Disabled Students Allowance

When going to university, it is important to know that the government, various companies and universities offer a number of helpful financial bursaries, grants and scholarships for students that are in need of financial aid.

For many students, there are helpful financial aids for specific subjects as well, for instance, those studying a medical degree, may benefit from an NHS Bursary.

What is Disabled Students Allowance?

The Disabled Students Allowance (or DSA) is an allowance offered to disabled students by the government. While at university, you will still receive your student finance, however, the DSA allows you to claim as much as £10,000-a-year on top of that, to help with transportation, support or equipment.

Most financial support services are means-tested, which means that your household income and your overall financial status affects how much money you can claim, this is not the case with a Disabled Students Allowance.

The amount that you are given is calculated on your specific needs; this means that the amount you receive is based on the additional costs, non-medical help and specialist-equipment that you require.

The Disabled Students Allowance only covers specific costs, however, which means that the DSA will only cover costs that are linked to your specific disability and how that disability affects your study. The DSA won’t cover expenses such as the purchasing of a computer, however, the DSA will cover other aspects, such as specialist software or programmes or support, should you need them.

It is possible to transfer your Disabled Students Allowance to another course or another university.

Am I eligible for the Disabled Students Allowance?

In order to meet the requirements for the Disabled Students Allowance, you need to meet specific criteria. The criteria for the DSA is:

• You must be a UK resident.
• Your course must last at least one year (this includes part-time courses, distance learning courses and Open University courses).
• You have a disability, medical condition, mental health condition, sensory impairment or any learning difficulty that affects your studies.
• You qualify for student finance.

Those that do not meet these criteria, will not be eligible for the Disabled Students Allowance. There are also other criteria that prevent people from claiming DSA as well, which are:

• You are an EU student.
• You are receiving equivalent funding support or bursaries elsewhere.

Some universities have been known to have additional support for students that have not been able to claim DSA, but it is best that you speak to your university beforehand or that you ask about support options on your university open day.

When can I apply for Disabled Students Allowance?

You can apply for the Disabled Students Allowance before your university place is confirmed and it’s a good idea if you do, especially as the process to sort out your allowance may take some time.

You don’t necessarily need to have a place at a university confirmed or even have anything like an unconditional offer to be able to apply, however, you will likely need to inform your student finance body what university you have joined when you are eventually accepted.

How to apply for Disabled Students Allowance

You will be able to apply for the Disabled Students Allowance on the Student Finance website, where you will be required to fill out a form. However, those that are studying a part-time course, will have to fill out a paper DSA Application form as you cannot apply online.

If you don't require student finance, then you will be required to fill out a paper DSA Application form as well, however, if you have applied for the DSA in this instance, you cannot then apply for student finance online.

Confirmation of whether or not your application for DSA was successful usually takes around six weeks and can take upwards of fourteen weeks to get the support actually put in place.

Do I have to pay back the Disabled Students Allowance?

You don’t have to pay back the Disabled Students Allowance unless you leave your course early, in which case, you may be asked to pay a portion of it back.

The portion that you would be required to pay back will depend on the university you attend, at what point in the course you left and what the general rules of the Student Finance provider you are using are, as Student Finance England, Student Finance Scotland, Student Finance Northern Ireland and Student Finance Wales all have different ways of reclaiming payments.

The Disabled Students Allowance is an allowance offered to disabled students by the government

What proof do I need for DSA?

You will need to provide proof of any learning difficulties or disabilities that you may have when applying for the Disabled Students Allowance. You will need to apply either through the university directly or you will need to apply through the relevant Student Finance company in your country.

For those with physical or sensory disabilities, mental health conditions or any long-term conditions, students will need to provide either a disability evidence form or a photocopy of a letter or a report from a consultant or doctor.

Those with any learning difficulties will need to provide a photocopy of an assessment from a teacher (as long as they are qualified to do so) or a psychologist.

Proof of eligibility will always be asked for when applying for the Disabled Students Allowance, but you won't always be asked to provide actual copies of evidence, you will usually be asked for photocopies, faxed copies or scans of any contributing evidence.

What do I do if my needs change during my course?

