Clearing 2011
Clearing 2011 Reuters

Tens of thousands of UK students who have not made the grade for their chosen university now face a scramble to get a place at university in September.

Clearing matches students who have not received any offers, or been turned down by their original choices due to lower than expected grades, to other available courses.

The advice for students who will have to go through clearing this morning is to be flexible before you make a call to an institution. Direct Gov has advised students only to opt for courses that interest the student - not just simply because they will win a place. The best advice for students is to choose subjects that interested them at school and where their a-levels meet the course requirements.

It is important for students not to panic when they receive their results. There are many options available to students who have not received the grades for their chosen university and all have been advised to visit the UCAS clearing vacancy website as well as individual university clearing pages to choose a course appropriate to you.

It is important for students who have not received their required A-Level grades top contact universities and advise them on your qualifications. Students are advised to have all relevant information ready and to be prepared for an interview at short notice.

Here is the latest advice from Sky News

1. Get advice - Ask a careers adviser for guidance on what course and subjects would suit you.

2. Look at vacancies - The Ucas website publishes official lists.

3. Contact universities and colleges - Once you have your exam results, get in touch to see if you can get a spot through clearing.

4. Clearing number - Get your number from the Ucas website. Institutions will ask for it.

5. Deciding on an offer - When you speak to universities and colleges, you may get informal offers.

6. Adding a clearing choice - If provisionally offered a spot, you need to add it on the Ucas website by the date given.

7. Your place is confirmed - Confirmation is sent once an institution learns you have added them on the Ucas site and accepted you.

Direct Gov has released information for students who have not received the required grades for their chosen university course.

The exam Results Helpline is 0808 100 8000. The helpline will deal with further or higher education queries, retraining and vocational qualification, advice on taking a gap year as well as finding employment. The helpline is open until 27 August 2011.

Students may think differently when they receive their a-level results. Thousands of jobs are available on Direct Gov and advice on how to claim benefits and advice on what tax credits you are entitled for.

Students are also advised to look into taking a gap year. A lot of people choosing gap years now split the year in half - working for six months to gain valuable experience and earn money towards future studies and spending the next six months travelling or volunteering in a different country.

There are a lot of options, but the best advice is to have one eye on your future career when making any decisions.