What is Clearing?
Clearing is the process between July and October which allows applicants to be matched up with university places which are yet to be filled. Most people take advantage of Clearing after A-Level results day.
Don’t panic if you’re entered into Clearing, use it as an opportunity to consider the options you have and talk about next steps.
If you find yourself in Clearing, don’t hesitate – give us a call. Our Clearing team are your biggest cheerleaders and will be able to give you all the advice you need and find the perfect course for you. Simply call 01522 583698 and they’ll talk you through your options.
Alternatively, why not join one of our Open Day Events? We’re running a Clearing Open Day on Friday 16th August (and one per month until December 2024) where you can speak to staff and students to really get a feel of what BGU has to offer.
This Open Day is specifically designed for people who are making decisions in Clearing. It provides an opportunity for you to learn more about the university, find out more about Lincoln, ask questions and really get to know us. You also get a free lunch and loads more free goodies - so why wouldn't you want to come to an Open Day?
In the meantime, check out the answers to some commonly asked Clearing questions below...
No, Clearing actually opens much earlier. In 2024 Clearing starts on 5th July and closes in October. Please note that the closing date for Clearing may also depend upon the courses reaching capacity.
Some courses may already be at full capacity so may either not be available to apply for through Clearing or may close when they reach capacity. The best thing to do is to call us on 01522 583698 to discuss the courses that you are interested in.
No. Clearing is for undergraduate courses only.
The entry requirements during Clearing can vary from university to university, so you'll need to speak to them and let them know the grades you've achieved, and ask if they will consider you for the course. It's usually easiest and quickest to do this by telephone.
A 'Conditional offer' means you are required to meet certain criteria to enrol on this course. These conditions may be in notes attached to the offer, so you can see exactly what the Admissions Team needs to see to update your offer. In the first instance, follow this guidance. If in doubt, call the confirmation line on 01522 583648.
If it says 'Conditional' next to your offer but you have the required grades for your firm or insurance offer, don't panic - UCAS Hub may not have been updated. Contact the university if you are concerned about this. If you have missed the grades for your firm or insurances offer and it still says 'Conditional' then contact the university, as they may not have made a decision yet. If your firm or insurance choice don't accept you, then you'll enter Clearing.
If you have missed your firm or insurance offer but you've been accepted onto a different course, this will show up on UCAS Hub as 'UCC' (Unconditional Changed Course) with the new course code.
The new course may be quite different from your original choice, so make sure you look through the university website or speak to someone at the university to find out everything you need to know before accepting. You may also be eligible for other alternative courses at the university, so it is worth speaking to them about this.
You have five days to decide whether to accept or decline this alternative. If you decline, you will either go to your insurance university (if applicable and if they have accepted you) or into Clearing. If you are happy with the changed course offer, you must accept it on UCAS Hub. Remember - you must do this within five days.
This depends on lots of things including your course of choice, your grades, and your personal circumstances, so the best thing to do is to call our team on 01522 583698.
You have the option to release yourself into Clearing. If you decide that you no longer want to go to your firm choice university, you don't need to contact them. Simply log into your UCAS account and click on the 'Decline My Place' button. You'll be asked to submit a reason. Select 'I want to apply somewhere else in Clearing.' You'll then receive an email from UCAS to confirm that you've been release.
Once you've found a course and have been given a verbal offer by the university, you need to add the choice as your Clearing choice in the 'Your Choices' section of UCAS Hub. You'll only be able to add your choice from 1pm on Thursday 15th August.
If you accept an offer from us through Clearing, we will do our best to make sure that your enrolment takes place as soon as possible so that you can join your course as quickly as possible.
This will depend on the university at what spaces are available, if you are offered a place, you should ask the Clearing hotline if you can be put through to the accommodation team to speak about accommodation options. Although we can’t guarantee a room on campus, we can guarantee accommodation for all first-year students.
If you have already applied for a student loan with details of another course or institution you need to update your details on your student finance application as soon as possible, which is a common and easy process.
If you haven’t applied for finance yet, you need to start this straight away to give yourself the best chance of getting your loan in place for starting your course. If you are still deciding if you want to accept your offer, it is still worth starting your finance application so this can begin to be processed. The funds won’t be released until you enrol on to a course so if you change your mind about attending, you can always cancel the application.
There is a possibility if you have applied late that the loan isn’t in place for the start of your course – don’t panic! Speak to your university about this. Usually if you can provide evidence you have applied, they will still allow you to start the course. If you are staying in university accommodation, they may be able to delay payment for this.
If you are struggling financially waiting for a loan to come in then do speak up – many universities have a hardship fund that can support students in the short term while finance is getting arranged.
If you know you're going to be away over results day and if you can't get them online, you'll need to make arrangements with your school to ensure you can receive your results. If you go into Clearing, make sure you do everything possible to contact universities as soon as you can - if you leave it until you get back, you will have much less choice.
