Clearing
If students do not receive the offers or grades that they were hoping for, there are two options to find a place at an alternative university; this is known as UCAS Extra and Clearing.
UCAS Extra
From the end of February to the end of June, Extra is available to anyone who does not hold an offer and who has used all five choices on the UCAS application.
Extra allows additional choices, one at a time, until a student finds a place. Extra gives students the opportunity to rethink their application strategy and to refocus their application on an alternative choice of subject or institution
Clearing
Students should not lose heart if they do not get their first or second choice. Experience shows that most students are happy with the university or college that finally accepts them.
The final phase of the UCAS cycle is called ‘Clearing’. This is a process for filling any remaining vacancies at institutions in the last few weeks between the publication of UK examination results in July and August and the start of university and college courses in September and early October.
Universities and colleges that still have course vacancies advertise them on the UCAS website. UCAS automatically sends information to all eligible applicants who then negotiate directly with universities and colleges that have advertised vacancies.
International Student Clearing Process and Methods (Clearing)
International Student Clearing Process
The UCAS website has a complete official list of vacancies, updated daily. This is usually available in the third week of August.
Information is sent to each eligible applicant. International applicants who are eligible for Clearing will start to receive information from early July. This includes a unique Clearing entry number, the applicant’s personal details and any examination results collected and recorded by UCAS.
How to make a supplementary record
Having identified a vacancy in which they are interested, the applicant’s next step is to contact the university or college concerned to see whether it would offer a place. If the institution is interested it will ask for the student’s Clearing entry number and may ask UCAS for a copy of the application form. After consideration of the application it may decide to offer a place, in which case it will notify the applicant and UCAS. If the institution decides not to offer a place it will advise the student. This process can be repeated until the applicant obtains an offer.