Parents' and carers' guide to Clearing

You may have heard or read about UCAS Clearing. Here, we explain how Clearing is another opportunity to secure a place at university this September and what you need to consider when supporting someone through the process.

What is Clearing?

Clearing is the period in which UCAS works in tandem with universities to help fill any available places they may have. Students are eligible to apply for a course through Clearing if they:

gained the exact or better grades than are required, but wish to go to a different university
didn't meet the conditions required
weren't made any offers
declined their offers
submitted their UCAS application after 30 June.

Clearing also gives those who may not have thought about going to university the opportunity to apply.

When is Clearing?

Clearing opens on 5 July for those who already have their results and closes at CCCU in October, or earlier if all our courses are filled. Most students apply on or after A-level results day, which is from 08:00 on Thursday 14 August.

How do I know if the person I am supporting is in Clearing?

They can see if they are eligible for Clearing by logging into their UCAS account. If they are eligible for Clearing, their status will say 'You are in Clearing' or 'Clearing has started'. A button called 'Add a Clearing choice' will also appear on screen.

On the day

Before doing anything else, remind the person who you are supporting to log into their UCAS account to see their application status. There are then a few steps they can undertake to progress through Clearing with us.

Make sure the person you are supporting has the below to hand when they call us:

UCAS ID
Grades, including GCSE maths and English language (some courses will also require science)
Course(s) they are interested in
Any questions they may have about the course or university.

Our Clearing team can be contacted when the Clearing period opens again for 2025/26 entry.

If we're able to make them an offer they will need to accept our offer within three days by adding the course to their UCAS account. They just need to:

log in to UCAS (time TBC)
click 'Add a Clearing choice',
fill in the course details.

If they need more time to add us as their Clearing choice then they may contact the Clearing Enquiry Service who will be able to advise. After we have made them an offer we will also send them an email with details on what to do next.

Once they have added the course to their UCAS account, we will confirm their acceptance within one working day, this will then show in their account.

Prepare for university in September

We are delighted to be able to offer campus tours once again, enabling you to experience our locations before committing to coming here.

Find out about our campus tours and book yours by visiting our Campus Tours page.

Our accommodation will be open from September and all Clearing students are guaranteed a place in our student accommodation – should they want it - if they have applied before the deadline.

Find out about our modern, well-equipped student accommodation options for living in Canterbury, and for living in Medway.

We know that feeling part of a university community, making connections and friends, and being prepared for study is really important. There are lots of ways to stay in touch before term starts.

Once their university place has been confirmed, they will be invited to join our 2025 starters Facebook group, so make sure they keep an eye on their emails!
Chat to us by calling our Course Enquiry Team on 01227 928000, or existing students via Unibuddy.