University Clearing Guide

You can apply in Clearing if:

• You are applying after 30 June to start in September.
• You didn’t receive any offers if you already applied through UCAS.
• You don’t want to accept the offers that you have.
• You didn’t get the grades to meet the conditions of your offer.

You can also apply in Clearing if you haven’t thought about university before and have never applied through UCAS.

Clearing officially opens on 2 July.  From 2 July our phone-line team are available every week day and can guide you through the process.

Before Clearing opens you can make a late application through UCAS, if you have previous qualifications that meet the entry requirements for your course. Clearing is often the last time to apply to start in September that same academic year. 

If you’re still waiting for results, you can do other things to prepare whilst you’re waiting for results day:

• Do course and university research online (and visit in person if you can).
• Put your results day in your calendar.
• Keep a note of your UCAS personal ID number if you already applied this year.
• Save our Clearing Phone number - available on our Clearing web page from 2 July
• Fill in our Clearing Enquiry Form.
• From 2 July you can check our web page to see what courses are available in Clearing.
• From 2 July you can call us on any weekday, but we won’t be able to give you an offer unless you meet our entry requirements.
• Call us as soon as possible after you have got your grades.

Choose your Clearing course by evaluating the factors that are most important to you, just like when choosing your course and university in the main admissions cycle, or choosing your Highers or A-Levels earlier in your education.

Narrow your search by using the UCAS Clearing tool, which suggests courses based on your submission history and predicted profile. Combine those results with direct searches on our university website study areas and ask yourself: do all of the course features – format – full-time vs. part-time, industrial placements, campus location, year abroad – align with how you want to study?

When Clearing opens, research what course places we have available through the list on our Clearing page for your region. If you don't know what you want to do that's fine too, we can talk you through the different options when you call us. It's worth thinking about what you enjoy, what your career aspirations are, and what you could see yourself studying for the next few years.

You can apply for a course through Clearing by contacting the university from 2 July. If you already meet the entry criteria, you may receive a verbal offer during the call.

If you are waiting for this year’s exam results, you will have to wait until you get your grades in August before receiving an offer, as there aren’t any ‘conditional offers’ in the Clearing process.

To prepare early, complete the Clearing Enquiry Form, this means you can get updates on Clearing as soon as we open in July.

Entry requirements may be more flexible during Clearing, with universities sometimes accepting students who narrowly miss standard requirements, depending on availability and course demand.

Each course page lists the standard entry requirements for that subject area. Please contact us to check if you would meet our entry requirements in Clearing.

You must know your final grades before applying in Clearing. Conditional offers are not available in Clearing, we need to know that you already meet the minimum entry requirements set for the course during Clearing, before we can give you a verbal offer.

You do not need to write a new personal statement for Clearing. Our Clearing team will be able to discuss your options, and can potentially give a verbal offer on the phone, based on your qualifications and the results you have received. If there are any further entry requirements for your chosen course, or other touchpoints such as an interview, portfolio, or online assessment, our phone operators will be able to let you know.

For students who sat exams in Scotland, Qualifications Scotland Results Day is 4 August 2026.

Students who took A-levels this year get their grades on 13 August 2026.

Applicants making strong Clearing choices usually prepare before Results Day. Here's how to pace your tasks:

• Sort any academic paperwork that you already have by 1 July. This includes exam certificates, personal statements, and references, as well as your UCAS ID number if you have a previous application.
• Start researching courses and universities by mid-July before Results Day crunch.
• Be phone-ready by 8:00 AM on your results day – many universities start taking Clearing calls as soon as results are out.
• Be prepared to verbally accept an offer the same day. In many cases, verbal offers can be given within hours of phonelines opening, so if you are clear on your choices it can help you accept quicker.
• Look out for our formal offer email and confirm or send back anything we’ve asked for (such as academic transcripts) as soon as you can.
• Confirm your place on UCAS Hub within the offer timeframe - usually within 24/48 hours of receiving it.

Results Day is when everyone taking the same type of qualifications receives exam results and universities are able to make final decisions on applications. You should log into UCAS Hub to check your offer status and you can enter Clearing if you need to or want to.

If you have not met the conditions of your firm or insurance choices, UCAS will show that you are eligible for Clearing.

You can also choose to enter Clearing voluntarily. If you have changed your mind about your course or university, you may decline your existing offers. However, you should only release yourself from a confirmed place after receiving a verbal offer from another university through Clearing.

You can make Clearing calls as soon as you have your exam results.  If you have a UCAS application, write down your UCAS Personal ID number as this is one of the first things we will ask for when you call us.

