2026 UK University Clearing Action Timeline: From Results Day to Student Finance and Accommodation Changes

The 2026 UK A-level results day is Thursday, August 13. If you may use Clearing, it is safer to organize your shortlisted courses and contact information by the previous day rather than starting preparations after the results are released.

Unless otherwise stated, the times in this schedule are based on British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1). The times when university phone lines open, when you can add a Clearing choice in UCAS Hub, and the validity periods of verbal offers may differ, so follow the guidance provided on the day.

What Clearing Means and Who Can Use It

Clearing is the UCAS process that connects applicants with places still available at universities. It is not only for applicants whose grades are lower than expected.

It can generally be used in the following situations:

• You did not receive an offer from any university to which you applied
• Your place was not confirmed because you did not meet the grade requirements of a conditional offer
• You applied to UCAS late and are looking for a course after the main application stage
• You want to decline an existing confirmed place and move to another university or course
• You received higher grades than expected and want to explore other options

First, check whether a Clearing number appears in UCAS Hub and whether your current application status allows you to add a Clearing choice. The fact that a course appears in a search does not guarantee eligibility or admission.

Practical Schedule for August 12–13, 2026

The exact opening time for UCAS Hub and the time from which you can add a Clearing choice must be checked again in the 2026 results day guidance. Do not make important decisions by simply assuming that previous years’ operating times will apply.

Preparation Checklist Before Calling a University

Identity and Application Information

• UCAS Personal ID
• Clearing number displayed in Hub
• Name, date of birth, email address, and a phone number on which you can be reached
• Universities to which you applied and your current UCAS status
• Basic information needed for fee classification, such as your UK residency status or whether you are an international student

Grades and Academic Qualifications

• Exact names of qualifications, such as A-levels, BTEC, and International Baccalaureate
• Final grade for each subject and the year achieved
• Previous and new grades for resat subjects, or the expected results date
• Grades that meet course-specific requirements, such as GCSE English and Mathematics
• Transcripts or certified documents to submit if the university cannot verify your grades through UCAS

Do not confuse predicted grades with grades actually achieved. Resit grades that have not yet been released cannot be presented as confirmed grades.

Course and Question List

When calling a university, you should be able to immediately provide at least the following information:

1. Exact name and code of the desired course
2. Intended entry year and campus
3. Grades actually achieved
4. Whether there are grounds for requesting a contextual admissions assessment
5. Whether the offer is conditional or unconditional
6. The time from which the offer can be entered in UCAS and the deadline
7. Whether accommodation applications are available and whether accommodation is guaranteed
8. Whether you can be considered for a foundation course or similar course
9. If you are an international student, whether there are any issues with the CAS issuance and visa timeline

If it is difficult to get through by phone, you can use the online form or email address specified by the university. However, sending duplicate requests through multiple channels does not necessarily speed up the assessment.

Order for Handling a Clearing Offer and an Existing Place

Applicants who already hold a university place must be especially careful about the order of the steps.

1. Check your current status. Confirm whether your Firm or Insurance place has already been confirmed or whether a decision is still pending.
2. Speak to the new university first. Ask whether the course actually has places available and whether you can be considered based on your grades and qualifications.
3. Record the offer details. Confirm the course, entry year, campus, conditions, validity period, and instructions from the staff member.
4. Understand the consequences of declining your existing place. If you give up a confirmed place using UCAS’s release or decline function, it may not be restored automatically.
5. Add a Clearing choice as instructed by the university. If you add a choice based only on search results without the university’s approval, it may be rejected or take longer to process.
6. Wait for final confirmation from the new university. A positive response by phone may not have the same meaning as final confirmation in UCAS.

A verbal offer may have a response deadline. Save the conditions shown in an email, text message, or university portal, and complete the necessary action in UCAS before the deadline.

Checking Eligibility for Contextual Clearing

Contextual admissions is an admissions approach that considers an applicant’s educational and social background. Depending on the university, it may apply in Clearing as well as in the main application process, but not all universities and courses operate in the same way.

The following information may be used in an assessment:

Check your eligibility against the official contextual admissions criteria of each university, including Manchester. When calling, prepare your postcode, school name, personal circumstances already included in your UCAS application, and the names of relevant programs, but submit sensitive information only through secure channels requested by the university.

Being eligible for contextual consideration does not automatically guarantee admission or a specific grade reduction. Required subjects, standards for professionally accredited courses, and remaining capacity may apply separately.

Order for Updating Student Finance

Student financial support in the UK is administered by Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales, Student Finance Northern Ireland, or the Student Awards Agency Scotland, depending on where you live. The principles below are a general preparation sequence; check the actual update options and evidence requirements with the relevant authority.

