Ucas hopes its new scheme will save time and help socially disadvantaged students, but there have been criticisms too
Where once university choices may have felt set in stone come A-level results day, today’s students are much more likely to assess their full range of options through clearing. A record 73,320 people used the service in 2019– evidence, if ever it was needed, that clearing is no longer a last resort for school leavers, but the smart student’s weapon of choice when it comes to planning their time at university.
This year’s cohort will have a new tool to add to their armoury: clearing plus. The new online service from Ucas aims to assist students in finding university places by using algorithms to match them with available courses to suit their grades. From July, unplaced applicants are able to sign in to their Ucas account to see a personalised list of suggested courses from a database of around 25,000. In theory, it should make the concept of clearing a lot less daunting than it was in the days of phoning a busy helpline.
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