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Disabled Students' Allowance

The Disabled Students Allowance can support you with the additional costs of studying with a physical or mental health condition.

This grant is provided by Student Finance England and does not need to be paid back.

Eligibility

The Disabled Students Allowance is available to undergraduate and postgraduate students who live in England. Support is available to fulltime, part-time and distance learning students.

The grant is available to you if your disability affects your ability to study, such as:

  • Learning difficulties
  • Long-term health conditions
  • Mental health conditions
  • Physical disabilities
  • Sensory disabilities

Specific examples of eligible conditions are given on the gov.uk website.

You will need to evidence your disability to receive DSA. For long term health and mental health conditions, you will need to fill out a disability evidence form and a doctor’s note.

For learning difficulties, you will need a diagnostic assessment from a practitioner psychologist or similar.

How much can I get?

You will receive up £26,291 for the 2023/24 academic year.

How do I apply for the Disabled Students Allowance?

You can apply for the Disabled Students Allowance through Student Finance England.

You will need to fill in a DSA1 form if:

  • You have not yet applied for student finance.
  • You don’t need student finance
  • You are a part-time student

The DSA1 form is available from gov.uk.

If you have already applied for student finance, you can apply for DSA by changing your circumstances on the online form.

Student Finance England will confirm if your application is successful within 6 weeks of your application.

When will I receive the grant?

You will receive the grant from up to 14 weeks from receiving confirmation that your application has been successful. The grant is not paid directly to the student it is allocated to purchasing the relevant support.