Advice for Parents, Guardians and Teachers

We know that Clearing can be a challenging time; whether a student’s results aren’t as expected, they’ve changed their mind about what course to study, or they've only just decided to apply, our Clearing service at Aberystwyth is a simple way for your young person / student to find the right place for them.

Students who are receiving their results on 15 August 2024 can enter Clearing on results day. Not all universities and not all courses are available in Clearing, so it’s worth checking what is available and doing some research before results come through. If your young person / student already has their results, they can enter the process at any time from 5 July 2024.

We want the Clearing process to be as smooth as possible for your young person / student. Take a look at our below guidance for some tips on how best to support them.

How does Clearing work?

Students can find out if they’re eligible for Clearing by logging into their UCAS Hub account. They will also receive an email from their Firm and Insurance universities confirming if they’ve been successful in confirming their place. If the student missed the grades they needed for both their Firm and Insurance offers, their Clearing Number will appear on UCAS Hub automatically. The Clearing Number is the reference number they will use to secure any future course offer they want to accept.

As soon as they have their Clearing Number and their list of university and course choices, they can start calling up university helplines. If they’re asked to apply to a course and want to take up the place, they need to add the course as their Clearing choice on UCAS Hub. They will only be able to do this from 1pm on results day and will only be able to enter one choice.

Many students are ready to make calls and find out which courses are available at different universities from early on results day. Clearing can move at a fast pace, with the many popular courses closing early in the process. Preparation is key to students getting the course and university they want. That said, however, there are thousands of courses in Clearing and your young learner should take the time they need, rather than feeling rushed and under pressure.

How to help your child prepare for Clearing

Help them with research. It’s never too early to prepare, whether it’s finding out more about the university they’re interested in or making a list of courses they’d like to consider. The sooner they know what they want to apply for, the sooner they can call in the morning on results day. 

How can students contact Aberystwyth University?

For any questions regarding Clearing, please call our dedicated helpline on 0800 121 4080.

Prepare for the phone call

The call into a Clearing helpline can be quite daunting, however, we are here to help and we will guide them through the call. Make sure they have their qualifications ready in front of them and know all the details about the courses they want to apply for. You can’t make the call for them, but you can help make sure they’ve got all the basic info they need ready:

- Clearing Number
- UCAS Personal ID
- Qualifications details (including A level, AS level, GCSE and
  equivalent results)
- Login details for UCAS Hub
- Notes on the course/university

The Aberystwyth Helpline will open at 8am on results day.

Will students be made an offer over the phone when they call?

Yes, as long as the student meets the entry requirements and there are spaces on the course, they can be made an offer over the phone. Once the verbal offer is made, we’ll follow up with email confirmation outlining what the learner needs to do next (for example, adding the course as their Clearing choice on UCAS Hub).

Can students in Clearing secure accommodation at Aberystwyth University?

Yes, Clearing applicants are guaranteed accommodation as long as they apply for a place in Halls by the 1st of September.

Can students visit the University in person before September?

Yes, we’re holding dedicated Clearing Visit Days on Friday 16th, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th of August. Whether your learner has already accepted a Clearing offer or not, we’d love to welcome them to Aberystwyth to learn more about the University.