Clearing 2024 FAQs

Clearing is a UCAS service that gives you the opportunity to apply for university places that haven’t yet been filled. If you’re eager to start university this year, Clearing allows you to find and apply for courses that still have places available. 

You can apply to university through Clearing if:

• You’re making your first application after 30 June 2024.
• You didn’t receive any offers (or none you wanted to accept). 
• You don’t meet the conditions of your offers. 
• You’ve changed your mind about what or where you want to study. 

If you're thinking about applying to the university through Clearing, we recommend getting a head start on your research. That way, you’ll be well prepared when you’re ready to apply.

Please note that you can only make a Clearing application with us once you’ve received your exam results.

You cannot reapply for the same course through Clearing if your application was rejected in the main cycle. However, you can apply for a different course that has available places.

UCAS opens Clearing on Friday 5 July and closes it on Monday 21 October. However, it's important to note that many universities, including Salford, are likely to fill their places before Clearing closes. Therefore, we highly recommend applying for a course as soon as you receive your exam results.

You're free to reach out to as many universities and colleges as you like to explore different courses and find out what university life is like. However, keep in mind that you can only accept one Clearing offer from one college or university. So, take your time, thoroughly research your options, and consider your decision carefully before making a choice.

Clearing Plus is a UCAS tool that matches students with universities based on their course choices and grades. You can use Clearing Plus if this is the first time you’ve applied to a university, or if you have previously applied through UCAS but didn’t receive any offers.

Course availability in Clearing is limited, and once all vacancies are filled, the course closes for the current year. To secure your place on your chosen course, contact us as soon as you receive your exam results.

You can access a list of courses available in Clearing through our Clearing course search tool, which launches on Friday 5 July.

In the meantime, feel free to browse our complete list of undergraduate courses. Please be aware that not every undergraduate course will be available in Clearing.

Some of our most popular Clearing courses include:

• Accounting and Finance
• Architecture
• Biomedical Science
• Business Management
• Chemical Sciences
• Computer Science
• Construction 
• Criminology and Sociology
• Engineering
• English and Creative Writing
• Fashion
• Geography
• Journalism
• Law
• Marine Biology, Zoology and Wildlife Conservation
• Music
• Nursing
• Occupational Therapy
• Physics
• Podiatry
• Politics, History and International Relations
• Psychology
• Sports Science
• Surveying

Can't see the course you're interested in in this list? Browse our full range of courses today.

You can contact us by phone, request a callback from our Clearing team, or fill out an online application form. Our Clearing helpline opens for enquiries and applications at 09:00 on Friday 5 July.

We can only give you an unconditional offer Clearing, so, we need all your results before we can offer you a place.

If you haven’t registered with UCAS, you can make your Clearing application directly through us. As soon as you have your exam results and are ready to apply, get in touch with our friendly team. They will assist with your application, confirm whether we can offer you a place, and answer any questions you have.

If you applied to university through UCAS by 30 June 2024 but didn’t receive any offers, you will automatically enter Clearing. Once you have your exam results, you can apply for a course through Clearing. When you’re ready to apply, contact us to discuss your options. Our Clearing advisors will guide you through the next steps and confirm whether we can offer you a place.

We understand how disappointing it can be not to achieve the grades you hoped for. But even if it wasn’t your original plan, applying through Clearing can open new and exciting opportunities. Before you apply to the University of Salford through Clearing, first check the status of your application on the UCAS Applicant Hub to see if your firm or insurance choice university has confirmed your place. If you haven't been successful at your chosen university, contact our Clearing helpline to explore your options. We're here and ready to help you find your place.

We’re so happy to hear that you’re considering the University of Salford! If you’ve been accepted by your firm or insurance choice university, but want to study at the University of Salford, contact our Clearing team to discuss your options.

If we offer you a place through Clearing and you choose to accept it, you will need to visit the UCAS Applicant Hub and release yourself into Clearing. You’ll then need to add your new course as a Clearing choice on UCAS. 

