional Offer Letters

Here we will discuss a few differences between the two.

• A conditional offer letter has specific conditions with it. It means you need to have certain grades or marks for the same, whereas an unconditional offer letter has no conditions with it, and reflects that your grades, whether high or low, have been accepted by the University.
• An unconditional offer letter is given to international students who have already met the entrance requirements to the university and have already been accepted as a student at the university. If you have submitted all the required documents and have paid the fees, the university would give you an unconditional offer letter. This type of letter is required for the purpose of acquiring a student loan from a bank.
• In the case of a conditional offer letter, it is offered when there are some pending documents left to be submitted. These could be a copy of their passport, last semester’s mark sheet, or scores of IELTS / TOEFL. Due to lack of time, some students may not be able to provide all documents and details to the admissions department. In these cases, the university will confirm its interest in the student based on the condition that all the formalities be completed within two to three months.
• Sometimes, conditional offer letters affect the visa procedure. If the conditional offer letter has requirements that have to be completed after entering the country, then the visa application can proceed normally. However, if there are requirements that have to be fulfilled before the student leaves India, then the visa procedure may get delayed.