Disabled Students Allowance, more commonly known as DSA, is a grant that the government provides which covers any extra study-related costs that any higher education students may need due to long-term health conditions, disabilities or mental health conditions.
Eligibility
To be eligible for DSA, you must be a student currently studying in higher education, meet the definition of a disability under the Equality Act 2010, and be eligible for standard student finance.
Application process
You can apply for DSA through your regional student finance account, for example Student Finance England. The application requires medical or diagnostic evidence, and it is likely that you will be asked to attend a casual needs assessment. This assessment allows them to work out what extra support you will need.
But how can it help you?
Although the government don’t provide cash directly for students who are eligible for DSA, they do provide support in other ways, catered to you and your needs. This can be in a few different ways, for students commuting or on placements, the government can help with travel expenses, which eases the stress put on you. They can also provide you with specialist equipment to help you with your studies, such as speech-to-text software for your computer to help you in classes. Not only this, but they can also provide your university with non-medical helpers, who can support you 1-on-1 with your studies or struggles
Apply early and be helped faster
The application and equipment arrangement process can take a while, usually up to around 14 weeks to go through. Because of this, we recommend that you get your applications in early, or as soon as possible. This way, you will be able to get support sooner rather than later.
