17 August 2023 , 08:34
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A-level results day is here, as pupils across England, Northern Ireland and Wales will find out if they got the marks they needed to get into their chosen universities.
However, pupils hoping to get a spot at university through clearing should act fast, the chief executive of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) has said. Clare Marchant last week warned that "highly selective courses" would "go quite quickly", but also stressed there will be a "wide range of opportunities" elsewhere.
In 2022, 34,875 18-year-olds got a spot at university through the system. In its simplest terms, clearing is how universities and colleges ensure all their spots are filled. It is mostly used by pupils who missed their A-level or equivalent grades they needed to take up a university offer. However, it is also used by applicants who received higher grades than they expected, or who have changed their minds.
Here we explained how clearing works and how you can do it.
What is clearing and who is eligible?
Clearing is how universities and colleges fill any place they still have on their courses. You are allowed to apply for a course using clearing if you don't already hold an offer from a university or college, and the course still has places.
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The Ucas website says you can use 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 £27
- You’ve declined your firm place using the ‘decline my place’ button in your application
How do you apply for clearing?
When you know you want to apply, use the Ucas search tool to search for courses. If you aren't able to find the course you want, you can look at joint honour courses. Also, keep checking as unis updated their course availability regularly.
Before adding your choice to your application, you need to contact the university/college and give them your clearing number (which will be on your application) and Personal ID.
Only add your clearing choice in your application once you have permission from the university/college. This counts as them accepting the office. You can only add one choice at a time, if the university/college doesn't confirm your place you can then add another.
Everything you need to know about the clearing process can be found here.
What are the important dates to note?
- August 24 - Publication of GCSE results. Applicants with outstanding GCSE results will need to send these directly to their chosen universities or colleges.
- August 28 - Last date for receipt of 2023 entry UCAS Conservatoires applications.
- September 6 - Remaining offer conditions must be met. Last date for applicants to use the ‘Decline my place’ button in their application.
- September 21 - Last date for receipt of 2023 entry UCAS Undergraduate applications.
- October 17 - Last date to add clearing choices and for unis/colleges to make decisions.