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Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) Guide
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The information below is taken from the Department for Education
and Skills website, A UK Government Department, you can view the
site from this link. Department
for Education and Skills
What is this guide about
This guide provides information about Disabled Students' Allowances
(DSAs) , For current and prospective, full-time and part-time
students in higher education, Postgraduate students, Open University
(OU) and other distance-learning students.
Local education authorities (LEAs) can pay DSAs to part-time and
full-time undergraduate students and certain postgraduate students
who can show that they have a disability, medical condition or
specific learning difficulty which affects their ability to study.
The OU will handle DSAs for their students.
This guide explains
How to apply, What costs DSAs can help with and Who can help you
with your application.
It is intended for students and prospective students whose homes
are in England and Wales. The appendix to this guide explains the
personal eligibility conditions for receiving DSAs.
This guide is not intended for students who will get an NHS bursary
for their course. If you will get an NHS bursary, or plan to apply
for one, you should contact your university or college for details
of the support that is available to disabled students under the
NHS Bursary Scheme. Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs)
are available as part of the NHS Bursary Scheme, for which NHS
bursary degree and diploma students may be eligible. (If you are
a medical or dental student who started your course in 1999, you
will become eligible for an NHS bursary in September 2003.) You
can get more information about the NHS Bursary Scheme, and the
DSAs this offers, in the Department of Health's guide ‘Financial
Help for Health Care Students
Background
The information here is for guidance only and does not cover all
circumstances. If you need more help, speak to your LEA (or the
OU), or the disability adviser at your university or college.Full-time
and part-time undergraduates including part-time students studying
on distance-learning courses (but not OU students) You should read
this guide together with Financial Support for Higher Education
Students Guide for 2003/2004, which provides information on the
financial support that is available to students.
Postgraduates
DSAs are available to full-time and part-time postgraduate students
as well as distance-learning students. Postgraduate part-time courses
should last for more than one year and should not take more than
twice as long to complete than an equivalent full-time course.
Open University students
DSAs are available to part-time OU students taking undergraduate
and postgraduate level courses. A part-time course is defined as
a course that lasts for more than one year and does not take more
than twice as long to complete as an equivalent full-time course.
For OU students, this will usually mean taking undergraduate-level
courses that amount to 60 credit
What are the Disabled Students' Allowances for
The DSAs help pay for extra costs you may have to pay in attending
your course, as a direct result of your disability. The allowances
can help with the cost of a non-medical personal helper, major
items of specialist equipment, travel and other course-related
costs.
Am I eligible
Full-time and part-time undergraduate students You are eligible
to apply for DSAs if: You attend an eligible full-time undergraduate
course and you are personally eligible for maintenance support
for that course, you undertake (study) an eligible part-time undergraduate
course, and are personally eligible for part-time support. (A part-time
course would have to last for more than one year and must not take
more than twice as long to complete as an equivalent full-time
course.) The personal eligibility conditions for receiving DSAs
are explained in the appendix to this guide. You may be eligible
to apply for DSAs if you are attending a part-time course of initial
teacher training (ITT). Your LEA will be able to give you more
details about this. PGCE courses attract support, including DSAs,
as if they were undergraduate courses rather than postgraduate
courses.
You are not eligible for DSAs if you attend an eligible course
but, you are an EU student and are eligible only for support with
your fees you are a sandwich-course student on a full-year paid
placement.
Postgraduate students
You are eligible to apply for a DSA if you attend a recognised
taught or research postgraduate course and meet the personal eligibility
conditions which are explained in the appendix to this guide.
All full-time postgraduate courses should last for at least one
year and lead to a masters degree, doctorate, postgraduate diploma
or certificate, for which the entry requirement is at least a first
degree or equivalent.
Part-time courses will need to take no longer than twice the time
of an equivalent full-time course in order to be eligible.
Some postgraduate courses will not qualify for a DSA. Students
on PGCE courses will continue to be eligible for the DSAs awarded
to undergraduate students and, as a result, will not be eligible
for a postgraduate DSA. If you are receiving an award from the
Research Councils, a similar organisation, or your university or
college which provides support that is equivalent to DSAs, you
will not be eligible for a DSA from your LEA.