Before you release yourself into Clearing, please make sure that you talk to us first to check our vacancies and your eligibility for the course you want to study.

To see whether your place is confirmed, you can check the UCAS Applicant Hub or call our confirmation helpline. If your place with us is confirmed – congratulations! We’ll be in touch with you soon with details about what happens next.

If you’ve been unsuccessful, we’re sorry – this means we’re unable to offer you a place on your chosen course this year. If this happens, you can still contact our confirmation team to discuss your options.

Once you’ve contacted us to discuss the course you are interested in, we will send you an application form to complete. Alongside this form, you may need to send us copies of any relevant certificates. Once you’ve submitted your application, we will update you on the outcome within five working days. 

If you have not been accepted by your firm or insurance choice universities after receiving your exam results, your UCAS Applicant Hub will show that you have been placed into Clearing.

We can only discuss your Clearing application directly with you, not your parents, carers, advisors, or friends. Please make sure you're available to speak with us when you're ready to apply, so we can discuss your options together.

Before you call us, make sure you have the following information at hand:

• The courses you're interested in
• Your UCAS Personal ID
• Details of your academic qualifications, including GCSEs, A-Levels, and BTECs

We understand that you may feel nervous or anxious before you call, but please remember that our experienced team is here to help you step-by-step and guide you in finding and applying for the perfect course.

Our Clearing helpline will be busy on results day, and our team will be working hard to address every call as quickly as possible. If you face any wait times, please bear with us and stay on the line until you connect with one of our team members.

If you've submitted a form for a call back, filled out an online application form, or spoken with one of our Clearing advisors who confirmed they would call you back, please be patient and wait for your call. Results day is busy, but we will make sure we contact you at the scheduled time.

After we’ve made you a Clearing offer, we’ll send you an email with your next steps – whether it’s adding your course as a Clearing choice on UCAS or completing a direct application via our online portal. Please keep an eye on your inbox and spam folder for these instructions.

Our exciting Welcome Week begins on Monday 9 September, and teaching starts from Monday 16 September. We will send you more details as part of your registration process.

If you’ve expressed an interest in finding out more about student accommodation, we’ll contact you once you’ve been made a Clearing offer. In the meantime, you can explore general information about student accommodation on our accommodation page.

If you've been made an offer through Clearing and need support with fees and funding, we recommend applying for student finance as soon as possible. The sooner you apply, the sooner your student loan can be confirmed to you in time for you to start your studies. 

You don't need to have a confirmed place on a course in order to start your student finance application, you can use your first choice of course and then change your application if you need to.

If you've already applied for student finance and your university, college or course changes, you'll need to sign into your student finance account online and update your details in order to inform your student finance provider of any changes. If you are going through Student Finance England to apply for your student loan, then you might want to check out their guidance for students going through Clearing.

Choosing the right university and course is a big decision, and if you’re applying through Clearing you may feel like you need to decide quickly. To help you make an informed choice, we recommend starting your research as soon as possible. That way, you’ll have more time to consider the different options available to you.

When you’re researching different courses and universities, make sure you consider important factors, such as the university's location, how the course is taught, and what opportunities are available. At Salford, we offer a wide range of Clearing courses across many subjects. Many of our courses also offer options for work placements, internships, or studying abroad.

If you want to discuss your options, it can be helpful to speak to teachers, parents, and friends. They may have been through the Clearing process themselves or have valuable insights to offer.

If you have any questions about our courses or what student life is like here, remember that our Clearing team is also available to help you.

We're providing a range of opportunities to visit us, both before and after results day. Check back at this page soon for more information, including details of how to book onto our events.

We created the Early Access Club to help guide you through the Clearing process. When you join, we’ll send you a dedicated phone number that gives you priority access when you call our Clearing helpline. You’ll also receive regular emails with helpful tips, student stories, and advice about Clearing.