T may be good news for the 60 per cent of students who have had their university places confirmed, but for those who didn’t get the results they were hoping for, clearing can offer an alternative route.

According to Ucas, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, 135,114 students were eligible for clearing this year and with news just 22,000 places are on offer it has sparked a scramble for places.

However, it does not mean time is up for those still wanting to go on to further education.

People are eligible for clearing: l If they have applied in the current application year l Have not withdrawn their application l Hold no offers l Offers have not been confirmed l Have declined their offers or not responded by the due date, l Have declined any alternative offers from the same university or applied after June 30.

If Ucas received the application after the dates mentioned, it will not have sent it to any universities and colleges.

Joanne Tallentire, head of admissions at the University of Essex, said the Colchester campus hotline had been incredibly busy.

She said: “We have had a lot more calls in the first two days through the clearing hotline than any other year. We have up to 18 people taking phone calls and on Thursday, there were still people waiting in the queue.

“Demand for university places is up and we advised people to do their research about courses available and entry requirements as quickly as possible, and to phone early to try to secure a place.

“Each year we have about 200 places at our Colchester and Southend campuses available through clearing. Although we cannot say precisely how many, they are going very fast and the situation changes by the hour.

“When someone calls through clearing, we speak to a member of the academic staff and they make the decision on whether to offer a place. There is a lot of general information on the University of Essex home page and if people do not get a place at Essex, we can advise on University of Essex degrees available at South East Essex College, Colchester Institute and University Campus Suffolk.

“Some people might not get a place and some may have decided not to accept an offer, but there are other things they can do, like gain work experience or take a gap year.

“The student temps who are helping with the hotline have been briefed on how to deal with distressed and anxious people because it can be an emotional time. It is encouraging so many people want to go on to higher education and it would be a shame if, after a time of reflection, they did not go on to apply next year.”

Claire Lindsay, head of corporate marketing based at the Southend Campus of the University of Essex, says: “We have had a lot of calls. Many of have been people who wanted to confirm their place rather than people just trying to get a place through clearing.

Applicants may have to be flexible, but it is important they choose a course that is right for them. If they do not find one, it might be better to wait rather than taking a university course they might not enjoy.”

Sue Murray, director of higher education at South East Essex College, says: “We always hold back about 50 places from our 450 first-year intake for clearing. This is to give an opportunity to students in the local area who’ve exceeded their predicted grades to take up a place with us.

“Countrywide there has been a surge in applications and South East Essex College still has limited places to offer.

“Nationally, applications are up 10 per cent on last year with a 14.9 per cent increase in applications of those aged between 21 to 24 and an 18.8 per cent increase from those aged over 25.

“So with the continuing recession, increasing redundancy and decreasing availability of work places, degree courses are becoming a popular alternative for people of all ages and more people are making late applications outside of Ucas.

“The first thing an A-level or vocational student needs to do if they haven’t received the grades they require is check that the subject content of our courses matches their area of interest, ensure they have sufficient points for entry and then apply to the college via www.ucas.co.uk/clearing.

“If they haven’t used the Ucas system before, they can contact us on the clearing helpline.

“All clearing vacancies will be listed on www.ucas.com and in the Independent newspaper. Once they have found a vacancy, they should look at the institution’s website and read up on the course content.

“Clearing vacancies are advertised in several national newspapers and South East Essex College still has places on a range of its degrees and higher education courses, validated by the University of Essex.

“Our advisers will support students in contacting institutions. They must ensure they have their clearing number and results to hand as they will need to refer to these when discussing entry to the course.

“Once they have spoken to an institution and decided where/what they would like to do, they must add this choice on Ucas Track. They must not add a choice before discussing entry requirements with the institution first.

“If they are accepted by the institution, this will be confirmed on Ucas Track and a letter will be sent.”

Sue also advises there are other options for people who have decided not to go to university.

She says: “Essex’s largest provider of apprenticeships, the Nova Partnership, comprises of 16 training and education providers across the Thames Gateway, covering Southend, Castle Point & Rochford, Basildon and Thurrock.

“It is led by South East Essex College, which is offering a range of new apprenticeships.”