After completing an undergraduate course of study, if you then
go on immediately to postgraduate study, any amount you received
through the DSA for specialist equipment as an undergraduate will
be taken into consideration.
Open University students
To be eligible for DSAs, you must be registered for an OU undergraduate
or postgraduate level course that lasts for more than one year
and does not take more than twice as long to complete as an equivalent
full-time course. This will usually mean that the course amounts
to 60 credit points each year. You must also meet the personal
eligibility conditions which are explained in the appendix to this
guide.
Students undertaking more than one course
You cannot, at any one time, have DSAs for more than one course.
If you are starting your course in 2003/2004, previous study on
a course of higher education will not affect your eligibility for
DSAs, even if you received financial support for it. If you are
already on a course, and have received public financial support
for a previous course, you should still be eligible for DSAs. However,
if you received any specialist equipment through the DSA for a
previous course, this will be taken into consideration. Your LEA
(or OU) will be able to give you more advice.
Age
Eligibility for DSAs is not affected by an age limit, and if you
are aged 50 or over, you may be eligible for them whether you are
studying full-time or part-time, even if you are not eligible for
a loan.
Do I have to tell my college or university about my disability
No, but it will help you with your application if you contact the
disability adviser at your university or college. He or she may
be able to advise you and give you more information about the help
the university or college can provide. There is more information
about the role of the disability adviser on page 8. You will need
to give your LEA evidence that you have a disability if you want
to apply for DSAs. If you are studying part-time and want to apply
for DSAs, you will also need to ask your college to certify that
your rate of study is at least 50% of an equivalent full-time course.
If you are an OU student and want to apply for DSAs, you will have
to tell them about your disability.
Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)
Some students with disabilities do not want to reveal their disability
for fear of discrimination. From September 2002, the DDA (as amended
by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001) has made
it unlawful for higher education institutions to discriminate against
disabled students by treating them less favourably in their admissions
policies or the services they provide. Under the Act, institutions
must make reasonable adjustments so disabled students are not at
a major disadvantage compared to students who are not disabled.
The Disability Rights Commission should be able to answer more
detailed enquiries about the Act.
Your LEA will treat any information about your disability as confidential,
but if you choose not to tell your university or college about
your disability, the necessary reasonable adjustments may not be
made. ’s disability adviser
If you are still worried about revealing your disability, you could
contact ‘Skill’, the national bureau for students with
disabilities, or a disability organisation that specialises in
your particular disability. You can find contact details for these
organisations and the Disability Rights Commission at the end of
this guide.
The role of disability advisers
Disability advisers are available at most higher education institutions
and play an important role in the DSA process. The role of disability
advisers may vary between institutions but, generally, they will:
Help students with their DSA applications; Offer disabled students
advice on other sources of funding and support that may be available;
Arrange assessment of needs appointments on behalf of students
Advise on the particular needs that may arise from specific courses
Help put in place the support that is recommended in the needs
assessment report, Explain and give advice on educational psychologists’ reports
and the assessment of needs reports Co-ordinate the network of
support workers, Work with Accommodation Services, Social Services,
LEAs and academic departments Make recommendations for the academic
department in relation to students, for example, special exam arrangements;
Supervise and arrange training for support workers Research, develop
and help put into practice institutions’ policies for exams,
physical access and field work; and Develop and put into practice
disability elements of various institutional strategies.
Without the involvement of a disability adviser, the process of
getting DSA support might be more difficult. We recommend that
the disability adviser is sent a copy of your needs assessment
report. Your needs assessor will only send the disability adviser
a copy of the report if they have your permission, in writing.
How do I show that I am eligible
Your LEA (or OU) must consider all cases where students face extra
costs to attend their course because of their disability. If you
have a physical disability, a mental-health difficulty or a specific
learning difficulty such as dyslexia, you may qualify.
