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What Is Clearing and How Does It Work?

UCEN Manchester student and laptop.

Learn all you need to know about Clearing at UCEN Manchester. What is Clearing and how does it work?

If you’re applying for university, you need to understand what Clearing is. That way, you’ll be well prepared in case you don’t get into your first-choice options.

Each year, 50,000 students use Clearing to get onto a higher education course. So, to help you get clued up on Clearing, we’ve made this helpful guide.

What is Clearing?

Clearing is how universities and higher education providers fill any places they still have on their courses. Clearing is a good option for you if you’ve decided to change course or didn't achieve the results needed for your firm and insurance choice on UCAS. You can also apply directly to Clearing if you’ve not applied to any degree courses yet.

Why would someone go through Clearing?

You can go through Clearing if:

  • You have a UCAS undergraduate application with no offers.
  • Your exam results have been published.
  • You apply within the Clearing dates for entry.

Some reasons why someone chooses to go through Clearing include:

  • You didn't meet the conditions of your conditional offer.
  • You changed your mind about their original choice of university/course.
  • You didn't receive any offers from your chosen universities or higher education providers.
  • You decided to apply to university after the regular application deadline. You attained better grades than expected and want to explore more competitive options.
  • You faced personal challenges during your exams or application process that affected your results.
  • You decided to pursue a different career path and need to find a suitable course through Clearing.
  • You applied late due to unforeseen circumstances, such as illness or family emergencies.
  • You want to switch your higher education provider to be closer to home or for other personal reasons.
  • You took a gap year and now want to apply to higher education for the current year through Clearing.

How does Clearing work?

The Clearing process is really straightforward. Here at the steps you can follow:

Step 1: Check if you’re eligible

You can use Clearing if:

  • You didn’t get any offers.
  • You didn’t meet the conditions of your offers.
  • You achieved higher grades than predicted.
  • You declined your offers or changed your mind.
  • You applied after 30 June.

Log into your UCAS Hub. If you’re eligible, you’ll see a message saying you can use Clearing, along with a unique Clearing number.

Step 2: Search for available courses

Use the UCAS search tool to browse courses with vacancies. You can filter by subject, location, and higher education provider. Keep checking, the list updates regularly as universities and higher education providers add or remove courses. You can also check the UCEN Manchester Clearing page for available courses.

Step 3: Contact higher education providers directly

Once you find a course you're interested in, call the university or higher education provider. Have this ready:

  • Your Clearing number
  • Your UCAS ID
  • Your grades
  • A short pitch about why you want the course

Some higher education providers might offer you a place over the phone right away. Others may take some time to decide.

Step 4: Get an offer and add it in UCAS

If a university makes you an offer and you want to accept it:

  • Log into UCAS Hub.
  • Click “Add a Clearing choice.”
  • Enter the course details.

Once the higher education provider confirms, your place is secured.

You can check out our How to Apply through Clearing guide to help you get a better idea of what happens.

If you're a parent of a student applying to higher education courses, you can read more about Clearing in this blog with information tailored to you: Clearing Advice for Parents

Why go through Clearing with UCEN Manchester?

Looking for Manchester Clearing courses?

We have over 1,500 current undergraduate students and more than 10,000 alumni – you’ll be in good company.

Our degree programmes are validated by one of three top universities:

  • Manchester Metropolitan University
  • Sheffield Hallam University
  • University of Huddersfield

Our well-established Higher Education provision is constantly reviewed and shaped by academics and industry experts, providing the best career opportunities possible.

What are the benefits of applying to UCEN Manchester?

Thinking about choosing a Clearing course? Here are a few benefits of Clearing at UCEN Manchester:

  • Our expert tutors retain their links to industry and are passionate about giving our students the latest knowledge and skills needed to succeed in their chosen careers.
  • Our work-focused courses provide access to leading industries, world-class technical environments and like-minded learners.
  • Our state-of-the-art campuses are based across Manchester within easy access to public transport.
  • 95% of our students go onto work or further study within 6 months of graduating and we’ve been shortlisted in the Best Further Education College category of the national What Uni Student Choice Awards for three years running.

Choose UCEN Manchester for your clearing course

Ready to take the next step in your career and learning journey? UCEN Manchester offers career-focused degrees, hands-on learning, and expert tutors with real industry experience.

Apply through Clearing and join a course that’s built to get you job-ready.