What is Clearing?
Clearing matches applicants to university places that are yet to be filled. It’s available to anyone who has made a UCAS Undergraduate application and doesn’t hold any offers. Running from 5 July to 18 October, you’ll be eligible for Clearing if:
- you’re applying after 30 June
- you didn’t receive any offers (or none you wanted to accept)
- you didn’t meet the conditions of your offers
- you've paid the multiple choice application fee of £26.50
- you’ve declined your firm place using the ‘decline my place’ button in your application
Courses in Clearing aren’t just the ones nobody wants – there are many reasons why courses are still available. It’s an opportunity for those who have missed their conditions, or had a last minute change of heart about the university or course they want to study.
How do you use Clearing?
Well, the first place to start is to search for vacancies in our search tool.
After you’ve found the course you’re interested in, give the uni a call to make sure you meet the entry requirements and they still have vacancies. If they offer you a place and you want to accept it, add the Clearing choice in your application. Click 'Add Clearing choice', and fill in the course details by the date the university/college gave you on the phone.
You can only add one choice at a time, but if the university/college doesn't confirm your place, you'll be able to add another.
If you only applied for one choice in your original application you’ll need to pay an additional £4.50 to go through Clearing.
Clearing Plus
If you find yourself in Clearing, we'll personally match you to courses you may be interested in, using what we know about you from your application, and what universities and colleges are looking for.
If you’re unplaced or have started a new application, a button will appear in your application called ‘My matches’. This will take you to your top 50 course matches. You’ll then be able to tell universities and colleges you’re ‘interested’ in their courses. If they still have vacancies and you meet their entry requirements, they may call you.
Don’t worry, if you want to apply for something different, you can still find courses available in Clearing using our search tool.
Have any questions about Clearing? Check out our Clearing FAQs or get in touch with our advisers on Facebook or Twitter.