Tips for parents and guardians

Read guidance on how to support a child or young person through Clearing.

Play a supporting role in Clearing

Supporting someone through their Clearing journey can feel daunting, but we can help.

Sign up to our Clearing updates for everything you need to know about guiding a child or young person through the process.

Whether they’ve already got their results, are changing their mind about where to go or are applying late to university, we’ve got you (and them) covered. 

These email updates will:

• help you understand Clearing so you can better support the young person in your life
• notify you of key application dates
• give you accommodation updates
• provide hints and tips for making results day as smooth as possible.

Register for Clearing updates

What you can do

There are many ways you can help your child or young person through Clearing. Here are some tips for:

• applying through Clearing
• calling our call centre for a Clearing place
• assessing options through Clearing
• accepting a Clearing place. 

Applying through Clearing

You can help your child or young person find information about:

• available courses
• campus location
• facilities
• student life.

You can also help them compile a list of favourite universities and their Clearing phone numbers for when it’s time to make the calls. It’s always worth going to visit a university campus if you can. 

You can book onto one of our in-person or virtual campus tours. 

Read more about choosing a course or university.

Calling our call centre for a Clearing place

Advise your child or young person to check the UCAS Hub to see if they have been placed at their firm or insurance choice before contacting universities. 

You could offer to sit with them as they call universities. They will speak directly to the admissions team as they talk through their results, the courses they are interested in and ask questions.

Sometimes the phone lines can be busy and you are placed in a queue. Tell your child or young person that it is best to hold on – if you redial you go to the back of the queue.

Universities like to make sure that students have all the information they need, so conversations can take a little while. When you get through, they’ll take time to talk through your options. 

See what to say when contacting our Clearing team.  

Assessing options

If your child or young person doesn’t have the grades needed for a place on a degree course, many universities – like Sussex – offer Foundation Years. These help prepare students for degree-level study and usually, if the students pass them, offer an accepted route onto degree courses. 

Some students may decide to take a gap year, resit their exams or put university on hold. You can help them explore their options and support them until they reach a decision that feels right for them. 

Read advice on how to cope with results day stress.

Accepting a Clearing place

Most students will be told straight away on the phone if they can be offered a place.

We email you an offer letter immediately which explains how to accept their place on the UCAS Hub and apply for accommodation.

We are guaranteeing accommodation for students who join us in Clearing, so there’s one less thing to sort out.

Once they accept their place, they can start to think about the fun stuff like accessorising their room, getting to know course and flatmates, and which Welcome Week activities to join. 

You might also be interested in:

• how to support a young person preparing for university life
• accommodation
• student life
• Brighton.