What exactly is Disabled Students Allowance (DSA)?
Disabled Students Allowance is a grant made available to provide extra financial support for students in higher education.
The purpose of DSA is to off-set the extra costs higher education students can face as a direct result of an ongoing health condition, mental health condition, deafness, disability or learning difficulty.
DSA therefore enables a greater equality of access for anyone who chooses to study higher education courses.
Who can get DSA?
- An individual with a disability,
- an individual who is Deaf or has a hearing loss,
- an individual who has an ongoing health condition,
- an individual who has a mental health condition,
- or an individual who has a specific learning difficulty.
How much DSA you get depends on the support you need to pursue your studies effectively — but any DSA you receive is completely unrelated to your household income.
Also, the DSA you get is additional to any other student finance package you may be receiving. And since DSA is a grant, you don’t have to it pay back.
What can DSA be used to pay for, then?
DSA can be used to help pay for any support, equipment, technology or materials you need to be able to study effectively on your course. some examples are:
- specialist equipment you need for studying — for example, computer software,
- non-medical support workers — for example a BSL Interpreter or a notetaker,
- additional travel costs you pay because you can’t use public transport,
- other costs — for example tapes or Braille paper,
and more!
appa provides a range of support services to students to match your specific needs. We can also support you in identifying the materials, equipment or technological assistance you need.
Our services are entirely client-centred. This means you choose as much or as little support as you require, and you manage when and how you use our services.
For further information, go to our support and interpreting pages, or contact us to find out more about the services we provide for individuals receiving DSA.
How do I apply For DSA?
appa can support you with applying for DSA, whether you’re applying for DSA only, or applying for other student finance as well.
Get in touch with our friendly, approachable staff today to find out more about DSA, or to get started on your DSA application.
DSA Pricelist
When applying for DSA you may be asked for our Non-Medical Helper (NMH) rates. Click the button below to download a pdf with our prices.