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A-level results day 2016 clearing options: Still want to get into Warwick, Durham or Edinburgh? Elite universities offering thousands of places

ELITE universities are offering record number of spots through clearing to A-level pupils who fail to make the grade.

More than 5,000 places are up for grabs from Russell Group universities including Durham and Warwick.

Students whose A Level results fail to meet university offers needn't lose hope, as Britain's top universities have made places available through clearing
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Students whose A Level results fail to meet university offers needn't lose hope, as Britain's top universities have made places available through clearingCredit: Getty Images

It will include degrees in maths, physics, neuroscience and engineering at 19 of the 24 Russell Group institutions.

Only Oxbridge and three London universities with very high entry requirements are refusing to take part.

Elite universities like Durham, which usually asks prospective students for A and A* grades, are also involved
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Elite universities like Durham, which usually asks prospective students for A and A* grades, are also involvedCredit: Rex Features

It comes as thousands of 18-year-olds will collect their A-level results on Thursday.

Last year 65,000 teenagers found places through clearing – and this record number is expected to increase.

In total, the 19 have 5,308 undergraduate places on offer, although until recently clearing was seen as a last chance for students to get spare places for less popular degrees and institutions.

A spokesman for the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) said the system had “transformed into a respected and important router to higher education.”

Warwick University will also have places available, as UCAS sources said clearing has become a "respectable" way of getting into uni, rather than just a last resort
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Warwick University will also have places available, as UCAS sources said clearing has become a "respectable"; way of getting into uni, rather than just a last resortCredit: Alamy

The news came as a government minister claimed students are not getting enough return on their investment.

Minister for Universities and Science, Jo Johnson, issued a stark warning to underachieving universities that the Government will slash their tuition fees unless they improve the teaching.

He said record numbers of teenagers are applying for higher education but that standards are failing to rise.

Universities Minister Jo Johnson says teaching standards are not rising quickly enough, and the government will "wipe out mediocre universities" where students don't get enough return on their investment
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Universities Minister Jo Johnson says teaching standards are not rising quickly enough, and the government will "wipe out mediocre universities" where students don't get enough return on their investmentCredit: Demotix Images

Mr Johnson has laid out plans to grade institutions by the quality of their teaching and penalise those who fail students – in a bid to “wipe out mediocre universities.”

The Government is preparing legislation which will allow vice-chancellors to raise tuition fees currently capped at £9,000 a year.

Fees would rise with inflation but only for universities which can prove they are excelling academically.

Universities will now be able to raise tuition fees at the rate of inflation - but only if they can prove they are academically excellent
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Universities will now be able to raise tuition fees at the rate of inflation - but only if they can prove they are academically excellentCredit: Getty Images

The Conservative MP for Orpington said: “There is unacceptable patchiness that requires our attention and, if we are to make sure that our university system retains its world-leading status, we simply cannot stand still.

“We want our universities to wipe out mediocre teaching and drive up student engagement.”

It will mean only the top universities will be allowed to increase fees with inflation.

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