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Education and learning
Clearing: last-minute places at university or college
If you don't get the grades you need for your firm or insurance choices, you have another chance to secure a place at institutions with last-minute vacancies during 'Clearing'.
Your exam results
UCAS supplies exam results to universities and colleges, so they can check whether you have achieved the grades you needed.
If you’ve missed your grades by a small margin, you may still get your place confirmed by your first choice university or college.
You may find you’ve been turned down by your first choice but accepted by your insurance choice. If you’re not keen on taking up your insurance choice, you could consider withdrawing your application and reapplying next year.
Discuss your choices with the people that know you best - your family, friends and teachers or lecturers.
How Clearing works
If your first choice and insurance institutions turn you down, you can use 'Clearing' to find another place.
If you're eligible, you’ll see your Clearing Number on your Track screen, and you'll be sent a Clearing Passport in the post. If you have not yet submitted a UCAS application, you will need to do so before you can enter Clearing.
Looking for a course through Clearing
From the day the A level results come out in August, course vacancies are advertised on the UCAS website and in the national press.
After looking at vacancies, you should talk to the admissions staff at any universities and colleges with places available on courses you’re interested in.
Staff will be able to tell you whether they are prepared to offer you a place. If they are, and you choose to accept the offer, let them have your Clearing Number so they know you don’t already have a place. Then make a note of the university or college name and the name of the course you are applying for, along with its UCAS course code, and sign and date the Passport.
Next, send your Clearing Passport to the college or university. Once they’ve received it, they will then formally decide whether to offer you a place. If you receive an offer you should contact the university or college (not UCAS), stating whether you accept or decline the place.
If you accept the offer, the university or college will tell UCAS and UCAS will write to you confirming your place. You are then committed to taking up that place and you can't seek a place elsewhere.
Open days
Universities and colleges may have open days or offer other opportunities for you to visit, see the facilities and meet the staff.
It's worth taking up these opportunities; you need to make sure you'll be happy to spend the next few years of your life studying there.
Financial help
If you accept a place through Clearing, you should tell the people who deal with your application for student finance.
In most cases, this will be your local authority. They can then make the necessary arrangements for any financial help you're entitled to.
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