The University's Disability Services provides a range of disability information, advice and support services for both existing and prospective D/deaf and disabled students. Please contact Disability Services directly to discuss your particular requirements.
DSAs are grants to help meet the extra course costs students can face as a direct result of a disability, ongoing health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty. They help disabled people to study in higher education on an equal basis with other students.
They are paid on top of the standard student finance package and don't have to be paid back. The amount you get depends on the type of extra help you need - not on your household income.
Further information on DSAs can be found on the DirectGov website, including information on:
Students who need extra financial help to meet costs that are not met from other sources of support, or students who have particular financial emergencies and as a result of these circumstances are at risk of leaving higher education, should consider applying to the Access to Learning Fund (ALF). ALF exists to help any eligible student, who has a particular financial need, but we cannot guarantee that there will be sufficient funds to meet every application we receive, or all the costs a student might apply for.
The ALF assessment criteria are different depending upon whether you are an undergraduate or postgraduate
Application forms for Disabled Students' Allowances are available from DirectGov's Disabled People pages.
You can get more information about DSAs from the booklet, Bridging the gap: a guide to Disabled Students' Allowances in higher education (PDF, 410kb).
To claim for reimbursement of costs you will need to complete the DSA expenses claim form to claim any costs you have had to pay in connection with your studies due to a reason relating to your disability, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty. For example:
Please note that the above list is not exhaustive. If you require further information on what you are entitled to claim for, please contact the Student Finance England. The DSA expenses claim form for 2012/13 will be available in October 2012.
Contact Student Finance England or telephone +44 (0)845 300 50 90.
Home (UK) undergraduate students can apply for financial assistance from the Access to Learning Fund (ALF) to cover the full cost of a dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and aspergers assessment, via Disability Services.
Full-time continuing students with a household income of £50,695 or less per year, and full-time new students with a household income of £42,600 or less per year, will be eligible for full payment of a dyslexia, dyspraxia or ADHD assessment. These students should complete a short application form with Disability Services.
Part-time students who started their studies before 2012 and who are in receipt of a course grant from Student Finance England are also eligible for full payment of a dyslexia, dyspraxia or ADHD assessment, and should complete a short form with Disability Services.
Full-time continuing students with a household income of over £50,695, full-time new students with a household income of over £42,600 and new part-time students will not be eligible for payment directly towards a dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD assessment and will be liable to pay the full assessment cost themselves. Those students that will struggle to pay the cost of the assessment themselves, are advised to complete a full ALF application form, via Disability Services. The full cost of the assessment will be included as expenditure in the full ALF assessment, in addition to the student’s full income and reasonable expenditure for the whole academic year.
All undergraduate students wishing to apply for assistance with the cost of an aspergers assessment are also advised to complete a full ALF application form as above, via Disability Services.
Students who need help completing the Access to Learning Fund form are advised to ask for assistance from the Student Funding Office.
Please be aware that awards from ALF are never guaranteed. The means test will determine if there is an additional financial need based on the applicant’s individual circumstances.
Home (UK) postgraduate students can apply for financial assistance from the Access to Learning Fund (ALF) to cover the full cost of a dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and aspergers assessment, via Disability Services.
Postgraduate students are only eligible to apply for assistance with dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and aspergers assessments by completing a full ALF application form, via Disability Services. The full cost of the assessment wll be included as expenditure in the full ALF assessment, in addition to the student’s full income and reasonable expenditure for the whole academic year.
Students who need help completing the Access to Learning Fund form are advised to ask for assistance from the Student Funding Office.
Please be aware that awards from ALF are never guaranteed. The means test will determine if there is an additional financial need based on the applicant’s individual circumstances.
DirectGov webpages for people with disabilities list a range of organisations and charities that offer advice and information to disabled people and parents of disabled children on learning-related areas.