Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs) are available if you have a disability, long-term health condition, mental-health condition, Autism spectrum disorder or specific learning difficulty. DSAs are grants to help pay the essential extra costs you may have as a direct result of your disability. You must meet the definition of a disability under the Equality Act 2010.
Continue reading for more information or go straight to how and when to apply
You can get DSAs if your condition affects your ability to study and you're:
You'll need to provide evidence of your condition.
The amount of DSAs you get isn’t based on your household income. It’s based on your individual needs and your course intensity.
The following table shows the types of help available and the maximum amounts available.
Allowance | Maximum amount available |
---|---|
Non-medical helper | £17,443 per year |
Specialist equipment | £5,849 for the whole course |
General allowance | £1,465 per year |
Disability-related travel | Reasonable spending on extra travel costs as a result of your condition. |
DSAs will either be paid directly to you or to any equipment or service suppliers.
You must be studying at a course intensity of at least 25% to qualify for DSAs.
It can take approximately 14 weeks to process an application for DSAs so apply as soon as you can.
There’s no age limit on getting DSAs.
If you want to claim for expenses you’ve already paid out visit our form finder to get a 'Claim Form for Reimbursement of costs through Disabled Students' Allowances'.
For more information, download the Disabled Students’ Allowances guide: