Alistair went through Clearing after changing his mind about his course choice. Hear his story.

Can you still use Clearing if you have an offer?

Yes, but you won’t be able to accept a Clearing offer unless you self-release from your original unconditional offer.

How can I apply for Clearing if I have an offer?

You'll need to self-release from your firm or insurance offers before you can apply for Clearing places in UCAS.

Do you have to reject offers to go through Clearing?

Yes, you must reject any unconditional offers you hold before you can go through Clearing. However, don’t reject any offers until you have a verbal offer for a Clearing course and are sure you want to change.

What do you do if you no longer want your firm or insurance choice?

You must self-release from your firm or insurance choice.

What is self-release?

Self-release is the process of rejecting an unconditional offer you hold from your firm or insurance choice to enter Clearing. We suggest not self-releasing from an offer unless you’ve received a verbal offer for a Clearing course and are sure you want to change.

How do you self-release from a course?

Log in to your UCAS Hub account and click the ‘decline my place’ button next to the course from which you’d like to be released. You’ll then be asked a series of questions before you can confirm your decision.

When should you self-release from a course?

Only self-release from a course when you have a verbal offer for a Clearing course and are sure you want to change. You won’t be able to reverse the decision to self-release.

Hanna, who earned a place through Clearing to study the history of art, maintains:

How can you tell if you have self-released into Clearing?

Your status in UCAS Hub show ‘you are in Clearing'.

Should you self-release if you want to change course but stay at the same university?

No, you should first speak to your university about changing before you self-release. If you self-release without speaking to your university, all your accommodation and scholarship arrangements will be immediately cancelled.

What should you do if you accidentally decline your place?

Phone the university immediately so they don’t offer your place to someone else.

Can you self-release from a conditional offer?

No, you must wait for your offer to become unconditional or unsuccessful.

If you’ve accepted an unconditional offer, can you use Clearing to look into different universities?

Yes, you can still search Clearing courses and see what’s available. 

What should you have on hand when calling universities?

Have these with you:

• Your Clearing number

• Your UCAS ID number

• Course name and code

• Your personal statement

• Your grades

• Any questions you’d like to ask

Emily, who earned a place through Clearing to study chemistry, believes:

Do you have to accept a Clearing offer immediately?

No, you can give yourself time to consider the offer and call any other universities you’re interested in. Clearing courses can fill up quickly so don’t spend too long trying to decide.

Can you defer a Clearing offer?

No, you can’t defer entry through Clearing. You can only get an offer for a place on a course that begins this year.

Will you have to sort new student accommodation in Clearing?

Yes, but this should be stress-free. Most universities reserve spaces within their student accommodation for Clearing students. The university will send you all the information you need on how to apply for student accommodation once you’ve confirmed your place on a course.

Will going through Clearing affect your student loan?

You’ll need to let your student finance provider know if you change course. As soon as you confirm your place on a Clearing course, log in to your student finance account and update your course details.