Students with Disabilities |
Just because you have a disability, it doesn’t mean you should have any less choice about where and what you study and all universities have a policy statement which outlines the support and facilities they offer, financial or otherwise.
Get a copy of these along with the prospectuses when you’re thinking about applying. It’s a good idea to check the place out in person if you’re serious about studying there, to assess your needs and attend a ‘special needs’ interview to discuss them with the university’s disabilities officer (assuming they have one – if they haven’t, well, that tells you something).
Generally, everything Push has said elsewhere about fees, loans, blah-de-blah still applies. Eligible disabled students should be able to get the special support grant rather than the maintenance grant, which means they’ll also be able to take out the maximum student loan and any entitlement to benefits won’t be affected.
Even if your disability is severe and is likely to affect your earning potential after graduation, it doesn’t affect your right to claim the same student loan as everyone else.
The Student Loans Company will also ignore any benefits you get because of your disability, when working out when you should start repaying your loan and how quickly.
If you have a physical disability, a mental-health difficulty or a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, you may qualify.
There are other sources of income you may be able to tap into too.
If you have a disability or medical condition that directly affects your study (such as dyslexia or sight impairment), you might be entitled to the following:
However, the DSA isn’t supposed to go towards costs that you’d still have if you weren’t at university. Your need for financial support is assessed on the nature of your disability and what type of course you’re studying. You’ll need to provide medical proof of your disability, such as a letter from your doctor or a dyslexia assessment from a recognised specialist.
One way or another, you’ll need to convince your LEA (or the SLC) that your disability – whether it be physical, mental-health difficulties or a learning difficulty – means you actually need the extra money to study. Ask them what they’ll want to see before you send in your application, because if you don’t make them happy in the first place, they may expect you to undergo the extra hassle and indignity of an independent assessment.
Disabled postgrads can claim a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) of up to £10,000 a year, providing they’re not receiving bursaries or awards from the research councils, the NHS or General Social Care Council, or a university award that includes support for a disability. The cash is available to full-timers and part-timers who will complete their course in not more than double the time full-timers take.
None of the allowances for students with disabilities are means-tested and Push says a big hurrah as they don’t have to be paid back, but if you’re claiming for a particular expense most authorities will want to see a receipt or a quote before they’ll pay up.
Disabled students may also be able to claim benefits such as housing benefit and income support – check with your local Benefits Agency or Jobcentre Plus. If you’re already claiming benefits, you need to tell them that you’re going to go to university, as this counts as a change of circumstance.
Read SfE's booklet, 'Extra Help', which answers commonly asked questions about DSAs, online at http://media.slc.co.uk/sfe/1718/ft/sfe_dsa_guide_1718_d.pdf
It’s a good idea to check out SKILL – the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities (skill.org.uk). They publish various information booklets (available on the website). Their free helpline number is 0800 328 5050, though they prefer you to call (020) 7657 2337 if you can afford it. Alternatively, e-mail them on info@skill.org.uk.
Get a copy of these along with the prospectuses when you’re thinking about applying. It’s a good idea to check the place out in person if you’re serious about studying there, to assess your needs and attend a ‘special needs’ interview to discuss them with the university’s disabilities officer (assuming they have one – if they haven’t, well, that tells you something).
Generally, everything Push has said elsewhere about fees, loans, blah-de-blah still applies. Eligible disabled students should be able to get the special support grant rather than the maintenance grant, which means they’ll also be able to take out the maximum student loan and any entitlement to benefits won’t be affected.
Even if your disability is severe and is likely to affect your earning potential after graduation, it doesn’t affect your right to claim the same student loan as everyone else.
The Student Loans Company will also ignore any benefits you get because of your disability, when working out when you should start repaying your loan and how quickly.
If you have a physical disability, a mental-health difficulty or a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, you may qualify.
There are other sources of income you may be able to tap into too.
If you have a disability or medical condition that directly affects your study (such as dyslexia or sight impairment), you might be entitled to the following:
- A general Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) of up to £1,680 a year basic(£1,260 max for part-timers). The DSA can be used to pay for a care helper, Braille books, adaptations to accommodation, extra travel costs because of the disability and so on.
- A specialist equipment allowance of up to £5,030 for the whole course (full-timers and part-timers get the same).
- A non-medical helper’s allowance of up to £20,000 each year (£15,000 tops if you’re studying part-time).
- Extra travel costs you have to pay to attend your university or college course as a result of your disability.
However, the DSA isn’t supposed to go towards costs that you’d still have if you weren’t at university. Your need for financial support is assessed on the nature of your disability and what type of course you’re studying. You’ll need to provide medical proof of your disability, such as a letter from your doctor or a dyslexia assessment from a recognised specialist.
One way or another, you’ll need to convince your LEA (or the SLC) that your disability – whether it be physical, mental-health difficulties or a learning difficulty – means you actually need the extra money to study. Ask them what they’ll want to see before you send in your application, because if you don’t make them happy in the first place, they may expect you to undergo the extra hassle and indignity of an independent assessment.
Disabled postgrads can claim a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) of up to £10,000 a year, providing they’re not receiving bursaries or awards from the research councils, the NHS or General Social Care Council, or a university award that includes support for a disability. The cash is available to full-timers and part-timers who will complete their course in not more than double the time full-timers take.
None of the allowances for students with disabilities are means-tested and Push says a big hurrah as they don’t have to be paid back, but if you’re claiming for a particular expense most authorities will want to see a receipt or a quote before they’ll pay up.
Disabled students may also be able to claim benefits such as housing benefit and income support – check with your local Benefits Agency or Jobcentre Plus. If you’re already claiming benefits, you need to tell them that you’re going to go to university, as this counts as a change of circumstance.
Read SfE's booklet, 'Extra Help', which answers commonly asked questions about DSAs, online at http://media.slc.co.uk/sfe/1718/ft/sfe_dsa_guide_1718_d.pdf
It’s a good idea to check out SKILL – the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities (skill.org.uk). They publish various information booklets (available on the website). Their free helpline number is 0800 328 5050, though they prefer you to call (020) 7657 2337 if you can afford it. Alternatively, e-mail them on info@skill.org.uk.