Please find some useful links and documents below.

Clearing and Confirmation FAQs

Key FAQs

Are the offers I'm making over the phone binding/definite? Does someone check after we store an offer?

The offers we make are provisional and are based on the information the enquirer has provided you - you can tell the student this if you like. The offer email the enquirer receives states this too.

When the student adds their offer to UCAS, it comes back to AST to check and verify the offer before finally confirming. AST can also intervene if we have incorrect grades / qualifications.

Why has my offer not been confirmed/Have you received my results?

If an applicant has not yet been confirmed by Northumbria, it may be due to the university not receiving the official exam results yet from UCAS.

If the applicant has their results, they can upload these to their applicant portal and Applicant Services will update their offer, or contact them. If the applicant has not yet received their official results, they should contact their school or college for advice on their next steps.

There will be a note on the confirmation screen on any missing documents.

What do I do if a student has a clearing offer but has not received an email?

Double check their details on e-Vision. It is likely we have an incorrect email address. Update the email with the correct address and re-send the offer.

What time can students add their clearing offer onto UCAS Hub?

From 1pm on Thursday 14th August 2025. The email they receive will explain how to do this.

Hotline General Enquiries

How do you confirm that it's the applicant on the phone? Do you have to do a security check ask for DOB etc

You can ask the caller to confirm their DOB and email, but we can't question the caller if we still believe it isn't the applicant on the phone.

Can I talk to someone who isn't the student's nominated contact?

If the student is on the phone and wants to pass to someone who isn't their nominated contact, that's fine. If the student is not there, they will have to email AST to change their contact. We will then ring them back, rather than them ring us and having repeat calls.

How do I get help on the day?

You will have a red HELP sign on your desk. Just pop this up if you're unsure on something and your supervisor will come over to help you.

Do entry requirements differ from course to course and throughout the day?

Yes, courses may be lower, higher or even closed completely - you'll have a briefing with your supervisor on the morning of clearing to confirm our requirements. AST decide this before clearing and you'll be informed of what our requirements are by your supervisor before the lines open.

You can see which courses are closed on the 'Admissions Script' section of e-Vision - this updates regularly throughout the day, so please check this before you process any offers. Any changes during the day will be communicated by your supervisor.

How can students speak to an academic about their course?

If it's a clearing application, there is a Yes/No question on e-Vision where they can request a callback. If it's a confirmation call, please use the query form and hand to a supervisor.

Is it okay to use NATO alphabet to make sure we're getting the right letters when doing postcode or email address, e.g. R for Romeo?

That is fine. Anything you want to use to make the information clear.

How often will I get a call?

This can differ throughout the day, you do however get a 20 second cool-down after each call.

What is Northumbria's institution code?

N77

Qualifications/Requirements and Courses

Where can students see which courses are closed/can't be offered?

We will be updating our website when courses close, but this may take some time during the day. The best way for students to find out which courses are closed is via the hotline, where you should use the admissions script.

What if a student has a qualification that is not listed on e-Vision?

Select 'Other' and P in the grade and input any additional information about the qualification in the notes field. Please note, not all qualifications bear UCAS tariff points. Again, please use 'Other' to capture these if you cannot find them.

We have a different total tariff score from what the student thinks they have?

There may be times when an applicant may think they have higher tariff points than you are capturing on their enquiry.

Please make sure you that ask the enquirer to read from their results, or certificate if they have one, the actual name of the qualification, and not to assume.

Also check that they are not double counting points – for example an AS in history and an A level in history. They can only use the higher ones if it’s the exact same subject.

Will there be any A-levels we do not accept, such as General Studies? 

We do not have any subjects that we would exclude.

How do we know when a qualification's UCAS tariff points have been counted?

All qualifications are built into the system and will automatically update when you select a grade.

Please make sure you're confident of the grade the student provides. If you can't hear very well, ask them to repeat the grade.

If the student thinks their grade is worth more tariff points than the system shows, confirm the qualification name and grade again. If they are adamant, speak to your supervisor.

Do we need to check other requirements apart from UCAS points (e.g. GCSE Maths / English)? And do we need to capture these?

Always check the course requirements by clicking on the '+' icon in the course search section. This will display any additional requirements such as GCSEs / grade in certain subject. You can record any additional requirements in the Qualifications section.

If a student meets all the course requirements but not the GCSEs, what should I do?

Refer to AST when storing the action

How do I add an international qualification?

