The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is a government-funded grant to help support people with a disability throughout their studies. Many people aren’t always aware that they’re eligible for DSA. In fact, research shows that only 29% of eligible students receive the DSA.
When I received my diagnoses, I certainly wasn’t aware I could receive it! One of the nurses I was in regular contact with recommended me to apply, especially as my conditions drastically impacted my studies and grades.
The DSA has truly helped me more than I realised it would, especially with the recent rise in the cost of living. It means that my learning experiences are much more comfortable for me now, and I feel more confident about returning to study in person at the start of my final year.
Who is eligible?
You are eligible for the Disabled Students’ Allowance if you live in England, are a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate university student, and have a proof of diagnosis of any of the following:
- Mental health condition
- Physical disability
- Neurological conditions – ADHD, Autism, dyslexia
- Long covid
- Other chronic conditions, such as diabetes and epilepsy
What can you get from the DSA?
The DSA offers specialist equipment, software and 1-to-1 support to help with difficulties you face while at university. DSA grants are unique to each student’s specific needs, meaning each individual may receive different equipment or more or less equipment than others.
The DSA can offer equipment such as a laptop, a printer, taxi fares, headphones, microphones, high-quality speech-to-text software and Grammarly Premium. They can offer specialist support for setting up certain apps and software and reading assistance for people with dyslexia, for example.
The process, from application to receiving the grant
The first step to receiving the DSA is to apply for it via your student finance account. The online form asks about what conditions you have that affect your studies. You required to upload evidence of a diagnosis of your condition. This diagnosis needs to be from a doctor or psychiatrist.
After successfully applying, you connect to an assessor, separate from the government and the equipment providers. You attend a meeting with your allocated needs assessor, in which you answer questions and explain what you struggle with at university. Your needs assessor will compile a list of recommendations based on what you discuss with your needs assessor. Then, your assessor returns this list to the government to review and either accept or amend it, if needed.
After this, you will receive an entitlement letter via email. This letter will tell you exactly what you will receive and which company will provide you with each item. It is your responsibility to order all your equipment, so if you receive confirmation of your entitlement letter, be sure to look out for the instructions to contact your equipment providers!
Getting the equipment
After receiving my DSA entitlement letter, my equipment providers sent a login via email. With this login, I could view the whole order and confirm that I wanted to get everything that was recommended to me in the entitlement letter. The delivery fee was covered, so all that was left to do was choose the delivery date! Depending on how busy they are, the providers can take a minimum of two weeks to deliver the equipment. If your providers have everything in stock, they will ship and deliver all of your equipment together.
The overall cost
The base payment of £200 covers the cost of the standard laptop that the DSA offers. Upgrades to equipment cost extra on top of the original £200. So, for example, if you want the cheapest Apple laptop, you would have to pay around £700. This price may be more expensive still depending on the model and memory of the laptop you want.
It is important to note that the £200 is an upfront cost. Your needs assessor may recommend applying for your university’s hardship fund to help cover this cost.
The takeaway message
The Disabled Students’ Allowance aims to help students with various conditions that affect their learning at university. The application form can be located in the same place as your regular student finance applications. All you need to apply for the DSA is evidence of a medical professional’s diagnosis, and you live in England and be a university student.
Much of the DSA process, from applying to receiving your equipment, requires you to organise the communications between the different parties involved independently. However, the process is clearly and fully explained at the start and throughout, so it’s pretty straightforward. It is very helpful for helping you deal with everyday difficulties whilst studying, just making it that bit easier to focus and enjoy yourself!