What is the Disabled Students' Allowance?
What is the Disabled Students’ Allowance?
The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is a grant that provides funding to cover additional costs incurred by a student in accessing their course due to their disability. The allowance is divided into four components:
Equipment Allowance: this might cover hardware (for example: laptop, printer, CCTV), assistive software (for example: text-to-speech, speech-to-text, mind-mapping), ergonomic equipment (for example: chairs, adjustable desks, wrist rests) or other physical items that may be required to assist you with accessing your course;
Non-Medical Helper Allowance: this component of the grant is for human support and might cover such things as specialist tuition, specialist mentors, BSL interpreters, etc.;
General Allowance: this component might cover consumables and other items not covered by the other allowances;
Travel Allowance: this component might cover the additional costs in travelling between a student's term-time address and the university campus which are incurred due to disability, for example, if you need to use a taxi instead of a bus then this allowance might cover the difference in cost. You would still be required to pay the amount the bus would cost.
The DSA does not cover costs that all students on your course will incur or costs that you would incur if you were not studying, for example, it will not pay for books, food, standard accommodation, or personal care.
The DSA is not means tested and it does not affect any other benefits you may receive. The DSA allowance is attached to the course you are studying. If you complete the course and decide to take up another course, you can apply for a new DSA allowance for that course.
For full details of the DSA regulations and the current year's allowance limits go to gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas/further-information