Eligibility
You can apply for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) if you have a:
- disability or long-term health condition
- mental health condition
- specific learning difficulty like dyslexia or dyspraxia
You must also:
- be an undergraduate or postgraduate student (including Open University or distance learning)
- have a condition that affects your ability to study
- qualify for student finance from Student Finance England
- be studying on a course that lasts at least a year
Who isn’t eligible
You can’t get DSAs from Student Finance England if you’re:
- an EU student
- eligible for an NHS Disabled Students’ Allowance (this is a separate scheme)
- getting equivalent support from another funding source – eg from your university or a social work bursary
Proving you’re eligible
You won’t automatically get DSAs – you need proof of your eligibility.
Condition | Proof |
---|---|
Disabilities or long-term health condition | Report or letter from your doctor or consultant |
Mental-health condition | Report or letter from your doctor or consultant – you can also fill in the Mental Health Evidence form (PDF, 60KB) |
Specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia | A ‘diagnostic assessment’ from a psychologist or suitably qualified specialist teacher – you’ll need to get reassessed if you had this done when you were under 16 |
You could get help from the Access to Learning Fund if you need a new diagnostic assessment.
Your course
Your course must be in the UK and one of the following:
- a first degree, eg BA, BSc or BEd
- a Foundation Degree
- a Certificate of Higher Education
- a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
- a Higher National Certificate (HNC)
- a Higher National Diploma (HND)
- a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE)
- a postgraduate course
- Initial Teacher Training
Check with your university or college that your course is recognised.
Part-time course intensity
For part-time students, your course intensity can affect how much you get.
‘Course intensity’ means how long your course takes to complete each year compared to an equivalent full-time course. You can check course intensity with your university or college.
The rules are different depending on when your course begins.
Part-time courses starting before 1 September 2012
Your course must not last more than twice as long as the equivalent full-time course.
Part-time courses starting from 1 September 2012
You must study at a rate of at least 25% of an equivalent full-time course in each academic year. The course must last at least 1 year.
This information was sourced from the Gov.uk website in May 2014