Disabled Students' Allowance

Who is eligible?

You can apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) if you live in the UK and have a disability that affects your ability to study, such as a:

• learning difficulty, for example dyslexia or ADHD
• mental health condition like anxiety or depression
• physical disability, for example if you’re partially sighted or have to use crutches
• long-term health condition such as cancer, chronic heart disease or HIV 

You must also:

• be an undergraduate or postgraduate student (including Open University or distance learning)
• qualify for student finance from Student Finance England / Wales / Scotland / NI.
• be studying on a course that lasts at least a year

This page is informed by our experience of the process for DSA via Student Finance England, for those normally resident in England. There are Disabled Students’ Allowances available for people who normally live in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland. The rules and requirements may vary, so it’s best to check with your relevant authority.

Proving eligibility

You cannot automatically get DSA, you need to provide proof of your eligibility.

For specific learning difficulties a diagnostic report from a suitably qualified psychologist or specialist teacher is required. For other conditions you need a copy of a letter or report from your doctor or consultant: it should outline your conditions and more specifically how this impacts your day-to-day life. It should be as recent as possible ideally within a year otherwise they may reject it. 

The simplest method to obtain medical evidence is to get your doctor to fill out a ‘disability evidence form for DSA’.

What can it include? (this list is not exhaustive):

Specialist equipment costs: laptop (you pay the first £200), assistive technology software (e.g. talk-to-text, screen reader, recording software), a dictaphone to record lectures, a microphone for d/Deaf students, ergonomic chair/furniture.

Non-medical helper: e.g. sign language interpreter, assistive technology training. N.B. certain NMHs are now the responsibility of the university.

Travel allowance: for extra costs incurred due to your disability, e.g. taxis from halls to campus (you pay what it would have cost via public transport, DSA covers the rest), travel for study costs and placements. Remember to keep all your receipts, and get prior approval for which journeys it will include if needed.

Other disability related costs: braille books, a printer and a budget for ink/paper if writing by hand is difficult for you.

Applying

You do not need to have a confirmed uni place before applying; you can apply while you complete your Student Finance application (just tick the box to apply for DSA). If you aren’t applying for Student Finance but still wish to apply for DSA complete this form  

You can apply for DSA at any stage, even while you are at university, although the process can take up to a couple of months so we’d recommend starting early. You should receive an approval letter from your DSA funding provider. You will then need to book a needs assessment.

Needs assessment

You can attend any needs assessment centre; find your closest assessment centre here. This is an informal meeting of up to two hours with an experienced assessor who can then recommend support and equipment for you. Don’t stress about the meeting, it’s not an interview or interrogation. The assessors are looking to see how they can help you and might suggest things you had never thought of. 

It’s worth exploring the requirements of your course and university choice, and have a think about what you may need. You can contact your university if you want to find out more about what you might need or common examples of support that students there apply for. If you end up at another university where your needs will be different, you can contact your assessor again who will update your assessment. 

Following the needs assessment you will receive a report detailing the equipment and support you are entitled to. Do not buy anything before you have received this report! 

Ordering equipment/support

We would recommend ordering as soon as you can so that it is all in place before starting university. The report will break down your allowance and display what you are entitled to. You will need to contact the supplier(s) listed on the report, usually through their website. The supplier will invoice the funding provider directly so you do not need to pay it yourself. 

For general allowance you might need to purchase the items listed yourself and then complete a claims form with copies of receipts for the items. This is similar for taxi allowance as you submit copies of your receipts for your agreed journeys. 

Useful links:

UCAS page on DSAs 

Government page on DSAs