Clearing and adjustment

    • During the Clearing period, you can apply for a course through UCAS's Clearing service if you’re not already holding an offer from a university or college and the course still has places.


      Find out more about Clearing »


    You can use Clearing if:

    • you’re applying after 30 June
    • you didn’t receive any offers (or none you wanted to accept)
    • you didn’t meet the conditions of your offer
    • you’ve changed your mind about what/ where you want to study and have declined your firm place using the ‘decline my place’ button in Track
    • you’ve decided to apply directly to university
    • you’ve decided to apply to university for the first time.

  • Check on UCAS Track or contact your firm and insurance universities. They may still have a place for you. If not, you could find a course through Clearing. There’s a detailed guide to Clearing on the UCAS website.

    If you have changed your mind about what or where you want to study, you will need to decline your firm place using the ‘decline my place’ button in Track. You should only use this button if you no longer wish to take up your place at your firm choice, and you have spoken to your university or college and/or an adviser at your school/centre. 

    Please contact our admissions team for more information on how to make a direct application on 01865 483040 or email admissions@brookes.ac.uk. If you want to make a direct application through UCAS, please refer to the UCAS Clearing website under ‘How does Clearing work?’

    If your grades are better than expected, you can use Adjustment to find a place on a course with higher requirements. There’s a guide to Adjustment on the UCAS website, and here are some things to remember:

    • If you don’t find anything through Adjustment, you’ll keep your original place.
    • You will need to pay a small fee. If originally you only applied for one course for the reduced fee of £20, you'll have to pay the additional £5 to apply to more courses.
    • It is totally optional.
    • Adjustment is open from when you get your results (or when your conditional offer changes to unconditional on UCAS Track, whichever is latest) until 31 August.

  • What you need to do next

    1. Register and apply for Clearing. You will receive a Clearing number.

    2. Pay a small fee. If you originally only applied for one course for the reduced fee of £20, you'll have to pay an additional £5 to apply through Clearing. For 2021 entry, the additional cost will be £6.

    3. Call the universities you are interested in. They will need to know your Clearing number.

    4. If you are offered a place, add it as a Clearing choice in UCAS Hub.

    5. If you are accepted, the university will confirm your place.

    6. If you are not accepted, you will be able to apply for more Clearing places.


    Top tips for Clearing

    We asked our staff that work directly with schools what top tips they have for Clearing. Here’s what they said:


    Ask for advice

    Talk to someone - they can be from your school, college, centre, careers office - and ask them for advice. Parents or carers can also help you think of important things you may not have considered.

    Keep your options open

    If you can’t find the exact course you want - don’t be disheartened. See if there’s a similar course that has spaces in Clearing. Remember to check the course structure and module choices to make sure the course is right for you. Some courses may have similar names, but the course content could be very different!

    Look at the bigger picture

    It is important to know whether the university is for you. Look at the university’s student support services, what societies there are, what the city is like. You could also chat to students to find out what their experience has been like. You’ll be making this place your home, so you need to be confident that it’s a match.