How to Apply
in clearing

Clearing is a period where universities fill the remaining places on their courses. It is an opportunity for people to apply late into the summer months to start university in September.

Applying through Clearing is ideal for those who have not been offered a place at their chosen universities, or are simply considering options outside of their original university selection.

Clearing is a popular option for prospective students who have reconsidered course and career paths since their initial university applications.

Clearing is a UCAS process that matches students without university offers to available course vacancies. It's typically used by those who didn't receive any offers, didn't meet the conditions of their offers, applied later, or wish to change their course or university choice. 

You can apply through Clearing if:

- you’re applying on and after 5 July
- you've previously applied but didn’t receive any offers (or none you wanted to accept) on UCAS
- you've previously applied but didn’t meet the conditions of your offers
- you’ve declined your firm place using the ‘decline my place’ button in UCAS Hub

Some of our courses, such as part-time routes and postgraduate courses, do not require you to apply through UCAS and adhere to the guidelines set by UCAS. However, we continue to recruit to these and you can either apply directly through our website or contact us through our Clearing channels.

Clearing opens on 5 July and ends in early October. You can contact us here at the University of Wolverhampton by requesting a call to discuss applying through Clearing.

If you are currently studying for a Level 3 qualification, such as A-levels, you will likely receive your results on results day, which will be 14th August 2025. Once you have your results, you can call our university Clearing hotline. We offer extended phone line hours on results day, where you can contact us if your results are not as expected.

If you already have the results of your qualifications, you can contact us from 5 July.

If you have an offer at another university (conditional or unconditional) but you have changed your mind and would like to apply to us through Clearing, you can decline your place under UCAS Hub. We advise that you contact us regarding an informal offer before you do this.

Clearing is available to anyone who has applied to universities through UCAS Undergraduate but has not received any offers or any that they wish to accept. It is also available to anyone who has not yet applied.  

If you apply to us after 5 July (the last standard UCAS application deadline date) for an undergraduate course, you will apply through Clearing. If you have applied to us before 5 July but have not received any offers, then your UCAS Hub account will tell you if you are eligible for Clearing. 

Our list of available courses in Clearing will be published on our website and via the UCAS Clearing+ tool from 5 July. The University of Wolverhampton Clearing hotline will open on 5 July, where you’ll be able to find out the full details about available courses.

All other courses such as part-time or postgraduate courses will be listed and available via our course pages across our website. You can use our handy course finder to look for these.

You can still apply through Clearing if you haven’t applied through UCAS. Many of our courses can be applied for using our direct applications, including part-time routes and postgraduate courses. A direct application does not require that you to apply through UCAS, and you can either apply directly through our website or contact us through our Clearing channels. There are some courses, such as Nursing, for which you must apply through UCAS, so please see our course pages or contact us directly for more information.

If you don’t get the results you expected, then Clearing could be a perfect option for you! Don’t worry – there are many other people who are in the same situation.

When calling or chatting with our Clearing hotline, you’ll speak to a trained operator who will let you know if the course you are interested in applying for still has places available.

If it does, the operator will help you apply or put you in touch with someone from the right department who can give you more information.

If the course isn’t available, or if you don’t meet the entry criteria, the operator may recommend an alternative course, or the course you originally wanted plus a foundation year.

Being positive and deciding which courses you are interested in is a great start. If you make a list of universities, courses, and contact details, you’ll be ready to start calling as soon as the time comes.

Not at all. The Clearing period is a very busy time for universities across the country, and if you don’t get through to an advisor immediately, you’ll need to be patient while you wait. Don’t worry – it will be well worth your time, once you’ve signed up to your life-changing course!

You can still apply for University-run accommodation at the University of Wolverhampton if you've applied through Clearing.

Be proactive, and do some research as soon as you receive your offer – or even before.

Visit our University Accommodation page to learn more.

If you are applying for student finance for the first time, and you live in England, you will need to apply through the Student Loans Company via Student Finance England as soon as possible for a student loan to help cover tuition fees and living expenses. The initial deadline will have passed but your application will still be processed.

If you already applied for student finance, but have changed your course and/or university through Clearing, you will need to advise the Student Loans Company as soon as you have confirmed your choice.  It is important that the correct university and course are showing on your account. Details on how to make any changes can be found at Student Finance: how to apply: Change an application - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

If you live in Wales then applications for funding are made through Student Finance Wales at www.studentfinancewales.co.uk, for Northern Ireland go to Student Finance NI at www.studentfinanceni.co.uk and for Scotland the Student Awards Agency 

If you have previously applied for a course to start this September and you were unsuccessful with your application you will be unable to reapply for the same course through Clearing. However, you will be able to apply for a different course that is available in clearing. 

You will not necessarily need to make a new clearing application. We have all your information and can transfer your application for you, so please contact our Clearing support team to discuss your options. 

You can apply for Clearing if you are not a UK resident. To learn more, you can contact the University of Wolverhampton’s Global Opportunities Office.

Yes, mature students (age 21 and above) can apply to university through Clearing. 

Yes, it is possible to apply to university without formal qualifications, especially if you are a mature student. We will look at your relevant experience and skills which you may have gained through work. We also offer a range of foundation programmes that do not require formal qualification, but you will need to pass a Prepare for Foundation assessment day.