Guide: Getting out of an unconditional offer and applying through Clearing

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

Guide: Getting out of an unconditional offer and applying through Clearing

Are you holding an unconditional offer but no longer want that place? If you are eligible, you can do this from 5th July onwards - this will be when Clearing opens. Releasing yourself into Clearing means that you are now able to apply to other courses that have vacancies on your UCAS Hub (formerly known as UCAS track). However, in that moment you will hold no offers and therefore no university place. Any place you previously held will be released and you will have no claim to this.

The below information is taken from the UCAS website:You can release yourself into Clearing, by using the 'Decline your place' button in your application. This is available until 6th September 2023.

@PQ provided some extremely useful information last year regarding the 'Decline your place' feature:

It’s worth remembering that the Decline my place button is only available to unconditional firm applicants.
If your firm choice is still conditional (either because you don’t have your results or because your firm university hasn’t sent a decision to ucas) then the button won’t be available

(See here for origin)

It is highly recommended that you speak to your school/college/advisor before making this decision, as well as ensuring you actually have a verbal offer from a university.

In terms of if you want to stay at the same university, but change courses, then you will have to get in contact with your university first and foremost.

Something important to note:
Using the button (Decline your place) in your application will mean any arrangements you have made for accommodation or scholarships will also be cancelled.

Releasing yourself into Clearing means your place at the university will be declined and therefore your contract with them cancelled, in turn you will lose that place. Please ensure you are completely certain that you no longer want your place before using this button. It is difficult to press this button by accident, since UCAS will ask you to complete a little drop-down questionnaire.

In the UCAS page linked above, there are some very useful FAQs:

The following FAQs are taken from the thread linked below:

Please click here for more information regarding Clearing. The page linked here explains what Clearing is, how you can become eligible to release yourself into Clearing and more information on how to apply using Clearing.

Have any questions that aren’t answered here? Need more information before making a decision? Post below and one of our UCAS trained Applications and Clearing Advisers will do their best to help!

We’d also recommend that you take a look at our Mega Clearing FAQs thread which you can find here: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7375264

(edited 9 months ago)

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