Disabled Students Allowance (DSA)
Disabled students allowance (DSA) is a non-means tested grant that is designed to cover study-related costs due to your disability, long term health condition or mental health condition. It does not need to be paid back and you get to keep the equipment even when your course is finished.
The type of support, equipment and software depends on your needs and is assessed as part of an needs assessment. EDS is classed as a disability provided it has a significant impact on your daily life and ability to study.
How to apply
If you have applied for any other student finance, such as tuition fee, maintenance, postgraduate loans, you can apply online following the advice on https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowance-dsa/how-to-claim. If you haven’t applied for any other student finance, you can fill in a paper form also outlined on the above website.
After the evidence of your condition has been approved, you will be invited to attend an assessment centre to have a needs assessment. The needs assessment can be in person, on the telephone or online using video chat, such as zoom.
The needs assessment involves going to a centre and meeting a needs assessor. There are multiple sections to the assessment but not all sections maybe applicable to your condition. The needs assessor may ask about how your health affects daily living and how it currently affects your education. They may also ask about how your health could impact your degree and specific issues that could arise during your degree such as lab hours during science degrees and what adaptations could be required. After you discuss each section with your assessor, they will give you some suggestions for support or equipment for your needs. After you have gone through every section you will agree on what support and equipment you want. This information will then be turned into a letter after the appointment.
The needs assessor will write a report and send this to student finance, who will then approve or decline the suggestions for support they have made. After this, a DSA2 letter will be issued and it will outline the support you will receive.
Some examples of support DSA gives for EDS is:
Equipment
- Laptop (usually you have to contribute £200)
- Printer, usually with built in scanner & photocopier
- Ergonomic mouse
- Ergonomic keyboard
- Laptop stand
- Trolley bag / backpack
- Power bank
- Height adjustable desk
- Ergonomic computer chair
- Back friend
- Foot rest
- Arm rests that clip onto the desk
- Cushion to support back while studying in bed
- Height & angle adjustable table for bed
Software
- Speech to text (Read & Write, Dragon, Equatio) with headset
- Text to speech (Read & Write, Claroread) with microphone
- Mindmap
- Recording software (Glean)
- Presentation support (Present Pal)
- Live scribe pen
Travel allowance
- Mileage allowance
- Taxi allowance
General allowance
- Reimbursement for printer paper and ink
Non-medical help
- Study skills tutor
- Lab support worker
- Mobility support worker
After you receive your DSA2 letter, it will tell you how to arrange the support. The Disability Team at your University can support you arranging the equipment and they might also have bursaries available to help with the £200 contribution towards a laptop.
Top Tips:
- Have your GP or consultant fill in the medical evidence form as soon as possible.
- Apply as soon as you are able to so that you get assessed and the equipment / support can be arranged before the course begins.
- If you are struggling sorting out any of the paperwork or contacting suppliers, contact your needs assessor or University Disability Team.
- If your condition gets worse during your course or you think you might benefit from more support / equipment, contact your needs assessor.