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Tuesday's Newsnight Scotland looked at the state of clearing and stories of full universities. Seonag Mackinnon peeks behind the headlines and considers what it means for those who didn't quite make the grade.

Would-be students undoubtedly have it tough this year but the situation isn't as desperate as some headlines have suggested.

Anyone who secured the Higher grades they needed for a conditional offer is guaranteed a place.

The competition isn't as great as seemed earlier this year when , which handles applications, indicated a whacking great rise of 31%. It's since emerged this was largely down to a change in the way the figures are compiled. The true increase seems to be just under 5%.

Eight of Scotland's 15 universities are full, one week after the Highers results emerged when the competition for clearing places began. But in recent years, some such as St Andrews have been full. And at a far earlier stage in the year.

Also worth noting, today anyway, there are over 300 university courses in Scotland with spare places. They are however concentrated in four institutions - in Dundee, the , the (formerly Paisley University), and in the .

The difficulty is essentially for those who didn't do as well in their Highers as they had hoped. They may well scramble for those places which some universities have been unable to fill even with just weeks to go before the start of the academic year.

Careers advisors are urging applicants tempted to snap these places up to investigate them as thoroughly as they can.

It is all too easy to feel a few months down the line that they are on a course they don't particularly like, in a town they don't particularly like. That means a danger of dropping out - and that can mean stress and potential debts for individuals who have already suffered the setback of disappointing exam results.