If your condition has been documented at an earlier stage, your
eligibility for DSAs can be easily proved, but a previous assessment
of a specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia, may need to
be updated (please see the next section). However, you will need
to satisfy your LEA (or OU) that the effects of your condition
will mean that you will need to pay extra costs in attending your
course. If you are disabled, or have mental-health difficulties,
you will need to provide medical proof of your disability, such
as a letter from your doctor or specialist.
If you have more than one medical condition, you should provide
evidence
If your LEA (or OU) may ask you to have an independent assessment
to establish your disability and eligibility for DSAs. The university
or college disability adviser may be able to help you arrange an
updated, or new, assessment.
Your LEA (or OU) cannot meet the costs of diagnosing your disability
for establishing your eligibility for DSAs. Ask your LEA (or OU)
what evidence of your disability they will need before you send
in your application. If you need a test to establish your eligibility
for DSAs, but cannot afford the fee, you can apply to your university
or college for help in meeting the costs through the Hardship Funds.
The university or college disability adviser may be able to help
you with this.
How and to whom do I apply
Undergraduates
If you are entering higher education for the first time in 2003/2004
and are applying to your LEA for financial support, you will find
that the eligibility application form (HE1) asks if you have a
disability. Show that you are interested in claiming DSAs by giving
details of the nature of your disability and the date of your last
assessment either on the application form or in a covering letter.
Many LEAs have a named officer who deals with applications for
DSAs. You may contact your LEA before you send in your application
to find out if there is a named officer who you can send it to
and discuss the DSA process with. Your LEA will be able to offer
you advice about the DSAs, even if they do not have a named officer
dealing with DSA applications. You may be asked to include confirmation
of your disability with the HE1 application form.
Once your LEA has confirmed your eligibility for DSAs, they will
then ask you to have a needs assessment carried out so that the
help you need on your course can be identified and arranged. If
your application is successful, your LEA will let you know the
level of help you can have from DSAs. If you are not sure about
your entitlement, discuss it with your LEA.
If your LEA turns down your application for DSAs, find out their
reasons for doing so. If you do not agree with their decision,
ask them to review your case. Your LEA will be able to give you
information on how to make an appeal. Your university or college’s
disability adviser, Students’ Union or Student Services may
help you send in your appeal.
Postgraduates
If your application is successful, your LEA will tell you the amount
of help you can have from the DSA. The DSA will be paid either
to you or directly to the supplier of equipment or services.
Open University students
If you have told the Open University that you have a disability,
the OU DSA office will send you all the information you need to
apply for a DSA. If you do not want to tell the OU for reasons
of confidentiality, ask the OU’s DSA office at Walton Hall
for an application form (reference DSA1/EW/U). You will need to
send your filled-in form, and any necessary or relevant documents,
back to the Open University.
When do I apply
Apply as soon as you can before your course starts in order to
receive payments promptly. However, you can apply for DSAs at any
stage of your course.
Do DSAs depend on my income
No, DSAs do not depend on your income or the income of your family.
What do the DSAs cover
DSAs are not paid as a set amount. Your LEA (or OU) will find out
what you need and how much it will cost, usually by asking that
you have a needs assessment. You will only get enough money from
the DSAs to cover the cost of the equipment or support you need
because of your disability. The amount of DSAs you receive will
depend on the needs assessment. If you are a part-time student,
you will have to get certification from your higher education institution
that your rate of study is at least 50% of a full-time course in
order to be eligible, and to work out the rate of the non-medical
helpers and general allowances.
However, there is a limit to the amount of help you can get from
the DSAs. The rates shown on the next page are the maximum you
can get. They are meant to support people with a high level of
need, so most people will get less than the maximum.
The rates of allowances for 2003/2004 (2004 for OU students) are
as follows.
For full-time undergraduate students
Specialist equipment allowance - up to £4,460 for the whole
of your course.
Non-medical helper’s allowance - up to £11,280 a
year.
