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, or have changed their minds about higher education, the opportunity to apply.
When is Clearing, and how long does it last?
Clearing opens in July for those who already have their results and closes at CCCU in October, or earlier if all our courses are filled. This means that there is plenty of time for students to decide if university is right for them, and to apply for their preferred course.
When do university offers come out?
If the person you are supporting has applied to study at university before the January UCAS deadline, they will have received any offers in May. If they applied after the January deadline but before the final deadline at the end of June, they will receive any offers by mid July. Whether they have received any offers or not is often a factor in choosing to apply via Clearing.
When applying via Clearing on or after results day, we will usually make an offer on the same day if we feel like your child is right for their preferred course.
Clearing on A-Level results day
Most students who use Clearing apply on or after A-level results day, which will be on a Thursday in mid August 2026.
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 results day
Before doing anything else, remind the person who you are supporting to log into their UCAS account to see their application status. We have a handy guide for Clearing students which explains what to do on the day and how to apply. There's even a guide on how to prepare for making phone calls which is worth reading as a parent or carer.
There are then a two key 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.
We take a holistic look at your child's application. Even if their results don't match the entry requirements on our course pages, we'll still take into account their grades, relevant experience, and motivations for why they want to study.
Get in touch with our Clearing team today and we'll help your child find the best course for them.
Phone number: 01227 962 000
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.
Top tips for parents and carers on results day
1. Provide emotional support
Perhaps the biggest impact you can make on results day is emotional support, especially if the person you're supporting uses Clearing.
If they haven't gotten their expected results, or haven't gotten into their preferred uni choices, this doesn't mean they've failed, and there are still many options open to them through Clearing. Reassuring them that they still have options and can still go to university is important.
2. Help with research
We recommend that you help with research into universities and courses that will suit your child. Location, community, availability of accommodation, and student support are incredibly important factors, and at CCCU we pride ourselves on all of these.
Make sure you and your dependant have read up on a course's content and modules before applying to ensure it's what they want to study. Remember, all course and institution choices need to be your child's.
3. Let them do the talking
We know parents and carers mean well when they call on behalf of the person they're supporting, but prospective students are adults, and only they can confirm they want to study with us.
We'll always ask to speak to a prospective student to understand their motivations for study and whether they're a good fit for one of our courses. Sadly, parents and carers cannot call to apply on behalf of their dependant.
Prepare for university in September
Once the person you are supporting has received an offer from us, we recommend that you familiarise yourself with CCCU. Browsing the website is a great way of doing this, but there are other ways of getting prepared...
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.
You can also explore CCCU by using our Virtual Tour. So, if you can't make it on a campus tour or open day, you can still have a look around - especially with our virtual guided open day!
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.
In this section
Contact our friendly Clearing team
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