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.
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 £27.50
- 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 2025
- Starts- 5 July 2025
- Ends- 20 October 2025
How Clearing works?
- Check available courses on UCAS search tool from July 5
- Contact Universities and give them your clearing number, UCAS Personal ID, Grades and a list of courses ready
- Research the course and university before your call and ask if they’d accept you
- Get informal offers – maybe from a variety of universities and colleges – then decide which one you want to accept
- Only ‘Add a Clearing choice’ once you have permission from the university or college and fill in the course details by the date the university/college gave you
- This counts as you definitely accepting the offer, so if they confirm, it’ll show as an acceptance on your ‘Choices’ page in your application
- 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 the university/college confirms your place, find your student accommodation and then make sure you get everything ready to start your studies
Note: Universities will not make any decisions on Clearing choices during the UCAS results embargo ( In 2025, A level results day is 14 August. If you took your exams in Scotland, the SQA results day will be 5 August), and UCAS Hub will not update during this period.