General Disabled Students’ Allowance - up to £1,490
Reasonable spending on extra travel costs,
For part-time undergraduate students (including distance-learning
students) and relevant Open University students
Specialist equipment allowance - up to £4,460 for the whole
of your course.Non-medical helper’s allowance - as a percentage
of the full-time rate, according to the workload of a part-time
course, for example, for a student studying:50% of a full-time
course - up to £5,640 a year; or
60% of a full-time course - up to £6,768 a year.
General Disabled Students’ Allowance as a percentage of the
full-time rate in the same way as the non-medical helper’s
allowance, to a maximum of £1,115 a year.
Reasonable spending on extra travel costs (see the section on page
14 for details on travel costs).
For full-time and part-time postgraduate students, including relevant
Open University students
There is one allowance to meet all costs of up to £5,370
a year for both full-time and part-time postgraduate students.
You can use this for specialist equipment, non-medical personal
helpers, extra travel costs or other course-related costs. The
amount of DSA you receive will depend on the needs assessment.
Specialist equipment allowance
This allowance is to help you buy any items of equipment you may
need. You can also use it to pay for any repair, technical support,
insurance or extended warranty costs arising from owning that equipment.
We recommend that you insure your specialist equipment, and you
can use your DSAs to pay the extra insurance premiums. Your LEA
(or OU) can also reimburse costs you have to pay to rent, rather
than buy, a major item of equipment if this is more economical.
You can apply for the specialist equipment allowance at any time
during your course. The assessment of need report may advise that
you get some initial training in using any equipment that is recommended.
The cost of this training would come from your non-medical helper’s
part of the DSAs. You should note that if you have a service level
agreement with the supplier of your equipment, it might not be
honoured if a computer you have received fails because you have
loaded extra software that has not been recommended in the assessment
of need report.
If you apply for help towards the end of your course, you may still
be able to get a new piece of equipment if there is evidence of
need, but your LEA (or OU) may ask you to consider if there are
more economical alternatives to buying equipment. For example,
you could rent or hire equipment from a supplier or borrow it from
your university or college. Non-IT options, such as human support,
may be more effective when only a few weeks are left.
Non-medical helper’s allowance
This allowance may provide for any helpers, such as readers, sign-language
interpreters, note-takers and other non-medical assistants, you
need to benefit fully from your course. DSAs are not meant to help
with disability-related spending which you would have to pay, whether
you were following your course or not. Your local social services
department may help you with these personal costs.
If you have dyslexia or another condition which would benefit from
extra tutorial support, you could receive funds from your LEA (or
OU) under this allowance to pay for extra support for literacy
or personal management problems which arise from your dyslexia
if this has been recommended in a needs assessment carried out
by a suitably qualified person. Specialist tutors should provide
this support. This support may be available through your institution,
although you are entitled to arrange to receive it from another
provider, if that is more appropriate. You cannot use the allowance
to pay for extra tuition in subjects which are part of your course.
General Disabled Students’ Allowance This allowance may be
paid towards other disability-related spending. You can use it
to buy items such as tapes and Braille paper, or to top up the
other two allowances, if necessary.
Travel costs
If you have to pay extra travel costs to attend your university
or college because of your disability, your LEA (or OU) may be
able to help with them. Any travel costs of this sort will not
depend on your income. You will not normally be eligible for help
with everyday travel costs which any student would expect to have.
Your LEA (or OU) can give you more advice.
How can I find out what I will need
Your LEA will ask you to have a needs assessment carried out. This
is so that your particular needs can be matched with those of your
proposed course so that you can get the help that you will need.
The needs assessment will be carried out by a person with specialist
experience at an independent assessment centre, or at your college
or university. If you need help with travel costs to the assessment,
you should ask your LEA whether they can help as this can be paid
from the general DSA.
You should not arrange for an assessment of your needs without
first confirming with your LEA (or OU) that they agree for you
to do so, and that they approve of your choice of assessment centre.
The LEA (or OU) will often have their own preferred source.
The fee assessors charge for carrying out an assessment of needs
may be paid from the DSAs. You will receive a report for this to
help your LEA (or OU) assess your entitlement. We strongly advise
that your university or college, especially if it employs a disability
adviser, should be involved in your DSA application and should
see the report and its recommendations. If your university offers
to assess your equipment and support needs, make sure that the
assessment is carried out by a person with specialist experience
and that your LEA (or OU) is happy to accept their assessment.