1. Confirm that the new university and course have been finalized in UCAS.
2. Update the university, course, study start date, course duration, and living arrangements in your relevant Student Finance online account.
3. After making the changes, check the reassessment status of your tuition fee loan and maintenance support.
4. Before enrolling at the university, confirm that your Student Finance records match the university’s registration information.
5. If the first payment date is approaching, ask the relevant authority and the university’s financial support team whether the changes could delay payment.

Changing your university or course may affect the amount of support depending on the tuition fee, course duration, whether you live in London, and whether you commute from home. Do not assume that your previous university will automatically update everything; check the status of the changes in your own account.

If you have already received payments or have a previous study history, an assessment different from a simple course-name change may be required. If your eligibility or remaining years of support are unclear, explain the circumstances to the relevant authority before enrollment.

Applying for Accommodation and Changing an Existing Contract

The way accommodation is offered to successful Clearing applicants varies by university. A university may guarantee accommodation only to applicants who completed their Firm choice by the standard deadline, or it may allocate remaining rooms to Clearing applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.

The recommended order is as follows:

1. Ask the new university whether Clearing applicants can apply for accommodation.
2. Confirm eligibility to apply, the waiting list, room types, and contract duration, rather than only whether accommodation is guaranteed.
3. Once your academic place at the new university is confirmed, submit the accommodation portal application as soon as possible.
4. Check the cancellation deadline, deposit, replacement tenant conditions, and possible penalties under your existing accommodation contract.
5. If your new accommodation is not confirmed, also consider university-approved private accommodation or areas within commuting distance.

Declining a university place does not automatically cancel an existing accommodation contract. Conversely, submitting an accommodation application does not mean that a room has been allocated. Check the written terms before canceling an existing contract.

Differences in Processing by Grades and Entry Route

Grades Already Achieved

If you previously achieved all required grades, the university may be able to assess the academic conditions immediately. However, if the grades were not transmitted automatically to UCAS or are overseas qualifications, the university may request transcripts and certified documents. Meeting academic conditions is separate from meeting other conditions, such as identity, fee classification, and English-language proficiency.

Resit Grades

If your resit results have already been released, accurately provide both the previous attempt and the new results. If the results have not yet been released, the university may not confirm a final unconditional offer based only on predicted grades. Some courses have separate criteria concerning the number of resits or when qualifications were achieved, so you must ask about them.

Foundation Courses

Courses that include a foundation year may have a separate course code, duration, and tuition fee from standard undergraduate courses. You will not be transferred automatically simply because admission to the main degree course is difficult. Check the progression requirements for moving to the main degree after the foundation year and the total period of Student Finance support.

Deferred Entry

Clearing vacancies are generally places for that entry year. The university and course determine whether entry can be deferred to the following year. If you decline a deferred place you currently hold and use Clearing, your original place may not be restored, so confirm the processing order with the admissions teams at both universities and UCAS.

How to Assess Your Chances of Admission Realistically

Published minimum grades are a starting point, not your probability of admission on the day. Actual decisions also take into account remaining capacity, required subjects, grade combinations, contextual criteria, and whether the applicant’s qualifications can be verified.

• If your grades are close to the requirements, it is worth contacting the university directly.
• If you do not meet a specific required subject or GCSE condition, admission may be difficult even if your overall score is high.
• Even if a course appears on the website, it may close while you are making the call.
• Conversely, a course that was not initially shown may reopen, so you can recheck the official list.
• Compare several universities, but do not hold an offer for a course you do not genuinely intend to accept for an extended period.

A safe strategy is not to rely on only one course, but to prioritize other campuses offering the same subject, courses including a foundation year, and related subjects.

Final Checklist for Results Day

• I have checked my UCAS login and password.
• I have recorded my UCAS ID and Clearing number.
• I have accurately organized my grades by subject.
• I have prepared at least 3 shortlisted course names and codes.
• I have checked each university’s phone number and online inquiry channels on its official website.
• I have prepared the postcode, school, and personal circumstances information needed for contextual admissions.
• I have created a table for recording the conditions and deadlines of verbal offers.
• I have established the rule that I will check the new university’s instructions before declining my existing place.
• I have checked the relevant Student Finance authority and my login information.
• I have read the cancellation terms of my existing accommodation contract.

Speed is important in Clearing, but hastily declining an existing place or failing to check contract terms can create even greater problems. Treat the university’s offer, UCAS status, student funding records, and accommodation contract as separate processes, and check each one in the correct order.