Add 'Other' from the quals list on e-Vision and provide as much information as you can in the notes field.

When adding an action to the course, select "Query - refer to AST"

Offers

Can students only get one offer?

Yes, enquirers can only receive one offer through clearing from Northumbria. They can get separate offers from as many universities as they wish, but they can only add 1 to their UCAS Hub

I'm still awaiting my decision from Northumbria, but I want to accept my offer from another university?

If they're already unconditional firm (UF) with us, they can self-release on UCAS Hub - advise the student to make sure they have the alternative offer in writing before they do this.

If it's a confirmation decision / they're not UF, you need to search for the applicant in confirmation to see what is outstanding. We may be missing a qualification that we can ask them to submit via their student portal.

I have received a Change Course Offer (CCO), what does this mean?

Unfortunately, the student hasn't met the requirements of the course they've applied to. They have however met the requirements of the related Foundation Year and have been made an automatic CCO. They have 5 days to accept or reject this, if they want to learn more they can request a call from an academic or you can explain on the phone.

I have logged onto my UCAS account and do not have a decision yet

We may be waiting for confirmation on a missing qualification / GCSE etc. Check the confirmation search notes field to see what this might be. If there's nothing on there, talk the caller through which qualifications we have to double check there's nothing missing. If they believe there is something missing, ask them to upload to it to their applicant portal and AST will support from there.

Why can’t you find my qualification on your system?

We accept points from most Level 3 qualifications, but not all of these garner tariff points. If it's not a tariffable qualification and you're unsure, refer to AST via e-Vision.

I’m holding a place at another university but I really want to go to NU

Wait for written confirmation of your clearing offer from us before declining/releasing your place at the other university in UCAS Hub.

I've been rejected – is there any other course I can apply for?

Search for the student to see which quals they have and if this would enable them to apply to another course. Other options will have been considered by us before results day (e.g. change of course offer to foundation year).

I'm getting a subject remarked?

We can only make decisions on the current grades they have through clearing. If it's confirmation, we will hold their place and will need evidence of the re-mark by 7th September.

Foundation Years

What is a foundation year?

A foundation year (FY), is an extra year of studying before the undergraduate degree, to help students acclimatise to university work and life.

Why would I do a foundation year?

FY students typically have a reduced timetable, which means you'll have more time to explore your subject, meet new people and get used to university. Students who study FYs and progress onto a degree course typically get higher grades because they've had an additional year to bed in.

What courses does a foundation year lead onto?

Hotline advisers will be provided with a course matrix to show which degree(s) each FY links to. Students applying to FYs through clearing will also have this explained in their offer letter.

How do I progress onto a degree after the foundation year?

In order to guarantee progression onto the UG degree, students need to meet all requirements of their FY. There is no guaranteed progression if these requirements aren't met.

What happens to my tuition fee if I take a foundation year? 

The student will receive this information about this in subsequent communications after their offer. Please advise them to contact student finance to discuss this once their course is confirmed.

What is the cost of the foundation course?

The cost of the foundation year may differ depending on the type of programme, please refer to the foundation year webpage for exact fees.

Accommodation

Will I be guaranteed university accommodation?

Yes, we guarantee a room in university-owned or university-commissioned residences to all new full-time undergraduate students who submit their accommodation application by midnight on 17th August 2025.

Visit the university website at northumbria.ac.uk/accommodation for more information on the accommodation guarantee.

If you have any questions regarding accommodation, please contact the accommodation team at rc.accommodation.office@northumbria.ac.uk

Will my change of course affect my accommodation?

No. If you receive an email that says otherwise, please call the accommodation team on 0191 227 4209 so we can update your record.

I have been offered a course at Northumbria but I would like to come and view the accommodation. Is this possible?

Firstly, please take a look at the information, photographs and videos that we have online by visiting the accommodation website at www.northumbria.ac.uk/accommodation. If you would still like to visit, then please contact the accommodation team on 0191 227 4209 to arrange a viewing.

I am on the waiting list for accommodation. When will I be allocated a room?

Depending on the accommodation you are interested in, a waiting list may be available. If you have joined a waiting list, the accommodation team will start allocating rooms from 8.30am on Thursday 14th August and will send offers as soon as possible. Please bear in mind that during Clearing we receive a higher volume of enquiries, and the team will get back to you as quickly as they can.

Is a deposit required?