You will need to contact the needs assessor of your Student Finance body or university or your general Disabled Students Allowance contact and they will be able to make an informed assessment and decision from there. You may be asked to cover some of the difference yourself.

This is not very common though and for the most part, provided you can provide proof, either from your university or the aforementioned doctors and/or psychologists.

What is a Needs Assessment?

A Needs Assessment, in the context of university, is a set of tests that are used to discover to what extent a person’s learning difficulties, disabilities or mental health issues affect their abilities to learn.

A Needs Assessment is usually about ninety minutes and is mainly done to see what help you need and how much money you need for your time at university and it will be held at one of the many Disabled Students Allowance assessment centres. The point of the test is to see what support you require.

Do I have to reapply for the Disabled Students Allowance?

You don’t need to reapply for the DSA every year if you are also receiving student finance. However, those receiving only DSA on its own or are a postgraduate student or a part-time student, will need to reapply every year.

There is also the area of personal circumstances as well. If your personal circumstances change at university, then you may need to call the Student Finance company and arrange another Needs Assessment to amend your Disabled Students Allowance if things are getting worse, then you may be entitled to more money still.

Confirmation of whether or not your application for DSA was successful usually takes around six weeks.

What support can I get with the Disabled Students Allowance?

The Disabled Students Allowance offers different types of support for students that require it. The type of support you are given will depend on the issues you have, whether they be mental health issues, learning difficulties or general disabilities.

The main three types of help provided to students are:

• Specialist equipment allowance: This is an allowance for students to purchase a computer, any software that is related to their disabilities and recording devices.
• Non-medical helper allowance: This is an allowance for students that need support for certain studying skills, British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation (interpreters may or may not be DipTrans-educated) and extra training for any disability software.
• General allowance: This is for study needs, equipment, printing, paper and photocopying costs. Anything else is paid for using your Student Loan.

With the Disabled Students Allowance, you may also be entitled to a Travel Allowance, which covers commuting and general transportation costs that you may incur, this also covers you when taking part in work placements and general studying abroad trips, though these may not carry over into the Turing scheme, it’s best to check with the programme’s operators beforehand if your DSA will be allowed to be used in the programme.

It is also worth noting that in Scotland, the “General Allowance” is known as the “Basic Allowance” and the “Specialist Equipment Allowance” is known as the “Large Items Allowance”, though the SAAS Disabled Students Allowance works the same was as it does in the rest of the UK, the terms are still a bit different.

How much is Disabled Students Allowance?

The amount of money that you can claim under the Disabled Students Allowance changes every year in rate with inflation and with the money that is made available for the scheme.

This is the maximum amount of money you can claim for the Disabled Students Allowance as a full-time student:

Type	England	Scotland	Wales	Northern Ireland
Specialist Equipment Allowance (SEA)	£5,849 for the whole course.	£5,160 for the whole course.	£5,849 for the whole course.	£5,266 for the whole course.
Non-Medical Helper Allowance (NMHA)	£23,258-a-year.	£20,520-a-year.	£23,258-a-year.	£20,938-a-year.
General Allowance (GA)	£1,954-a-year.	£1,725-a-year.	£23,258-a-year.	£1,759-a-year.

The Disabled Students Allowance has a different set of money for any part-time students.

For part-time students, the maximum is:

Type	England	Scotland	Wales	Northern Ireland
Specialist Equipment Allowance (SEA)	£5,849 for the whole course.	£5,160 for the whole course.	£5,849 for the whole course.	£5,266 for the whole course.
Non-Medical Helper Allowance (NMHA)	£17,443-a-year.	Pro-rata.	£17,442-a-year.	£15,703-a-year.
General Allowance (GA)	£1,465-a-year.	Pro-rata.	£1,465-a-year.	£1,319-a-year.

The Disabled Students Allowance is also different for postgraduate students. Unlike undergraduate or part-time students, these are not always paid for the year of university or for the duration of the course but are usually paid in the form of one-lump sum or allowance.

