Funding your support
You may be eligible to receive the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA). This can be used to cover the extra costs that might arise over the course of your studies, on account of a disability, health or learning condition.
Disabled Student's Allowance
You can apply for a DSA if you have a diagnosed physical, sensory or unseen medical condition; a long-term health, mental health or autistic spectrum condition; or a specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or ADHD.
DSAs are grants, not loans – therefore, you won’t have to repay them once you’ve graduated. They are not classed as income, so they are not means-tested and do not affect state benefits.
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How do I apply for a Disabled Students' Allowance?
Please complete a DSA form; these can be downloaded from your funding authority web pages. You should apply to the authority that has provided your general student funding.
Please click on these links to take you to the main funding authorities:
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What do DSA's pay for?
DSAs will pay for study-related support, including specialist equipment and software, extra travel costs, and some other course-related expenses. You may also be entitled to support from non-medical helpers who can help you manage the affect your disability has on your studies.
More information is available about the charges:However, DSAs do not pay for:
- the costs a student would have incurred whether or not they were at university
- the costs of personal support for daily living; for example, someone to assist with moving around the campus
- the non-disability related costs incurred by all students on a particular course.
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What evidence will I need?
You will need to provide medical evidence of your condition, such as a letter from your doctor or an appropriate specialist. The medical evidence should state the nature of your disability, and should explain how the condition affects you on a daily basis. To try to make the process easier for students, Student Finance England (SFE) has developed a form to take to your GP or other medical professional. The form asks all the relevant questions.
Students with a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia will need to provide evidence of the condition in the form of a diagnostic assessment from a psychologist or suitably qualified specialist teacher. Additional guidance on the assessment required for a DSA application is available from the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC). -
How do I book a Study Needs Assessment?
When your funding body has processed your application, they'll send a confirmation letter asking you to arrange a Study Needs Assessment. You can find your preferred assessment centre online.
To book an appointment at the NTU Assessment Centre, contact us on +44 (0)115 848 3495 or email us.
Extra funding for full-time undergraduates
It is important to ensure that you are money ready for NTU. If you are an undergraduate in receipt of Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance, you may be entitled to a higher amount of Maintenance Loan. This could be as much as £1,358 for students applying through Student Finance England in 2022/23. As with the Maintenance Loan, this is usually means-tested on your parents’ income, but we would encourage you to apply.
In addition, you may also be eligible to claim state benefits, such as Universal Credit, to help with your living and housing costs. If you already receive state benefits, we can advise you on how your student finance could impact what you receive.
Our Student Financial Support team can help you get sorted with your finances. We can make sure that your Student Finance application is correct and provide guidance on the extra financial support you may be eligible for. We offer one-to-one appointments with our friendly Money Advisers and budgeting workshops to help you have everything ready for when you join us.
If you would like to find out more, please email or call us on +44(0)115 848 2494.