UCAS Clearing Advice for Parents and Guardians

UCAS Clearing is a service that helps students find a university place if their initial plans didn't work out. This might be because they didn't meet offer conditions, exceeded their predicted grades, haven't yet applied, or simply changed their mind about where they want to study.

Clearing is a well-established route into university, not a last resort. Hear from some of our students who found their place at Northumbria through Clearing.

The best thing you can do is help them feel informed and ready.

Before results day, you can explore our available courses together on our Clearing Hub. We'd also encourage your young person to sign up as a Northumbria Clearing VIP, it's free, and gives them access to exclusive content, early access to key opportunities, and everything they need to feel one step ahead.

While waiting on results, they can get a feel for Northumbria to decide if it feels right for them, by taking virtual tours, finding us on social media, and hearing from our students.

If they already have their results, they can continue to our NU Clearing Form to find out if they are eligible for an offer.

We understand that a last-minute change can be especially challenging if they’ve not had chance to look around or meet course mates. To ease those worries, we’d encourage your young person to consider:

• Attend our bespoke Clearing Drop-in event – join us on 6th August for an opportunity to chat to our experts about Clearing at Northumbria.

• Taking a virtual tour – get a feel for the campus with our immersive, 360 tours 

• Join us on social media – our Instagram and TikTok accounts are great ways to get familiar with the student community at Northumbria 

• Find potential flatmates – our accommodation team set up yearly Facebook groups for students living in the same student halls. Find information under ‘Can I find out the name of my flatmates?’. 

• Explore I Am Northumbria – Our specialist welcome Hub is designed to give you all the resources you need to prepare for studying with us. 

We are also running a Clearing ‘Open House’ on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th August, where you and your young person can come to campus on a drop-in basis to have a look around, view some of our accommodation options and get a feel for life at Northumbria. 

Entry requirements vary by course, and as a points-based university, we consider a wide range of qualifications, so it's worth checking what your young person's results could mean for them.

You can find out the UCAS Tariff points and additional qualifications we accept. Since UCAS points can change before we’re aware, it is recommended to check the UCAS Tariff point calculator as well.  

Remember, UCAS points can be earned in many ways. Qualifications in areas like music, dance, horse riding, gymnastics, and even volunteering can all be worth points - so make sure you have a full picture of everything your young person has studied, including extracurricular activities.  

As things can change quickly, some courses may accept points lower than what is advertised on the website. Because of this, it is always worth calling us or completing the Northumbria Clearing form to find out if they are eligible for an offer.  

It is worth contacting the university directly as soon as possible if your young person wants to explore the option of switching to a different course. The sooner they get in touch, the more options are likely to be available.

If your young person has firmly accepted Northumbria as their first choice and wants to discuss a course change, they can follow the advice on our After You Apply webpage. This applies to changes requested before 24th July, after which changes will be considered on A-Level Results Day.   

If your young person has exceeded their predicted grades, they can look at changing University or course through Clearing - this is not uncommon and many students use Clearing as a route into a university or course they previously thought could be out of reach.

To find their place at Northumbria, they can complete the Northumbria Clearing Form and a member of our team will be in touch.   

Yes, we are happy to speak to parents/carers on the Clearing hotline to offer advice and guidance, though we can’t discuss personal details or provide an offer without the consent of the individual. 

Your young person can provide a nominated contact via their UCAS form or directly with us via email, granting consent for others to speak about their application on their behalf. However, they may still be required to confirm any personal details throughout the call.  

If they’re unable to call on Results Day in August, they can apply using our online Northumbria Clearing Form instead. 

Once a Clearing application has been made, they will receive email confirmation containing their Northumbria University Clearing Number and next steps. 

Clearing is an exceptionally busy time for universities, where we process thousands of applications. We aim to respond as soon as possible and appreciate your patience.  

Once your young person has accepted their offer, they can visit our Next Steps Checklist, a practical guide, equipped with some key things to consider before enrolling at Northumbria. 

Yes. Students who secure a place through Clearing are entitled to the same student loans (both tuition fee loans and maintenance loans) as students who applied through the standard route. Interest rates are also the same. 

If your young person needs to update their Student Finance application after Clearing, we have a useful guide on making changes to your Student Finance after Confirmation and Clearing. 

One your young person has secured their place, we’d encourage them to explore their accommodation options as soon as possible, as spaces do fill up quickly. We have lots of useful information available on the accommodation website and Clearing-specific accommodation FAQs can be found on the Clearing FAQs webpage. 

All students at Northumbria receive the same range of support services regardless of how they joined. This includes academic advice, wellbeing and mental health support, careers services, disability support, and financial guidance. Your young person or someone you care for will have full access to all resources available to help them thrive.