With A’ Level results out today, many students from across the South Hams will be going into what’s known as the clearing system.

Clearing is when UCAS provides students with the opportunity to apply for university places which haven’t yet been filled, outside of the normal application window

It’s a good option if: you’ve changed your mind about what course you want to do, you missed the application deadline of June 30,

you haven’t met the entry requirements for the offer you’ve accepted,

you’ve done better than expected and would like to change to a different course or university.

Clearing is open until October 17, 2023.

Log-in to your UCAS account, or set one up at: https://accounts.ucas.com/Account/Login

You can check listings of available courses on UCAS. Almost every university participates in Clearing so there will be thousands of courses to choose from.

Once you’ve found a course you want to apply to, get in touch with the university or college directly to see if they will accept you for the course you’re interested in.

Once you have received permission from the university or college to do so, add your Clearing choice to your application so the university or college can officially accept you.

If your exam results don’t meet the requirements of a conditional offer you’ve expected, you’ll be automatically entered into Clearing on results day, unless your university has confirmed your place anyway.

You can find out more about clearing at: https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/clearing-and-results-day

You can apply for a course using Clearing if you’re not already holding an offer from another university or college, and the course still has places.

You can use Clearing if: you didn’t receive any offers (or none you wanted to accept), you didn’t meet the conditions of your offers

you’ve paid the multiple choice application fee of £27

you’ve declined your firm place using the ‘decline my place’ button in your application. What are some alternative options to university?

Even if you’ve achieved the grades you were expecting, you might want to consider alternative routes, like doing an apprenticeship or going straight into work.

If you want to get a degree but you’re having second thoughts about studying full-time at university, you could look into doing a degree apprenticeship. This route allows you to study towards an undergraduate or master’s degree while you work, gaining invaluable industry experience and earning a salary. Your off-the-job training takes place in your working hours, and you won’t have to pay for your tuition.

Find out more about alternative options to university at: https://tinyurl.com/58puwavx