How you can help your young person with Clearing.

Thousands of students every year use Clearing to find a university place, whether that’s because they’ve changed their mind about what or where to study, missed the application deadline or didn’t get the grades they were hoping for. 

It's a great idea to have a plan B and research other options, even if they’re confident they’ll achieve the grades they need for their firm choice.

Clearing key facts

  • Clearing opens on Saturday 5 July 2025, and remains open until the start of term
  • Courses with spaces will be clearly advertised on our website
  • Students can apply through Clearing if:
    • They’re applying on or after 5 July 2025
    • They don’t hold any offers  
    • They don’t want to accept the offers they’ve received  
    • Or they didn’t meet the conditions of their offer.

More information can be found on our Clearing hub.

On Results day

Your young person will either be:

  • Accepted by their firm choice
  • Accepted by their insurance choice if they don’t get the grades for their firm choice
  • Automatically entered into Clearing if their results don't meet the conditions of any of their choices.

They may also have changed their mind about their firm and insurance choice and opt to enter Clearing – and that’s okay.

Help them to search available courses in Clearing and either call us or use our online form to see if we can offer them a place – we’re not able to discuss your young person’s application, they must call us themselves.

When contacting us, they will need the name of the course they’re interested in, their A-Level, BTEC or equivalent results, and their GCSE results.

What happens next?

If you can, take the time to visit any options. BSU run Talk and Tours during Clearing to help students make informed choices.

If offered a place, this will need to be completed in UCAS by the student. Don’t forget to update Student Finance with any changes to course or university too.