Introducing the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)
Introducing the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA)
The Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) pay for support and equipment to assist those (home) students who have a disability, specific learning difficulty (SpLD) such as dyslexia, or mental health problems, or a long term medical condition.
DSAs are funded by the student’s LEA for continuing students and Student Finance England for those joining in 2009 and beyond (or the NHS for nursing students).
To apply for the DSAs, students must be eligible for the student loan (though they do not have to take out a loan). Postgraduate home students are also eligible. The student completes a DSA1 form - available form their LEA for continuing students or from the Directgov website for students starting this year.
The completed form is returned to the funder with the student's evidence (educational psychologists report, or a letter from their GP or consultant or other professional agency).
The funder will then write to the student requesting they have an assessment of their needs at an assessment centre.The University of Greenwich is one such centre.At the assessment, the assessor discusses the content of the programme the student is following and the difficulties the student will face as a result of their condition.The assessor will produce a report with recommendations for support – a draft of which is sent to the student for their comments.When the report is agreed, a copy is sent to the funder. The funder then writes to the student informing them of the support they will provide.
Once the student has this letter, they present it to the Disability/Dyslexia Adviser so that the support can be put in place.
Type of support that might be recommended
- Note taker
- Library support
- Mental Health mentoring
- 1:1 dyslexia study skills tutorials
- Communication Support Worker/ BSL interpreter
Equipment
- Computer Printer / scanner
- Specific software
- Digital recorder
- Money for consumables [around £200]