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.
You can get DSAs if your condition affects your ability to study and you can provide evidence of this and you’re:
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.
To apply you'll need to fill in a paper application form. You can download this from our Form finder
If you qualify for DSAs we will send you a letter to let you know. You'll then need to arrange a needs assessment
For more information, download the Disabled Students’ Allowances guide: