Funding for support

Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) 

Disabled Students’ Allowance, more commonly referred to as DSA, is a grant that is administered by your local student finance body, e.g. Student Finance England, that is used to pay for additional types of academic and supplementary support. 

Any support that is funded by DSA doesn’t need to be paid back, and the level of support received is determined by the student’s level of need, and not their financial situation.  

Information about DSA for English Students can be found https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowance-dsa   

For students from Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland then the process is the same as in the link above, but you apply through your local nation's student finance body.

 

Please note: Courses which are funded by the NHS (including some Social Work courses) also have DSA that is funded by the NHS and require an application through the relevant NHS portal and not Student Finance.  

You should be applying for DSA as soon as you get a diagnosis that is eligible for support, or as soon as Student Finance opens for applications if you are a prospective student with an existing diagnosis. 

It is not unusual for a DSA application to take 10-14 weeks from when you apply to your support package being agreed. Applications should be made at the earliest possible time. 

 

Click the sections below for information about other funding options