• Student Finance England Disabled Students Allowance: Students are entitled to a single allowance of up to £20,580-a-year.
• Student Finance Scotland Disabled Students Allowance: Follows the same structure as the Disabled Students Allowance for - undergraduates.
• Student Finance Wales Disabled Students Allowance: Students are entitled to a single allowance of up to £20,000-a-year.
• Student Finance Northern Ireland Disabled Students Allowance: Students are entitled to a single allowance of up to £10,469-a-year.

Can I appeal if my Disabled Students Allowance is unsuccessful?

Many students apply for the Disabled Students Allowance and are rejected, but that doesn’t mean that your quest ends there!

If your application is rejected, you can ask for the application to be reviewed again, ask why it was unsuccessful or you can speak to the relevant Student Finance company in charge of your application. This is not always a quick process but has been known to save a lot of students who have needed it.

Which courses are covered by the Disabled Students Allowance?

There are a number of courses that are covered by the Disabled Students Allowance, but not all courses will receive coverage. All courses must be studied in the United Kingdom.

The courses that are covered by the Disabled Students Allowance are:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Most Foundation degrees
• GDL
• Undergraduate Master’s Degree
• PGCE Degree
• Higher National Diploma (HND) or a Higher National Certificate (HNC)
• National Vocational Qualifciation (NVQ): Must be linked to a degree
• Scottish Vocational Qualifciation (SVQ)
• Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
• Sandwich courses

While Sandwich Courses are covered by the Disabled Students Allowance, the DSA does not cover them if you are on a full year’s paid work placement.

Proof of eligibility will always be asked for when applying for the Disabled Students Allowance.

Can I still apply for the Disabled Students Allowance if I have studied before?

You can still apply for the Disabled Students’ Allowance if you have studied prior, however, if you have already applied for the Disabled Students Allowance, you may receive a little bit less this time, especially if you have any previous equipment on-hand.

This will also mean that you will need to utilise whatever equipment you had from before and will likely need to provide proof that the equipment is still in working order.

If you need to extend or otherwise repeat any period of study, you should speak to your DSA provider and inform them if you need to have the money extended further for any reason at all. You should speak to them as early as possible, however.

Can I apply for the Disabled Students Allowance if I am being sent to university by my employer?

Yes, you can. You will apply the same as any other prospective student would, even as a mature student, you will not be able to apply for the DSA if you are from the European Union or are from another foreign country.

Many employers still have a number of grants or bursaries for students should they require them, so if your employer is making any financial commitments to your studies, then you must declare these at your Needs Assessment and on any relevant application forms or your Disabled Students Allowance claim form.

Does the Disabled Students Allowance affect any benefits that I’m receiving?

The Disabled Students Allowance does not affect any benefits that you may be receiving at that moment. The Disabled Students Allowance is primarily for students to use when they have study-related expenses and nothing else.

The allowance does not count as a daily living cost and is also totally ignored if you are ever applying for any means-tested benefits, such as council tax reduction, employment support, housing benefit or universal credit.

What do I do if the Disabled Students Allowance is not in place by the time I start university?

This is more common than you think. Most Disabled Students Allowance applications take a while to process, so you will need to make sure that you apply as soon as possible, however, if your allowance is not in place at the time, then there are a number of different procedures in place to help you if you need it.

The Disabled Students Allowance is different for postgraduate students.

The most common ways of covering students that require DSA before it comes in are:

• The university will provide your support for you and then reclaim any money from your Disabled Students Allowance when you eventually receive it. Interim support will be assessed and recommended by your needs assessor.
• The university lends you any relevant equipment and will make any support available to you.
• The university will make a loan payment from their Hardship Fund.
• Make arrangements for you in courses until your Disabled Students Allowance comes in.

This is all at the discretion of your university and Student Finance provider, it is best to speak to your university beforehand about what they plan to do, as many universities will have protocols in place for scenarios such as these already.

What happens to my Disabled Students Allowance if I transfer to another course?

It is possible to transfer your Disabled Students Allowance to another course or another university. This might mean that the allowance itself changes, as the university you're applying to may have different provisions already in place to help you.

You will need to speak to your awarding body and you will likely also need to have a top-up needs assessment, especially if there are mitigating circumstances.