An assessment should identify the types of equipment and other
support you will need, how much it will cost and where to get it
from. The report should also identify any training you might need
to make best use of the equipment recommended. You can also use
the report as supporting evidence in establishing special examination
arrangements when you are on your course.
How soon can I have the needs assessment done
Once you have established your eligibility for student support
generally, for example:
You have received an eligibility notification from your LEA
You have provided supporting evidence of your disability or specific
learning difficulty from an appropriate specialist;
The LEA can arrange for a needs assessment to be carried out well
before the start of term, and even before you have a confirmed
place at an institution.
Ask your LEA for more information. You may then need a top-up assessment
when you start your course to make sure that the particular needs
you have on your course are met. Students who are already on a
course can apply at any time.
Can I buy equipment before my course begins
Possibly. Once your LEA (or OU) has established that you are eligible
for the DSAs, it can pay for items of special equipment recommended
in an assessment of needs report shortly before the start of your
course so that you may use them from the very beginning of your
studies. However, your LEA (or OU) will ask for evidence that you
have been accepted on your course before they will consider doing
so.
What happens to the equipment when my course ends
All equipment bought with the DSAs is, and will stay, your property.
You may decide to offer the equipment either to your university
or college, or to your LEA (or OU), for other students to use,
but you do not have to do this.
Will I have to repay my DSAs if I leave my course early
Possibly. Your LEA (or OU) may have to recover some or all of your
DSAs if you abandon your course. They should only ask you to return
money you have received for support that you have not yet bought
or used.
What if I transfer to another course and need different equipment
Once you have received the maximum special equipment allowance
from your LEA (or OU), you cannot receive any further special equipment
allowance. This means that if you have already received the maximum
amount before you transfer courses, you are not eligible for any
further allowance for special equipment. You will still be eligible
for the other allowances and travel costs on your new course. Remember,
you may not yet have been given the maximum equipment allowance
or you might be able to top it up from the general allowance on
your new course.
To whom can payments be made
We recommend that payments be made direct to a supplier of equipment,
your university or college, or your non-medical helper, but you
will have to agree that this is done. Provisional payments may
be based on an estimate a reputable supplier can provide. These
payments can sometimes be made before you actually start your course,
on the clear understanding that if you do not attend the course,
you must repay the amounts in full.
Your needs assessor or LEA may recommend that you use a particular
supplier. These suppliers will normally offer an extended warranty
to cover the whole of your course and a comprehensive after-sales
service. It is expected that they will be able to supply all or
most of the equipment, set up any equipment and install all the
recommended software.
What if I have to repeat part of my course
Your LEA (or OU) may be able to continue making payments of your
DSAs if you have to repeat periods of study or you need extended
study.
What do I do if I am not satisfied
If you give your LEA all the information they ask for and meet
their deadlines, you have a right to expect a prompt and efficient
assessment of your claim. If you are happy with the way the LEA
has dealt with your application (they have been efficient and polite
and so on) but feel that the wrong decision has been reached in
your case, ask the LEA to give you information on how to appeal.
If you are unhappy with the way in which you have been dealt with,
ask the LEA to give you details of the authority’s system
for dealing with complaints. Your university or college’s
disability adviser, Students’ Union or Student Services may
help you with an appeal.
You will find more detailed information on appeals and complaints
in the Financial Support for Higher Education Students Guide for
2003/2004 booklet.
If you are an Open University student, you should contact the Open
University for details of their complaints procedure.
What other financial support is available
Postgraduate students should note that only the sections dealing
with Hardship Funds and benefits will be relevant to them.
Full-time undergraduates
Student loans are available to students aged under 50. If you are
aged 50 to 54 at the start of your course, you may still be eligible
if you can show that you are going to return to employment after
leaving your course. If you cannot show this or are aged 55 and
over at the start of your course, you will not be eligible for
a student loan.
