Be University Wise guides › Clearing

Clearing, and releasing yourself into Clearing

Clearing matches students who do not hold an offer with courses that still have places. It opens on 2 July 2027 for 2027 entry and is busiest on results days in August.

Checked against official sources on 24 September 2026.

Who uses Clearing

• Students who apply after 30 June.
• Students who did not receive any offers, or declined them.
• Students who missed the conditions of their offers.
• Students whose results beat their offers and who choose to release themselves from their firm place.

How it works

1. Look at the courses with vacancies in the UCAS search tool and on university websites.
2. Phone or message the universities you are interested in. Have your UCAS personal ID and your results ready.
3. If a university makes you an informal offer, you can add it as your Clearing choice in your UCAS Hub. Only add a choice once the university has agreed.

Releasing yourself into Clearing

If you have a firm place but want a different course, for example because your results were better than expected, you can release yourself into Clearing from your UCAS Hub.

Before you do, speak to the university you want to move to and make sure it will offer you a place. Releasing yourself gives up your current place, and your original university does not have to take you back.

Accommodation and funding

If you change university, tell your student finance provider and apply for accommodation at your new university as soon as you can.

Use the data

Clearing decisions happen fast. Our subject tables and cost-of-living pages let you compare places quickly on official data.

Sources

• UCAS dates and deadlines