Understanding and preparing for Clearing

Universities advertise the remaining spaces on their courses during Clearing. This gives your students the opportunity to explore the degree programmes still available for the upcoming academic year.

People often think Clearing starts on A-level results day, but it typically starts in early July and finishes in October. This means your students can start exploring courses in Clearing over a month before results day, and even speak to universities before they receive their grades!

Most students looking for a place at university will be eligible to apply through Clearing. Clearing is available to students who:

• haven’t applied to university through UCAS in the main cycle
• applied but didn’t receive any university offers in the main cycle
• didn’t meet the entry requirements for their firm or insurance choice universities
• have changed their mind about the university or course they originally applied to.

Results day can be nerve-wracking, but there are lots of things your students can do to prepare, which will hopefully put their minds at ease.

• Research options – if your students are worried about meeting the conditions of their offers, or are looking to change course or university, they can research alternative options before results day. They can explore courses available in Clearing that align with their interests and career goals, discover the support services available, and consider how far the university is from home or if there is student accommodation available.

• Gather numbers – encourage your students to make a list of university choices with their Clearing hotline number, so they can call them quickly on results day. Places can fill up quickly, so this will help your students get in touch with universities as soon as they receive their grades. Some universities offer pre-registration for Clearing, where students will receive a call from the universities on results day.

• Prepare questions – your students should prepare some questions to ask universities. For instance, they might wish to ask whether student accommodation is available. To further support their decision-making, they should ask if the university is hosting a Clearing open day where they can tour the facilities, meet academics that teach on the course, and speak to current students.

Your students can contact universities once they receive their results, and an adviser will guide them through the process. Before contacting universities on results day, your students should have their qualifications and UCAS ID number to hand, as they’ll need to provide these.

If your students find a course they like, they can contact the university directly by phone or live chat. Universities will need to speak directly to the applicant to process their application. If your student appears to meet the entry requirements based on their grades, they’ll be made an informal offer over the phone. Next, they will be sent an email with further instructions to follow to accept their offer.

Students can call universities back at any time to ask follow-up questions. As always, we’re here to help.