We don’t take a deposit; however, to book your accommodation we require a £250 advance rent payment. This will be deducted from any rent due when you move in.

Student Finance

What if i plan to attend a different university?

If you had already applied for your student funding but will change university through clearing, change your student finance application. See Clearing at studentfinance.campaign.gov.uk.

If you do not, or cannot, Northumbria will be required to create a “transfer-in” Change of Circumstances to correct your Student Loan Co. (SLC) record. It is essential that you notify us via the enrolment-task that a “transfer-in change of circumstances” be sent to SLC. This can be done via your Northumbria Student-portal.

If you have changed university but your student funding has not yet been reassessed to recognise that, your first-term payment date from SLC will be much later than on your existing award notification letter. However, payment will be fully backdated.

You can change your correspondence address to your main home address however most Student Finance England (SFE) correspondence you receive will also be available at your SFE online account. Online letters are also available for applicants with SFWales and SFNorthern IreIand.

How will I update Student Finance of my change of course

If your course and/or university will be different from those you entered to your application for student finance, you should update your online student finance account at www.gov.uk/studentfinance preferably as soon as you accept a different offer and before you start your course.

See the “make changes to your application” function at your student-finance account. Alternatively, phone your funding provider to discuss, if there is a problem.

What if I change my course at the same University?

Once you have enrolled from September 2025, the university will update the Student Loan Company (SLC) with correct course information where the course for which you are Registered* (*enrolled/enrolling on) is different from that which your student funding has been assessed for.

However, we can only do this where your student funding has been linked to another course at Northumbria!

When you register as a student with Northumbria it is important you add your Student Loan Company Student Support Number (SSN) at the “enrolment task”, this is a 13-figure reference, e.g. SFDU23123456A and can be found on the payments page of your student funding award notification letter.

Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) through Student Finance.

You can apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) if you are eligible for student funding and you have a disability. This includes a physical or sensory impairment, mental health condition, Autistic Spectrum Condition such as Asperger’s Syndrome or a Specific Learning Difficulty, such as Dyslexia.

What do I need to do to apply for finance?

For more information please visit: https://studentfinance.campaign.gov.uk/

Post-offer/UCAS/Next Steps

How long does it take for students to receive their clearing offer via email?

Once you store the offer, the student should receive an email within a couple of minutes.

After a student adds their choice to UCAS Hub, how long does it take to confirm?

Once the student has added a clearing choice, their application gets sent back to AST for final checks / confirmation. We don't give a specific timeframe on this to avoid disappointment, just as soon as we can.

If we offer a clearing applicant a clearing place, what are their next steps?

Add their clearing offer to their UCAS Hub. They can only do this from onwards of 1pm on Thursday 14th August 2025. Once they've done this, AST go back over their offer before confirming. They will then receive relevant accommodation / finance communications.

If an enquiry/offer gets referred to AST, how long will it take?

The AST team will be working through the referrals all day. We always aim to respond as soon as we can. We do not give out specific timeframes just in case we can’t adhere to the timeframe (due to volume of queries being submitted).

Can students change their mind after receiving an offer?

Until applicants refer themselves via UCAS Hub, they can ring as many universities as they want to capture as many clearing offers as they can before making a final decision.

Can I request to change course?

Advise students to fill in the 'request a change of course' form on northumbria.ac.uk/offerholder and AST will look into this.

Can I defer my place to 2026/27?

Advise students to fill in the 'defer my place form' on northumbria.ac.uk/offerholder. We aim to do this for every student but it is not guaranteed. Please note, we can only consider deferral requests from candidates who have met the terms of their offer and are unconditional.

I want to know my timetable?

Your timetable will be made available to you once you have enrolled. It normally takes at least 48 hours from you fully enrolling as a student, to your timetable being available on your Student Portal.

Enrolment information will start to be sent from around the 21st August but do not worry if you do not get it straight away as it may take a few days

When is the first date of teaching?

Most courses begin teaching on the 29th September 2025, but there will be an induction week from the 22nd September 2025, to help you settle into your course, either on campus or online.

When will I receive my enrolment information?

Your enrolment information will be sent you via email, once your offer at Northumbria University is Unconditional Firm (UF), you have supplied copies of all qualifications that are required for entry to your course, and you have met all non-academic conditions of your offer (if applicable). We will be sending enrolment information out from around 21st August 2025 but it may take a few days for you to receive this.