With A-Level results day barely behind us, it has been no small secret that many students in the 2020 cohort have been left disappointed with their results, and as a result, are facing an unknown future. The journey towards university during COVID-19 has been a trying and unfamiliar one; what many students don’t realise, however, is that there are contingencies available for those who have been left wanting for their place at university. This process, known as clearing, is available via UCAS, and could just be the solution you’re searching for, when it comes to securing your future.

What is UCAS Clearing?

Clearing is a process designed to find places at university for those who have not received university offers, have chosen to decline offers they did not wish to accept, or have not received the grades required to accept an offer. Simultaneously, the process allows universities with surplus places available after results are released to fill their year groups to capacity, across a multitude of subjects.

Applicants investigating clearing as an option should be aware that not all universities, and not all courses, will have places available, and that there may be extenuating, additional requirements, before taking up a place. A student initially intending to study Medicine, for example, who studied for an A-Level in English Literature in addition to STEM subjects, may be offered a place at university to read English, but may be less likely to receive an offer to study Medicine. Courses that are typically oversubscribed, and universities that receive a higher than an average number of applicants per year, such as Russell Group universities, are unlikely to have places left over for clearing, and may require a minimum standard in terms of exam results, or personal statement. 

The eligibility criteria for clearing applications are fairly straightforward: 

• You must apply after June 30th, the year of your initial university application.

• You must have no outstanding offers from other universities — you must first decline any outstanding offers you do not wish to accept. Any and all outstanding offers must be declined via UCAS, using the ‘decline my place’ button in the Tracking menu.

• You must be able to pay the multiple choice application fee of £25, before proceeding with your application.

No matter your reasons for choosing to seek a university place through clearing, it is of the utmost importance that you have no offers from universities otherwise outstanding. This includes both ‘firm’ and ‘insurance’ choices, regardless as to whether or not you’ve achieved the grades required. Unwanted places must be declined through UCAS directly — reporting to a university directly that you wish to decline their offer, and failing to do so through UCAS, will mean you are ineligible to apply for places through clearing.

Clearing 2020 

A friend of one of Personal Statement Service’s writers applied to university way back in 2016, having undertaken A-Levels in Maths, Physics, Human Biology, and History. Her intention was to apply for Human Biology at a selection of Russell Group universities, including the University of Cambridge, all of which she received offers for, via UCAS. On results day, she was unfortunately disappointed — she’d not achieved the grades required for any of her courses, and as a result, had no firm offers to accept. 

UCAS clearing came to the rescue, when she was offered a place at a London-based university to study History — an offer she chose to accept, and just this year, qualified as a teacher, with her first full time teaching position set to begin in September 2020. 

Any student who does not meet the requirements for their chosen university will undoubtedly experience disappointment, and sorrow, in the extreme. This rings particularly true for this year’s cohort of potential students — the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the UK’s educational system has removed a great deal of control, in terms of revision and exam performance, from the hands of students who may feel that at any other time, they may have been able to achieve a different result for themselves. These students can take comfort, however, in knowing there is a contingency in place, via UCAS, that could still secure their future — even if that future leads in a different direction to what they had initially envisaged.

When Does it Open?

According to UCAS guidelines, the clearing process opens on July 6th, and remains open until October 20th, on the year of a student’s initial application to university. Students with no outstanding offers, or those who have not met the grade requirements for any of the offers they were made, will be automatically entered into the clearing process, and you should hope to hear from UCAS, or a university directly, within two weeks of the process beginning. This allows for additional time, should students wish to appeal the results of any exams undertaken. 

You cannot apply for, or be eligible for, clearing until after exam results are released. This date may vary depending on your location, and the manner of study you have undertaken. International Baccalaureate results, for example, are released on July 6th, far earlier than the results of A-Levels or equivalent BTECs, which did not arrive this year until August 13th. 

You will receive notification that you have been entered automatically into clearing, as and when you decline all outstanding university offers, via UCAS. If you wish to be withdrawn from this process, you should contact UCAS directly, at your earliest convenience. You should also think very carefully before releasing yourself into clearing – if you change your mind later, your existing offers are unlikely to still be there. You should also remember that your student finance application is tied to the universities you initially applied for, via UCAS, and any changes to this will need to be communicated ASAP, to ensure your student finance payments arrive on time. Entering an application to a different university at a later stage can also mean you will likely have less choice when it comes to selecting student accommodation. You may not receive your first choice of accommodation, and additional charges may apply.

Clearing Plus: All You Need to Know

For the cohort intending to begin Undergraduate studies in September 2020, UCAS have devised a brand new tool, intending to ensure those without a university place to take up will receive clearing offers that are the best possible match for them. Known as Clearing Plus, this new tool allows potential students to be ‘matched’ with courses best fitting their prior qualifications and results, as opposed to browsing the (literally thousands) of vacant course places available to figure out which would be the best fit. A wide range of criteria will be examined, when it comes to making a match through CP. In addition to your academic achievements to date, these might include a further examination of your personal statement, an analysis of what university admission boards are looking for, in terms of their most desirable students, and what other students with similar backgrounds went on to study.

Not everyone will be eligible for additional help, via CP — if not, the original clearing process is still available to you, according to the dates provided by UCAS for open and close. Though many of you in this year’s cohort will undoubtedly be dealing with upset and disappointment when it comes to your results, and university offers, there is hope on the horizon. Speak with UCAS directly about securing yourself a place at university, and above all, about securing yourself a future.