If you haven’t yet applied to university, have changed your mind about your current course choice, or your circumstances have changed, then you can use Clearing to find alternative courses to study.
Results not what you expected?
Clearing is available from Wednesday 5th July 2023 to Tuesday 17th October 2023. If you have your exam results and no offers, you can use Clearing. You can also use Clearing if you have conditional offers but your exam results didn’t go to plan.
Want to know more? See below for our FAQs, top tips and advice for parents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Clearing is a process managed by UCAS that gives students the opportunity to find a higher education course at college or university if they haven’t managed to secure one.
If you haven’t yet applied to university, you have changed your mind about your current course choice, or your circumstances have changed, then you can use clearing to find alternative courses to study for September 2023.
You can use clearing to find an undergraduate course if:
you’re not already holding an offer of a place
you haven’t previously applied to college or university
you didn’t receive any offers when you first applied
you got different grades to your predicted grades
you want to change your choice of course, and /or choice of college or university
Clearing is open from Wednesday 5th July 2023 to Tuesday 17th October 2023, but you can’t apply through clearing until you have your exam results.
If you’re an A-level student you will receive your exam results on Thursday 17th August 2023 and this is when you will be eligible to apply in clearing.
Our phone lines are open from 9am to 5pm Monday-Friday, including our clearing phone line: 01709 722806 which will also be open from 9am – 5pm on 18th August 2022.
Please be patient as our phone lines will be busy. Places on some courses are likely to fill up quickly so we would advise you to call as early as possible.
Vacancies available at University Centre Rotherham and our College campuses are listed on UCAS Clearing
Call us on 01709 722806 to apply for a course. Please have the following details available when you call:
Your UCAS personal ID number, if you’re registered with UCAS
Your DOB and contact details
Details of all your qualifications, including subject and grades
Course(s) you wish to apply for
Be prepared to talk about why you are interested in studying the course
A clearing choice button will automatically be added to your UCAS Track screen when you’re in clearing.
Vacancies will be shown on the UCAS clearing vacancy website and on individual university websites.
You’ll need to contact universities to discuss vacancies. Once you have received an offer verbally or in writing and you want to accept the place, enter the details of the institution and course into UCAS Track.
If you haven’t already applied through the UCAS system you can still apply through clearing.
Call us on 01709 722806 and if you’re made an offer you’ll be told what to do next.
You will receive an email from us with instructions of what to do next. Please check your inbox regularly including your junk folder as it will include important information.
You can call us to be considered for a place on 01709 722806. If we offer you a place you need to wait until you receive your confirmation email.
You then need to contact the other establishment where you currently have a place to request to be released. Once you’ve been released you can’t change your mind and go back to your initial selection, so it’s important to be sure about your decision.
You will need to inform Student Finance England that you have changed establishment.
We are happy to discuss your options with you; call us on 01709 722806. You will need to speak to the university that is your firm choice and request they release you from your place before you can accept any offer with another university.
Please note: seeking a release from your current unconditional firm choice will mean that you are put into Clearing. A release from your unconditional firm will not automatically allow you to go to your insurance choice.
You do not need to apply through clearing. You just need to email the Clearing office at clearing@rnngroup.ac.uk with the subject heading ‘CHANGE COURSE’.
The email must include your full name, original course details and the course you wish to change to.
Your request will be considered and you will be notified of the decision via email.
You should have received all your results before applying to us through clearing. However, if you believe you already meet our requirements with your current results please call us on 01709 722806.
Yes, if you’ve been rejected by both your firm and Insurance choices, you’ll be placed into Clearing by UCAS – you’ll be able to check this status via UCAS Track.
We are happy to talk to you now to discuss your options – call us on 01709 722806.
If you are made a verbal offer over the telephone, this will then be followed up with a confirmation email. Please ensure you check your inbox, including your junk inbox, as it includes very important information. The email will detail the next steps you will need to take and the time you will need to do this by. This will usually include providing proof of any qualifications you mentioned over the phone and selecting RNN Group and the relevant course as your Clearing choice through UCAS Track. In some instances there may be other conditions attached such as submission of an electronic portfolio – you will be advised on of this in your telephone conversation and it will also be detailed in the email you receive from us.
