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Clearing / Parents and Guardians

Clearing is a valuable opportunity for your young person to explore new options and make informed decisions about their future. Whether they’ve changed their mind about a course or discovered a new interest, your encouragement and support can help them take confident steps towards their future.

What is Clearing?

Clearing is a part of the UCAS university admissions process. It helps students who don’t yet have a confirmed place at university find and apply for available courses. It’s open to anyone who:

• Didn't receive any offers (or didn't accept them)
• Didn't meet the conditions of their firm or insurance offers
• Applied after the 30 June UCAS deadline
• Has changed their mind and wants to apply for a different course or university

Clearing runs from early July to October, with the busiest period being results day in August. A variety of courses are available through Clearing, including many high-demand courses, like Pharmacy, Law, and Computer Science.

For more information on what Clearing is, visit our "What is Clearing?" guide.

Why apply through Clearing?

Clearing is not just for students who have not met the conditions of their offers. Your young person might’ve changed their mind about what and where they want to study, or perhaps they want to stay closer to home. They might’ve not applied to university at all yet. Clearing is a perfect opportunity for them to reassess their options or start the process, and make sure they’re making the best choice for themselves.

Clearing process

UCAS officially opens on the 5 July, and this is when students will be able to submit their clearing choice via the UCAS platform. However, ¾Ã¾Ã¾«Æ· opens their Clearing advice lines on the 1 May, which means that your young person doesn’t need to wait to get an offer on their preferred course. If you want to find out more about the Clearing application process, visit our .

Key dates

Supporting your child through Clearing

As a parent or carer, your support, guidance, and reassurance can help your young person stay calm and confident through the clearing process. Here are some tips on how you can best support them.

Before 14 August (Results day)

• Have an open conversation: Chat with your young person about how they're feeling about their choices. Whether they're feeling confident or having second thoughts, it helps to explore all options - from sticking with current plans to thinking through next steps if they need or want to choose a different direction on results day. This can help them feel informed, supported, and ready for whatever comes next.
• Know how your child will receive their results: Exam results won’t appear on their UCAS application - only the outcome of their university place. They will get their results directly from their school or exam centre, so make sure you're both clear on when and how they’ll be released. If they decide to go through Clearing, they will need to know what grades they received.
• Encourage proactiveness: UCAS Clearing opens on the 5 July, so if your young person knows they want to go through Clearing, it’s a good idea to secure an offer early. Reading about the Clearing process will also help them even if they’re still hoping to get into their firm choice.

On the Results Day

• Stay calm and supportive: Your reaction can shape theirs. Whether the results are better or worse than expected, be encouraging and solution focused.
• Give them space to process: Let them take the lead emotionally and practically but reassure them you’re there to help when they’re ready.
• Help them get in touch with universities: If they’re exploring new options, support them in contacting universities like ¾Ã¾Ã¾«Æ·. They can call +44 (0)116 257 7000, message via on +44 7970 655 800, or email enquiry@dmu.ac.uk. Make sure they have their GCSE and A-level (or equivalent) results and UCAS ID number ready when they get in touch.
• Offer help: Be ready to assist with phone calls, note-taking, or driving them to campus visits if needed - but only step in if they ask for help.
• Be available: Try not to take over. Let your young person make decisions, but help keep track of conversations, deadlines, and next steps if needed.

After getting an offer

• Celebrate their achievement: Acknowledge the effort and resilience it took to secure a place - especially if plans changed along the way. Recognising this milestone and showing you’re proud can give them a real boost as they prepare for the next chapter.
• Help them prepare: Whether they need a bit of help with booking their accommodation, sorting out their student finance or sorting out travel arrangements to their new university, be there to help your young person keep track of their university preparations. 

Going to university: A parent's guide

If you're looking for more than just Clearing advice, our Parents guide covers everything from accommodation and student finance to wellbeing support and key dates throughout the academic year. Get the bigger picture and feel confident supporting your child at every step.

Find out more