Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)

You can apply for DSA in addition to your normal student finance or on its own. What support you get is dependent on your individual circumstances so that it is tailored to your needs.

How can I get support? To receive support you must meet the eligibility criteria. Check the gov.uk website for the most up–to-date eligibility criteria but generally you must live in England, have a disability that affects your ability to study and be eligible for student finance (you don’t have to take the student finance loan, you just have to be eligible for it).

You do not receive support automatically, you must indicate that you have a disability or additional needs by applying for DSA directly and must provide proof of your eligibility. The proof required depends on 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
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

The application process for DSA can take around 14 weeks so make sure you apply as early as possible, so you have everything ready and in place for the start of your course. You can apply for DSA online after you have completed your main student finance application. If you aren’t applying for any other type of student finance but want to apply for DSA, you would need to complete a paper application. As with student finance, your support is not linked with your university so you don’t need to know which university you will be going to when you apply. You can change it at a later date, so get that application in as soon as you can.

What support can I get?

If you are eligible, you will need to have a needs assessment. A needs assessment is different to a diagnostic assessment. A diagnostic assessment is to diagnose a condition whereas a needs assessment is an informal meeting to discuss what equipment and support would help you get the most from your course.

What DSA can pay for depends on your condition and the outcome of your needs assessment. You might be able to get help with:

Specialist equipment like software or a computer if you need one because of your disability (if everyone requires a computer on your course then this wouldn’t be covered by DSA as that is something every student needs. You are also expected to make a contribution to the laptop should one be recommended)
Non-medical helpers like a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter or a specialist note taker
Travel to attend your course or placement because of your disability
Other disability-related study support like printing costs

It is important to note that DSA does not cover disability related costs you would have if you weren’t studying a course (medical helper) or a cost that any student would have (general stationary).

Money will either be paid into your account or paid directly to the organisation supplying the service or equipment. How it will work in your case will be explained to you at the end of your needs assessment.

DSA is provided by Student Finance England. It is also a good idea to speak to the disability team at your university as they might be able to offer you additional support like extra time in exams. For more information on university support check out our university services guide.