University guide to Disabled Students’ Allowance

CONTENTS

1. What is Disabled Students' Allowance?

2. What will DSA pay for?

3. How much funding does DSA give?

4. Is DSA means-tested – and will it affect other funding?

5. Who’s eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowance?

6. Will I get DSA if I'm on placement or a study-abroad exchange?

7. How do you apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance?

8. What evidence do you need?

9. Do you have to tell your uni you're applying for DSA?

10. Getting a DSA study needs assessment

11. How DSA is paid

12. After you've started your university course

What is Disabled Students' Allowance?

Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) provides you with funding for extra study-related costs due to a mental health or long-term health condition, learning differences like dyslexia or ADHD, or any other disability.

Depending on your needs, it could pay for a specialist mentor, suitable equipment, or help with disability-related travel costs. You don't have to pay this money back.

You can get DSA from Student Finance England, Student Finance Northern Ireland, Student Finance Wales or the Student Awards Agency Scotland, depending on where you normally live.

What will DSA pay for?

Disabled Students' Allowance pays for extra support to help you study. You don't get any money up front. The grant could fund:

• Specialist equipment or software – but you’ll have to fund the first £200 if you need a new laptop or computer
• Non-medical helpers e.g., one-to-one support like sign-language interpreters or mentors
• General costs due to your disability, like extra printing to proofread, or Braille paper
• Extra travel costs to uni or a placement if they're due to your condition or disability, above the equivalent cost of public transport

How much funding does DSA give?

In 2023/24 Disabled Students' Allowance could give you up to:

• £26,291 per year if you’re from England
• £33,146 per year if you’re from Wales
• £25,000 per year if you’re from Northern Ireland

If you’re from Scotland, rather than an overall cap there are limits for different elements:

• £1,725 per year for general costs
• £5,160 across your whole course for 'large items' of specialist equipment
• £20,520 per year for non-medical personal help

In all cases, if your condition means you have to pay extra for travelling costs, you may be able to claim more than the above support.

Is DSA means-tested – and will it affect other funding?

Disabled Students’ Allowance isn't based on your income. The amount you get will depend on your individual study-related needs.

It won’t affect any other student finance you might be eligible for.

You can have Disabled Students’ Allowance and also receive Personal Independence Payments (PIP) or similar support for your personal care or mobility. For example, if you can't use public transport your PIP may fund a Motability car and DSA could pay for your fuel costs (reimbursed at a standard rate per mile).

If you're eligible for income-related benefits because of your disability, DSA won't affect these.

Who’s eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowance?

First off, there's no age limit for getting this support. If you've studied before, you're still eligible for DSA – though if you previously had funding for specialist equipment, it may be taken into account.

To be eligible for DSA, you must:

• Have a disability or condition that affects your ability to study
• Be studying a UK undergraduate or postgraduate course
• Be eligible for student finance

You must have a disability or condition as defined by the Equality Act 2010. This includes long-term health or mental health conditions, physical and sensory disabilities, autism, and specific learning differences like ADHD, dyslexia or dyspraxia. It also includes long-term conditions such as cancer.

You must be a full-time or part-time student studying an eligible course that's at least a year long. This includes Open University or distance learning courses – and could include courses in the Republic of Ireland if you’re from Northern Ireland. Part-time courses can take up to 25% the time of a full-time course (e.g., four years instead of one), but only 50% if you’re from Scotland.

You must be eligible for student finance – but you don't have to apply for a student loan if you don't want one.

You won't be eligible for DSA if you:

• Are an EU student who gets tuition fee support only
• Get equivalent disability funding from another source such as an NHS bursary, social work bursary or research council funding – these all offer their own DSA grants
• Are taking a degree apprenticeship

Will I get DSA if I'm on placement or a study-abroad exchange?

You may be able to get DSA when studying abroad as part of your UK course. If you're funded by Turing, Taith (Wales) or other study-abroad schemes, you can't apply for DSA to pay for the same expenses.

You might not get your normal DSA support if you're taking a paid placement as part of a sandwich degree course: check with your student finance body. Instead, you may get support from the Access to Work scheme.

Apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance from the nation where you normally live – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales – even if you study elsewhere in the UK.