If you have been given a verbal offer at University Centre Rotherham, please ensure you read the email you will have been sent carefully as this also includes the ‘verbal offer deadline’. If you do not take the action required within this deadline then we cannot guarantee your offer will still be valid. Once A-level results have been released, the offer is usually valid for 24 hours.
There is no limit to how many universities you can contact or hold verbal offers with, but each one will have a time limit and you’ll only be able to accept one through UCAS.
You won’t usually be able to re-apply for a course where you have been unsuccessful within the same academic cycle, unless any of the information you have previously provided to us has since changed. You are welcome to contact us regarding an alternative course however.
Due to GDPR, we can only discuss general information with someone other than an applicant. The exception to this is if you have a nominated person detailed on your UCAS application and they call on your behalf. If you think you’ll need to enquire about a Clearing place, you are strongly advised to be available to do this.
There could be a few reasons why this is. If you have taken qualifications other than A-levels or BTECs, we may not have received confirmation of your results and therefore you will need to send a copy to us.
It is also useful to check the conditions of your offer which will be detailed on UCAS Track. It may be that there are other outstanding conditions you still need to meet.
For further information about any of our courses, contact us on 01709 722806.
There could be a few reasons why this is. If you have taken qualifications other than A-levels or BTECs, we may not have received confirmation of your results and therefore you will need to send a copy to us.
It is also useful to check the conditions of your offer which will be detailed on UCAS Track. It may be that there are other outstanding conditions you still need to meet.
For further information about any of our courses, contact us on 01709 722806.
No, but it is advised you contact Student Finance to advise them of this change to avoid any delays in funding reaching you.
Can’t find an answer to your question? Please feel free to contact us on the above details.
Top Tips for Clearing
Keep Focused
Last year, thousands of students secured college and university places through Clearing, so please try to stay positive.
You can feel reassured that there are still options available to you.
Consider your Priorities
What are your deciding factors? What’s important to you and the place you would like to study?
Is it the proximity to home, facilities or certain type of course? Only you can answer these questions, so have a think to make the best decision for you.
Have your Info to Hand
You’ll need:
Personal statement
Titles of the courses and / or their UCAS codes
Your results
A list of pre-prepared questions. No question is a silly question. You need to gather as much information as you can to make sure you feel confident in your decision.
Get in Touch
Keep your options open. Contact as many suitable providers as you can, to ensure that you have more possibilities available to you. This will be something that you can do via the UCAS website, and there is additional support through Clearing Plus.
If you are giving your information out, make sure that providers have your most up-to-date details, and can contact you when necessary.
Think, then Think Again
Don’t just jump at the first offer! You’ll be given time to consider – use it to make the best informed decision for you.
Reply by the Deadline Given
Make a note of the deadline that you need to reply by, and ensure that you contact your provider to accept a place with them.
Advice for parents
Keep Calm
There are still places available through clearing, and also an additional support service called clearing plus which acts to ‘match’ applicants to suitable vacancies. Last year, thousands of students secured college and university places through Clearing.
The UCAS website also has resources and information dedicated to helping parents and guardians support students applying to uni, including videos, guides and a monthly parent newsletter.
Academic and support staff at school or college can provide impartial advice and guidance about moving on to higher education.
Teachers and Careers Advisers can provide information about options suited to the students’ strengths and have a lot of experience.
Contact Higher Education Providers
You may find it useful taking the time to view the UCAS website and websites of suitable universities and colleges.
After researching alternative options, applicants can then contact providers to express their interest in a course.
Be Prepared
We encourage applicants to have all their information to hand. When speaking to an establishment, it is likely that they will want to know the applicants results, and it would be very useful for them to have their personal statement, titles of courses and any UCAS codes to hand.
It is also useful to prepare a list of questions, to seek answers to any uncertainties.
