What is Clearing?
Clearing allows students to apply for a university place if they don’t currently hold an offer, haven’t met the conditions of an offer, have changed their mind, or are applying later in the admissions cycle. It gives students an opportunity to find a course and university that suit their interests.
Students may use Clearing for a range of reasons and it can provide a helpful route to securing a place that is right for them.
For further information on how Clearing works, visit your guide to Clearing.
How you can help before results day
Before results day, one of the most helpful things you can do is encourage your student to be informed and prepared.
You can support them by:
- encouraging them to understand how Clearing works;
- helping them make a note of key dates;
- reminding them to sign up for updates if they’re interested in a place at Manchester;
- talking through practical questions they may already have;
- helping them stay calm and focused on their options.
At this stage, students may already be thinking about:
- whether Manchester could be an option;
- what student life might be like;
- accommodation;
- commuting;
- what support is available at university.
What to expect on results day
Results day can feel busy and uncertain, especially if plans change quickly.
It can help to:
- stay calm;
- check their UCAS status carefully;
- look at all the information available before making decisions;
- make sure they understand their next steps before contacting universities.
If Manchester has places available, course information will be updated when Clearing opens and as availability changes. If the student needs to contact the University, they should be ready to share their results and the course they're interested in. The team will use that information to explain what happens next.
Clearing is a busy period, so you may experience a wait before speaking to someone as our phone lines receive a high number of calls. Stay on the line – we’ll get to you as soon as we can.
How you can help on the day
There are a few practical things you can do to support your student:
- make sure they have their results and UCAS details to hand;
- help them find a quiet place to make calls if needed;
- note down important information from conversations;
- encourage them to ask questions if they’re unsure about anything;
- help them focus on one step at a time.
Students often worry about what universities will ask. In most cases, universities will want to know their results and which course they’re interested in applying for.
Admissions teams can only speak to the applicant unless they’ve previously given permission for someone else to act on their behalf. You can still support them by helping them prepare, staying with them during the call and noting down key information.
Contextual Clearing offers are reduced grade requirements made available through Clearing for eligible students (UK applicants only). These offers recognise that some students may have experienced barriers in their education.
For courses where contextual offers are available, applicants will be asked to provide their UK home postcode when they enquire. Some courses offer lower entry requirements to students from areas with historically lower progression to higher education and we use postcode information to check eligibility for these offers.
Learn more about contextual offers and check student eligibility.
Students should also let the Clearing call handler know if they:
- have been in care for more than three months, or
- have been granted refugee status by the UK government, including those issued a visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes.
Students in these circumstances may also be eligible for a contextual Clearing offer.
That can happen. Clearing can be used by students whose plans have changed, including those who want to look at different course or university options. The most important thing is to make sure they understand the choices available and the next steps for each one.
Students who are appealing their grades and exploring options through Clearing should be aware that universities can only consider achieved and verified grades at the point of application. Universities cannot hold places for applicants while they await the outcome of an appeal.
At Manchester, we will only make Clearing offers to students who have already achieved the required grades and where those grades can be formally verified. We are unable to hold places on the expectation that a grade may increase following an appeal.
If a student receives a positive outcome from an appeal with their awarding organisation, they should then:
- check our Clearing course listings to see whether their course of interest is open, and
- follow the Clearing application instructions provided on our website at that time.
Course availability can change quickly during Clearing, so applicants are encouraged to check listings regularly once their appeal outcome is confirmed.
As a global university, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds who have the potential to succeed with us. UK applicants are not in direct competition with international applicants, as the University sets separate place targets for each group. This helps ensure our student community reflects our position as a truly international university.
As a result, some courses may be full for one group but still have places available for the other. This means that, through Clearing, some courses may have places available only to UK applicants or only to international applicants.
International students must meet the same rigorous entry requirements as UK students for admission to our degree programmes. Applications from both UK and international students are treated equally at every stage of the admissions process. Our recruitment approach is fair, robust and competitive, regardless of an applicant’s fee status.
Keeping the bigger picture in mind
Plans can change quickly at this stage and that can feel difficult in the moment. A student may have spent a long time thinking about one course or one university, only for that path to shift on or after results day.
What matters most is helping them focus on the right next step for them. Staying calm, keeping an open mind and taking things one step at a time can make a real difference.