Funding your support - Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs)
One of the main differences you will find when you start university is that support is funded through the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) which the student needs to apply for in advance
This often means that it is not there when you need it, if you have not already applied for it.
Am I disabled?
People often don't consider themselves to have a disability, and therefore don't think that disability support, or Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) relates to them or is something they can access. The most common reason for students not receiving the support they need at university is that they didn't know they were entitled to it.
A disability is any condition that has lasted, or is likely to last, 12 months or more. Such as:
- Long-term health conditions - anything from Ankylosing spondylitis to Vertigo
- Visual and hearing Impairments
- Physical mobility and access needs
- ADHD - including students on a waiting list for a diagnosis
- Specific learning differences such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and Tourettes
- Mental health conditions - a broad spectrum of diagnoses from Anxiety to personality disorders
- Autism, AuDHD and Autism Spectrum conditions - including students on waiting lists for a diagnosis
to be eligible you must also:
- be an undergraduate or postgraduate student (including Open University or distance learning)
- qualify for student finance from Student Finance England
- be studying on a course that lasts at least a year
What DSA can pay for
You can get help with the costs of:
- specialist equipment, for example a computer if you need one because of your disability
- non-medical helpers, for example a weekly autism, mental health or ADHD support mentor, British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter or regular study skills
- extra travel to attend your course or placement because of your disability
- other disability-related study support, for example having to print additional copies of documents for proof-reading
DSA does not cover disability-related costs you’d have if you were not attending a course, or costs that any student might have.
Providing evidence of your condition
| Condition | Proof |
|---|---|
| Disabilities or long-term health condition | A copy of a report or letter from your doctor or consultant - or you can fill in the disability evidence form |
| Autism, ADHD or a Mental health condition | A copy of a report or letter from your doctor or consultant - or you can fill in the disability evidence form |
| Specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia | A copy of a ‘diagnostic assessment’ from a practitioner psychologist or suitably qualified specialist teacher |
You can send proof of a health condition or learning disability to Student Finance England through your online account
How to apply for Disabled Students' Allowances
Full-time undergraduate students
If you’re applying for other types of student finance, you only need to apply for DSA once. Otherwise, you’ll need to apply each year.
If you’ve already applied for student finance, sign in to your student finance account to start your DSA application.
The application for DSA should be on your ‘to-do list’ if you chose DSA in your application for other support. If it is not, select ‘change your circumstances’ to apply.
Postgraduate students and part-time undergraduate students
Fill in a DSA1 form to apply for DSA for the 2024/2025 academic year. You’ll need to apply for DSA each year and get your academic school admin to fill in part 5 of your application form.
How long does an application take?
You’ll get confirmation of whether your application is successful within 6 weeks.
It can take up to 14 weeks to get your DSA support in place as this is done separately through a different company. You can check current application processing times to find out when you can expect to get an update on your application.
Disabled Students' Allowances are not repayable. You can find out more about the Disabled Students’ Allowances and how to apply, by visiting the Directgov website.
How to book a Study Needs Assessment
When your funding body has processed your application, they will send you a confirmation letter requesting you to arrange a Study Needs Assessment. This is an informal assessment, not a test. Find out more about what this means here: What to expect from a DSA assessment | Undergraduate, Conservatoires, Apprenticeships | UCAS
How to get my support in place once I have had my needs assessment
Once your support has been confirmed you will get a DSA2 letter emailed to you.
There will be details on here about how to set up your support and arrange your technology training/delivery - this may not be provided by your university, it could be through an external provider. It is important that you contact the provider of your support as they do not always receive the DSA2 so may not be aware of you.