You may be eligible for a grant for tuition fees. There are also
grants available for living costs if you have children or adult
dependants. There is no age limit for grants for tuition fees and
living costs.
The Financial Support for Higher Education Students booklet provides
more details about the other support that is available.
Part-time undergraduates (including distance-learning students)
and Open University students on undergraduate courses
If you are aged up to 54 and meet the following conditions, you
will be eligible for a part-time loan of £500 to cover the
extra costs associated with studying.
Single students whose income is less than £13,000 a year.
Students with partners whose combined income is less than £15,000
a year.
Students with dependent children. The income level above is raised
by £2,000 for your eldest child and £1,000 for each
other dependent child.
If you are aged 50 to 54, you will have to sign to say that you
plan to work after finishing your course.
Access and Hardship Funds
The Access and Hardship Funds are handled by universities and colleges
on behalf of the Government. They provide financial help to both
full- and part-time students (50% full-time equivalent or more)
on a low income who may need extra financial support for their
course and to stay in higher education.
More specifically, the funds can Meet particular costs which are
not already being met from other grants.
Help if students are in financial difficulty.
Provide emergency payments for unexpected financial crises.
Help students who may be considering giving up their course because
of financial problems.
If you think you may qualify for help from the Access and Hardship
Funds, you should apply to your college. Disabled students whose
disability prevents them from studying 50% of a full-time course
will also be eligible for support from the Access and Hardship
Funds, as long as they are studying at least 25% of a full-time
course.
You may get help in meeting the cost of the diagnostic test for
the DSAs, including travel to and from the assessment centre, through
the Access and Hardship Funds. You will need to have taken out
your full entitlement of student loan before you can apply for
help.
If you are a part-time student and you receive Incapacity Benefit,
Severe Disablement Allowance or Disability Living Allowance, and
your only income is from welfare benefits, you will not have to
pay your fees under the Department’s fee waiver scheme. Other
part-time students on low incomes can also have their fees paid.
You should apply to your university or college for help with your
fees.
Hardship loans
These are available to help full-time students (and part-time students
on teacher-training courses) who get into serious financial difficulty
during their course. You must have applied for your full student-loan
entitlement and received your first loan installment. (If you have
not applied for your full loan entitlement, you can apply for the
rest of the student loan and a hardship loan at the same time.)
Your college must decide whether you meet the conditions for a
hardship loan and how much you can receive. Hardship loans are
available in amounts of £100 up to £500. You will need
to fill in an application form and give your college evidence of
your financial circumstances. They will decide if and how much
of the hardship loan to pay.
Opportunity Bursaries in England
If you are studying at a school or college which is taking part
in the Government’s Excellence Challenge program, you may
be eligible for an Opportunity Bursary when you start your higher
education course. There are 10,000 bursaries available for students
entering higher education in 2003/2004. Bursaries are worth £2,000,
and are paid in installments over three years. These bursaries
are for students aged under 21 at the start of the course, from
low-income families where there is little or no previous experience
of higher education within the family. You should contact the college
where you have accepted an offer of a place for details on how
to apply for an Opportunity Bursary. Your school or college will
be able to tell you if it is taking part in the Excellence Challenge
programmer, or you can ask the university or college where you
have accepted a place.
Benefits
Although most full-time students are not entitled to social security
benefits, certain students in vulnerable groups, including lone
parents and disabled students, may be eligible for social security
benefits. If you want to take a full-time course of higher education,
you should ask your benefits or Jobcentre Plus office and local
authority how this may affect your entitlement to benefits. You
can also contact Skill for information on benefits and studying.
If you are eligible for benefits, Jobcentre Plus will take account
of any income you receive through grants or loans under the main
student support arrangements. Where you are eligible for a full-time
loan, the maximum loan available to you will be taken into account,
whether or not you take it out. If your partner is eligible for
benefits, Jobcentre Plus will take account of your student income
in the same way when they work out his or her benefits. They do
not take account of support towards your tuition fees and help
from Disabled Students’ Allowances. If you are receiving
the part-time loan of £500, your benefits office or Jobcentre
Plus will ignore this. |
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