Have your exam results to hand as we will also need to know subjects you have studied and the grades you have achieved.

Before you apply to Clearing, write down the phone numbers of universities that you want to contact, or even better, save them in your phone. We advise having a couple of universities in mind that you know you will call first, like a top choice and a back-up plan for your desired Clearing applications.

If you have applied to Napier through your main UCAS application, we will not be able to change our decision on a course you have already applied to. However, we may have very similar courses available in Clearing, so it’s worth giving us a call first if we're your top University choice.

You might feel it’s the most important phone call you've ever made, but calling a university in Clearing is very straightforward. Call universities early on Results Day (from 8:00 am), avoid peak times (12:00-2:00 pm), and have your UCAS ID ready. Here's how to make your call as easy as possible:

• Save Edinburgh Napier’s phone number to your contacts in advance (this will be available on our Clearing web page from 2 July)
• Research what courses we have available on our Clearing web page before you call.
• The first thing our operators will ask for is your UCAS Personal ID number if you have one. Write it down or have it on a second device nearby.
• Research what courses we have available in Clearing on our Clearing web page before you call.
• If you don’t know what you want to study that’s fine too, we can talk you through the different options.

Communicating effectively is all about being yourself. But you might also find it helpful to write down what you want to say before you call. Prepare a clear script stating your name, grades, and a main course or couple of programmes of interest.

You can also use this sample script or practise the template call from our video:

"Hello, my name is [Your Full Name]. I've received my results this morning, and I'm interested in applying for [Course Name] through Clearing.

I've achieved [List your grades and subjects]

Are there any places left on that course?"

All our Clearing operators are here to support you, so that we can hopefully offer you a place at Edinburgh Napier. We will always ask you if you have lived and studied in Scotland, this is because different courses will often have different numbers of places available for Scottish, UK, or International students.

If you haven’t applied in UCAS already this year, we will also ask you for some personal details such as your address, preferred contact number, and email address. The email address you provide is where all communications about your Clearing application will be sent, so make sure it is an email address you have easy access to.

If you have any additional needs or support requirements for your application or when you start your course, this is a good time to let us know, so that our Wellbeing and Inclusion Team can contact you to discuss your needs.

If we give you an offer on the phone, you should complete the following steps if you wish to accept your place:

• If you have already applied through UCAS, log onto UCAS Hub and refer yourself to us using the course code in your offer email.
• If you did not apply through UCAS you will be sent an RPA (Record of Prior Acceptance) form to complete.
• Email us a copy of your qualifications.
• Once we receive your UCAS referral or completed RPA form, and your qualifications, we will verify your qualifications to ensure that you meet our requirements and then confirm your place.
• Finally you should advise your funding body of your change of course, and apply for student accommodation if you need to.
• You will start to receive communications from the University about completing the registration process and about your induction week.

If you don’t get an offer for the first course you had set your mind on, there are still lots of opportunities to start studying this year.

Consider alternative options, like a different degree that has lots of crossover content with your first-choice course. Maybe you could start study in your preferred subject through a college course and transfer to University later. Get in touch with our College Team to discuss your college pathway options: colleges@napier.ac.uk

If it’s just not possible for you to start University this year, have a think about how to enhance your qualifications, CV, and experience during a gap year. There are so many options:

• Retake some exams or get some different qualifications.
• Volunteer for a charity or programme that is in your study area.
• If you have the means and opportunity, working abroad can enhance language ability and give you more life skills.
• Look for short courses in your subject, you may even be able to do these alongside part time work.

You can explore other courses through Clearing without declining your current offer.

Clearing does not use firm or insurance choices, so if you decide to switch, wait until you have received a verbal offer (within the last 24 hours) from your preferred university before releasing your previous place.

To change your course or university through Clearing, follow five steps: research course availability, contact us, secure a verbal offer, release your current place, and formally accept your new place within 24 hours.

• Do your research – is the course that you’re changing your mind to available with us in Clearing?
• Fill a Clearing Enquiry Form or call us on the Clearing phone line.
• Receive a verbal offer from Edinburgh Napier.
• Either self-release from your former choice on UCAS Hub, or you can contact the university you are holding an offer with and ask them to release you into Clearing.
• You will then be able to formally accept your verbal offer from Edinburgh Napier, online, by following the instructions in your offer email.

Remember to keep your options open, Clearing is a very changeable time period when it comes to course availability. You should only release yourself from your current choice in the 24 hours after receiving a verbal offer from Edinburgh Napier. If you have held the verbal offer for more than 24 hours and have decided you wish to accept the offer, please call the Clearing team again to confirm the course is still open before releasing yourself from another choice.