A-level results day: All you need to know about clearing

Failing to achieve the results they needed for their preferred university course will lead to one of the most anxious, emotional and testing times for school leavers.

But the message is: don't panic.

The cap and gown may seem a long way off but there is help at hand.

Clearing is a particularly clinical name for a process that helps match students and their to grades to suitable courses in an eye-wateringly short time.

Despite fees being hiked up to £9,000 per year – leaving graduates with an enormous £30,000 total in tuition costs – it seems a place at university is more coveted than ever with applications up again this year.

And with maintenance grants being scrapped from next year, the number of students taking a gap year is also expected to drop as they try to avoid up to an extra £15,000 of student debt.

For the University of Wolverhampton, teams will be on standby in the city, in Stafford, in Telford and on the phone to give advice to those hoping to snap-up one of the remaining places. For those who have narrowly missed out on their grades, the first port of call should be to telephone their preferred university, as there is a possibility they might still be accepted, particularly if they make a persuasive case.

Jon Elsmore, dean of students, said: "There are essentially three things that can happen on results day. One is that you get the results that you wanted and you go to UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service) Track, which will tell you if you have got an offer for your first choice.

"This is important because a lot of universities, such as ours, will take account of near misses and still offer someone their first choice if they just miss out on their grades. So just because you might not get the grades you wanted, it doesn't mean that you will miss out on your place.

"Secondly, there are cases where a student has done better than they thought they have done and may want to look at their options again because you have blown away all expectation.

"Thirdly, if you have not got the grades and things have gone disastrously wrong, the key bit of advice is don't panic.

"Clearing is perfectly normal and there was 60,000 students who went through clearing last year.It is not the end of the world.

"Firstly you want to find a course that you want to do. You don't want to sign up to any course that is available at your nearest university. Students who perform best are the ones who enjoy their subject.

"Then you need to contact universities. Our clearing opens at 7am and a lot of universities it will be the same.

"You can also visit us in Wolverhampton, Stafford and Telford.

"And then it is important to go and see the universities.

"We have an open day on Saturday and many universities will be holding open days. You want to know you are going to be happy because once you make the decision to go somewhere it is difficult to go back on. It is, in that sense, the £30,000 question.

"Then you need you need to act quickly.

"We are expecting it to be busy across the country because there are some students who would have deferred their entry but will not because next year the government is making it that maintenance loans will become grants – meaning in the worst case situation you would have to pay back an extra £15,000."

Emma James, who has just completed the second year of a journalism degree, came to Staffordshire University through clearing.

She said: "I had a gut feeling I hadn't done well and did some research into clearing night before results. Some of the other universities I called up were quite rude and I kept getting put through to different people. At one point I actually started crying down the phone.

"I chose Staffs because when I called up, the person I spoke to on the phone, who is now my lecturer, remembered me from my interview. This made me feel that, compared to other universities, Staffs genuinely cared about me as a person."

Emma is convinced she made the right choice having made many new friends and having gained valuable work experience with the BBC and reported on the General Election for Sky.

Emma will be manning hotlines today (thurs) and giving advice on social media.

She added: "I'll be taking part in a social media takeover to answer any burning queries or questions that people might have.

"Having been through clearing I understand what it's like and I want to help other people going through the same thing. It can be easier to speak to someone who's been there and done that."

One scenario, which some students might not be aware of, is the option to upgrade a course if the results are better than expected. This process, called adjustment, gives students five calendar days, including Saturday and Sunday, to register for and secure an alternative course, if that is their preferred option. If they fail to achieve this, they can still accept their original offer.

And the clearing process is also open to anybody who has not already applied to study at university, but would now like the opportunity. Candidates can fill out a registration form on the UCAS website, and then go through the application process.

But how should students get prepared? After they get their results, students who have already applied through UCAS will need their UCAS number and UCAS website password. They can use UCAS to search for courses at universities they are interested in.

Then they have to get to a phone, with a notebook, pen and preferably access to the internet in a quiet place so that they can make their inquiries in a thoughtful and considered way. Some may need to contact universities directly and speak to course admissions tutors to secure a place.

It is important that applicants know about the course they want to join and they will be expected to have some knowledge about the subject.

Staffordshire University has also launched the £500 Staffordshire Kickstart scholarship to give clearing students extra help to get on to their chosen course in September.

The university has already received over 250 calls.

Today, Staffordshire University will also be offering help and advice from mobile clearing clinics located at schools and sixth forms across the region including the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College, Newcastle College, Biddulph High School, St Thomas More Catholic Academy in Longton and Halesowen College.

Students who join us on a full-time course in clearing before August 28 are also eligible for a £500 Staffordshire Kickstart scholarship to help with books, accommodation and on-campus spends.

To anyone going through Clearing today, there may be some comfort from knowing this: You are not alone. Some 60,000 students every year go through it. And many still ended up having the best years of their lives.