Overview

• Universities are actively extending offers to applicants who fall slightly below A-level requirements as they seek to fill seats under budget pressure.
• UCAS head Jo Saxton anticipates a record number of 18-year-olds waking up to confirmations, including those who narrowly miss their grade conditions.
• A UCAS Clearing analysis conducted eight days before results day shows 22,698 available undergraduate courses across 129 providers, including 3,630 spots at Russell Group institutions.
• Experts say the sector has become a buyer’s market for domestic applicants after years of frozen tuition fees and post-Brexit visa changes dented international enrolment.
• Once seen as a fallback, Clearing now supports over 50,000 students annually and is being promoted as a mainstream route for well-placed candidates.