Clearing FAQs

What and when is clearing

Clearing is your way of applying to university if: 

• You are not holding any offers 
• You didn't meet the conditions of your offer 
• You are applying after Sunday 30 June 

This year Clearing opens Saturday 5 July and remains open until late September and covers results day. 

Some courses have individual closing dates, so it is best to get in touch as soon as possible. 

Applying to university after 30 June

If you are applying to university after Sunday 30 June, you will go through clearing.  

You will need to: 

• Search on the UCAS hub for clearing course availability 
• Search for “UHI” on UCAS to see UHI’s available courses 
• Contact us to check that there are places still available and to find out if you meet the entry requirements 
• If there are places available and you meet the entry requirements, we should be able to give you an offer of a place 
• You will then need to complete a UCAS application, and add your chosen course details on UCAS track 

Help! I’m in clearing

Going into clearing can be stressful and it can be overwhelming.  

The first thing to do is to search on UCAS clearing search to see which courses have places 

• Contact your chosen university to check that there are places available and to find out if you meet the entry requirements. For UHI courses, search for “UHI” on UCAS to see our available courses 
• If there are places available and you meet the entry requirements, they should be able to give you an offer for your place 
• You will then need to add your chosen course details on UCAS track 

I want to decline my place 

If you have changed your mind about the course or university you have applied for, you can use “Decline my place” to release yourself from your place and into clearing.  

If you no longer want to study the subject you originally chose or maybe have decided that you don’t want to move away to university, you still have options.  

Before you decline your place: 

• Search UCAS for an alternative course that you would like to study 
• Contact your chosen university to check that there are places available and to find out if you meet the entry requirements 
• Your chosen university will let you know If there are places available and you meet the entry requirements 

After you decline your place and to apply for your new course or university you will then need to add your chosen course details on UCAS track. 

How do I accept my place?

When you are offered a place from a university, they will send you instructions about how to accept your offer.  

Once you have received a verbal offer from a university in clearing, you will:  

• Log onto your UCAS account 

If you have not yet applied to UCAS, you will need to complete an application at this point.  

You will then:  

• Click “Add a Clearing choice”  
• Complete the “Enter course details” form 
• Click “Add choice”  

The UCAS hub will then show “Clearing choice – waiting for confirmation”.  

What to have to hand when you contact us

When you contact a university, it’s helpful to have some information in front of you so we can quickly give you the best advice we can: 

• Your name and date of birth 
• Address, email address and phone number 
• Your 10-digit UCAS personal ID (if you have applied to UCAS) 
• Which course or courses you are interested in 
• Your current qualifications and your results (if on or after results day)

What should I say?

If you’re a bit nervous about calling us, or unsure what to say, you can start with: 

• “Hi, I’m in clearing and I would like to study...” 
• Or, “Hello, I’m in clearing and was wondering what my options are”  
• Or, “I’ve missed my offer, and was wondering if there’s a course at UHI I could study?”  

What will the university say?

This will differ from university to university, but most universities will say something along this lines of: 

“University of the Highlands and Islands, you’ve reached the clearing helpline, how can I help?” 

We will ask you a few questions such as your UCAS ID and what qualifications you hold. We will then ask you which courses you are interested in, answering any questions you may have. While on the phone, we will let you know if you meet the entry requirements for your chosen course, if there are places available and we may be able to give you an offer. 

What can the outcomes be of calling 

Once you’ve spoken to one of our advisors, you will receive one of the following outcomes: 

• We may be able to give you a verbal offer for your chosen course. We will follow this up with instructions on how to accept this
• We may not have enough information on the phone to be able to give you an offer. If so, we will then pass you to our admissions team who will get back in touch with you 
• If the course you’re interested in is full or ff you don’t meet the entry requirements for the course you are interested in, we will look to offer you an alternative or an access route

Where to find my UCAS ID

Your UCAS ID is a unique 10-digit number. You can find this: 

• On the UCAS hub account once you have logged in 
• On emails from UCAS 
• On letters from UCAS 

If you can have this to hand when contacting universities during clearing, it will make it easier for our advisors to help you and speed the process up a lot.  

How should I prepare for exam results day 

Before exam results day, the most important thing is to look after yourself. To beat stress before the big day, you can try:   

• Getting enough sleep and rest 
• Going out with friends 
• Taking part in hobbies and doing things that you find fun 
• Eating a balanced diet 
• Enjoying your favourite exercise  

Find out more about self-care 

If you are worried about not meeting your offers before exam results day, you can always do a bit of research about other options in advance.  

We recommend that you: 

• Have a look at alternative courses so you know what’s available 
• Read about clearing so you are prepared 
• Check that you can login to your UCAS account 

Find out more at UCAS

What should I do on exam results day

On the big day, it can help to:  

• Eat breakfast if you can 
• Do something that you enjoy and will help you relax if you are waiting to receive your results 
• Reach out to trusted family or friends that can help to support you 

What will happen when I get my results? If you already have an offer, you may:  

• Meet your conditions and be accepted 
• Not meet your conditions but still be accepted- this can sometimes happen when you are not far away from your target grades 
• Not meet your conditions and lose you offer. You will then be released into clearing where you can find a place at another university

If you weren’t holding any offers before exam results day, you can still apply through clearing.  

Accommodation

If you are going to require student accommodation, it’s best to ask the university you are going to about accommodation as soon as possible. Some universities will save places in accommodation for first year students or will be able to help you find accommodation.  

Funding

If you have already applied for funding, you will likely need to get in touch to let them know that you are going to a different university than planned. If you haven’t already applied for funding, you may want to do so.  

• Students from Scotland will likely apply to Student Awards Agency Scotland
• England: Student Finance England 
• Wales: Student Finance Wales
• Northern Ireland: Student Finance Northern Ireland
• Jersey: Student Finance
• Guernsey: University - States of Guernsey
• Isle of Man: Student awards

At UHI: We have scholarships, bursaries and discretionary funds that you can apply to help support you with your studies.