• If you're studying full-time and apply for a student loan, you can apply for DSA as part of the application process
• If you're not claiming student finance, you can apply for DSA separately
• Part-time students use a paper application form

Apply early, to ensure your support is in place for the start of your course. You can apply using the details of the course you hope to study before you've been accepted (unless you’re in Scotland – see below). If anything changes, you can update your student finance body.

You can also apply for DSA after you've started a course, if you realise you have a condition that’s affecting your studies.

In Scotland

If you're from Scotland the process is slightly different: you'll need to speak to a disability advisor at your uni before you can submit your application. You might have to wait until you have a conditional offer of a place.

If the disability advisor thinks you'll be eligible for DSA, they'll invite you for an appointment. When you go, take proof of your disability or condition with you (ask the advisor what you might need). If the uni is validated to carry out a needs assessment, they'll do this at your appointment. They'll then complete your DSA application form with you – SAAS require this to be endorsed by a disability advisor.

If you're studying full-time, you can apply for DSA at the same time or after you've applied for student finance.

What evidence do you need?

When you apply, you'll need proof of your disability or condition. Check the specific evidence your student finance body needs – you might find this in notes that accompany the application form.

Long-term health or mental health conditions, physical or sensory disability

Your doctor or a qualified specialist could complete a Disability Evidence Form (provided by your student finance body) or a detailed report or letter. It'll need to outline how your condition is likely to affect your academic performance.

Specific learning differences (e.g., dyslexia)

You normally need a written diagnostic report from a suitable professional. This could be a psychologist or specialist teacher.

Autism

Autistic students can have their condition confirmed by a clinical psychologist or doctor confirming how autism affects your ability to do day-to-day activities. Or, if you have one, a statement of special education needs (SEN) from your local authority.

If you have more than one condition, you may need to provide separate reports. If you need to pay for any report or test to confirm your eligibility, you'll need to pay for this yourself.

Do you have to tell your uni you're applying for DSA?

You may be able to get DSA without informing your uni or college that you have a disability or health condition.

However, if your uni knows you have a disability then by law they must make 'reasonable adjustments' so you're not at a disadvantage compared with other students – so it’s in your interests to let them know. Also, if you don't tell them, it'll make it more difficult to get DSA support in place.

Any details you give your uni or student finance body about your condition will be kept confidential.

After your eligibility for DSA has been confirmed, you'll attend a study needs assessment to identify your support needs. Don't arrange this unless asked by your student finance body. If you're in Scotland, it may be carried out by a disability advisor at your uni or college.

You won't need to pay for the study needs assessment. You may be able to reclaim your travel expenses – keep your receipts.

The assessor's role is to identify the right support to help you study a higher education course. They'll ask how your condition or disability might affect this. Before you attend the study needs assessment, check what you'll be expected to do on your course and consider the impact your condition might have. For example:

• Will you need to go on a placement?
• Will you have exams or write long reports?
• How good are you at organising yourself?
• Do you have trouble concentrating?
• What do you struggle with – or what's helped in the past?

Based on your answers, the assessor can explain the types of support you could get and what they'd recommend. You can also ask questions yourself and take someone with you for support.

The specific support you can get will be listed in a written report. If you're unhappy with your initial study needs assessment, you can appeal it.

How DSA is paid

If your DSA application is successful, you'll get written confirmation of how much you'll get and what it can be spent on.

Disabled Students' Allowance funding might be paid in two ways:

• Direct to a supplier, such as a non-medical helper or specialist equipment provider.
• Direct to your bank account if you're paying for eligible expenses yourself. You'll need to send receipts to your student finance body to claim the funding.

If you're buying equipment, only get it after your DSA is confirmed, and make sure it's confirmed as eligible for funding or you may not be repaid. If you're not sure what equipment to get, or need help with arranging non-medical helpers, talk to a disability advisor at your uni.

After you've started your university course

You may not need to reapply each year if you’re a full-time student getting a student loan and continuing on the same course. If you're from Scotland, you will need to reapply each year.

In all cases, you'll need to reapply if you:

• Changed your course
• Are repeating a year of study
• Swap from full-time to part-time study (or vice versa)

or if you didn't take out a maintenance or tuition fee loan.

If your circumstances change – for example, your condition gets worse – contact your student finance body. You may be entitled to extra support. If you leave your course early, you may need to pay some costs back.