Supporting students through Clearing 2023

Clearing guidance for parents, teachers and carers

We hope the information below will help you to prepare for results day, and support students should they find themselves in Clearing. If you still have questions or any students with more complex circumstances please just get in touch using the useful contacts and links section below.


Before Results Day

Students who already know their grades can call our Clearing hotline now and potentially be offered a place for September 2023.

Students who are awaiting their results, but aren’t confident that they will meet the conditions of their offers can also call our hotline – at this stage they will be able to discuss their options with our admissions team and will need to call back on results day for a formal offer once their grades are known.

  • How do students know they are in Clearing?

    Students will know whether they are in Clearing by checking their UCAS Hub status. It will state ‘You are in Clearing’ or ‘Clearing has started’ if this is the case.

    If students have achieved slightly lower grades but their UCAS Hub status shows neither of these it may be that their results have not yet updated or that universities are still considering the application in light of their results.

    In what circumstances can students use Clearing?

    Students can go through Clearing if:

    • They didn’t receive any offers (or none they wanted to accept)
    • They didn’t meet the conditions of their offers
    • They have declined their firm choice university using the ‘decline my place’ button in UCAS Hub
    What courses are available through Clearing at the University of Northampton?

    We won’t be able to confirm exactly which courses are available until results day, students are encouraged to call on the day to find out if their course is available and what the entry requirements will be.

    The courses that are available will change throughout the day. Students should call as early as possible.

    Please note that some course will require successful completion of an interview.

    When can students call the University of Northampton?

    News on when our Clearing hotline will open will be released shortly.

    Is there anything students need to do before calling?

    Students will need to have the following information to hand when calling:

    • UCAS ID
    • Clearing number
    • Details of relevant qualifications, including grades
    • Details of any projects or modules that may be relevant to their application
    • Up-to-date contact details

    Encourage students to reread their personal statement, if they are able to, before calling, in case they are asked any questions about why they want to study the course in question.

    It’s important that students find out as much as they can about the course too, especially if they are particularly looking for certain elements such as accreditation and placement opportunities. Encourage them to have a few questions prepared so that they are under as little pressure to remember everything as possible.

    Will students who apply through Clearing receive the same as other students?

    Students who come to us through Clearing will be treated in the same way as any other applicant. They will still benefit from the most comprehensive student support package in the UK, which includes a free laptop and free sports and societies, as well as the Northampton Employment Promise.

    When can students visit the campus?

    Students are welcome to attend our Open Day on 19 August to visit the campus and find out more about our courses.

    Will there still be accommodation available at Northampton?

    Further details on our accommodation guarantee will be released soon.*

    The Accommodation team can be contacted on accommodation@northampton.ac.uk or by calling on (01604) 892248 or (01604) 892249.

    *correct at the time of writing, contact the Accommodation team for up to date information.

    What if a student has changed their mind?

    Instead of applicants having to contact and wait for their chosen university or college to release them in to Clearing, applicants can now do this themselves, saving valuable time. Self-release is available to all placed applicants in UCAS Track.

    In these instances, it is important to remind students that, depending on their choice of course and institution, there is a chance there may not be spaces available elsewhere. Also highlighting that if they decide to revert to their original plan after all, the University may have filled the place they left behind and their place in Halls may have been reallocated.

    How is a student’s finance application affected?

    This will depend on whether the student is applying for the first time through Clearing, or is amending a current application. Student Finance have a designated web page with information for Clearing 2023.

What Happens Next?

Students can only add one choice at a time through Clearing once they have permission from the university.

They need to click ‘add a Clearing choice’ and fill in the details given to them by the university. This counts as definitely accepting an offer and if the university confirms, will then show as an acceptance in UCAS Hub. If the university does not confirm students will be able to add another choice.


After Results Day

Clearing usually remains open for up to a week after results day, but this entirely depends on which courses still have spaces available. Some courses will still accept applicants until the start of the new term, others will close within hours.


How You Can Help

  • Reassure – some students will be understandably disappointed to not achieve the grades they needed, and to others it may be less of a surprise, but going through Clearing does not mean it’s all over. Below are some success stories that may help
  • Be realistic when discussing the course, university and accommodation options that a student may have available to them to avoid any additional stress at a later date
  • Encourage them to visit the campus if they can
  • Remind them that time is of the essence. Whilst it is not a decision to be rushed, it’s important that students don’t waste any time in contacting universities and run the risk of a course being full by the time they call

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