What is UCAS Clearing?
UCAS Clearing is your final opportunity to secure a university place for the current academic year. It runs from early July to mid-October and helps you find a place if your plans change or your results don’t go as expected.
It isn’t a “backup for weak students”; over 77,000 students secured a place through Clearing in 2025, at all types of universities.
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 declined your firm place using the ‘decline my place’ button in your application
Note: 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.
Key Dates for UCAS Clearing 2026
- Opens – 2nd July 2026
- Closes – 19th October 2026
Results days (SQA & A-level result day) matter a lot since Clearing runs the whole time, but most vacancies fill up fast around A-level results day. It’s worth having your shortlist ready well before then.
What’s the difference between UCAS Extra and Clearing?
UCAS Extra and Clearing can be easily confused. But there are some big differences between the two!
| UCAS Extra | UCAS Clearing |
| Opens earlier in the application process | Opens later, after Extra closes |
| Runs from 26 February to 1 July 2026 | Runs from 2 July to 19 October 2026 |
| For students who used all five choices and are not holding any offers | For students who hold no offers, declined all offers, applying late, or changing plans |
| You apply for one additional choice through UCAS Hub | You contact universities directly to discuss vacancies |
| Universities can take time to respond | Decisions are often made much faster, sometimes during a phone call |
How Clearing works?
Here’s the process in simple steps:
- Search for available courses: Use the UCAS search tool to browse universities with vacancies from 2 July onwards.
- Contact universities directly: Call or email the universities you’re interested in. You’ll usually need:
- Your Clearing number
- UCAS Personal ID
- Your grades
- Discuss your application: Universities may ask questions about your grades, personal statement, or why you want to study the course.
- Receive informal offers: If the university is interested, they may give you a verbal offer over the phone or by email.
- Add your Clearing choice in UCAS Hub: Once a university gives permission, you officially add the course as your Clearing choice in UCAS Hub.
- University confirms your place: When the university accepts your choice, your UCAS status updates to confirm.
- Prepare for university: After confirmation, you can arrange accommodation, student finance, and enrolment.
Applying to Clearing for the first time?
You don’t need to have applied to UCAS earlier in the year to use Clearing. You can apply directly:
- Register with UCAS to get your Personal ID and Clearing number
- Complete and submit a full application, usually including a personal statement and reference
- Contact universities once your application is submitted, and add your Clearing choice once you have permission
If you’re applying to Clearing for the first time as an international student, there’s an option to upload supporting documents to your application too.
Conclusion
Clearing can feel overwhelming at first, but it’s designed to help students move forward, not fall behind. From 2 July onwards, thousands of courses become available across the UK, giving you another opportunity to find the right university and course for you.
The key is not to panic or rush into the first offer you receive. Take time to research courses, compare universities carefully, and speak to admissions teams before making your decision.
Once a university confirms your place, they’ll issue you a CAS number (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) and that’s your cue to move fast. Apply for your visa as soon as you get it, and keep your documents ready beforehand so you’re not scrambling at the last minute.
