If you're eligible for DSAs, you must complete a DSA application in your MyFunding account.
How to apply
Once your bursary award has been processed and your attendance on the course has been confirmed, the DSAs application form will be available from the 'Apply' section of your MyFunding account.
You must also upload evidence to support your claim which includes an explanation of your disability, condition, or specific learning difficulty.
You must provide diagnostic evidence of your disability. If you have more than one medical condition, you must provide evidence for all of them.
The diagnostic assessment must have been carried out after your 16th birthday to be valid for your DSAs application. If you need a post 16 assessment, your university disability advisor may be able to assist you in organising this.
If you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), such as dyslexia or dyspraxia, you must provide a diagnostic assessment from a practitioner psychologist or other suitably qualified specialist teacher.
For any other disability or medical condition, you must submit a recent letter from either:
- your GP or consultant
- another qualified medical practitioner or appropriate specialist
This must state:
- the nature of your disability
- how it affects you in your daily life
- how it affects your ability to study
- whether you could recover from it
We will not pay the costs for providing any diagnostic evidence or information.
We cannot use confirmation of any benefits you receive as evidence.
Based on the medical information you supply with the application form we'll decide if you should attend an assessment of study needs. If this is needed, a letter will be sent to you advising you how to arrange an appointment at a registered centre.
You do not need to complete an application for each year of study. You only need to send new medical evidence if your disability has become more severe.
You can apply for DSAs for your academic year at any time before the end of that academic year.
Applying for DSAs towards the end of your course
If you apply for DSAs towards the end of your course, you may still be able to get specialist equipment if there’s evidence it’s needed.
We may ask you to consider if there are cheaper alternatives to buying equipment.
The assessment of study needs report may recommend you have initial training in using equipment and provide quotes to hire the equipment instead of buying the item.
Processing your application
If your application is accepted, we'll confirm by letter that we can cover the cost of an assessment of study needs.
The letter refers you to a website which helps you to find a local centre.
You must not arrange for an assessment of study needs before receiving written confirmation from us to say that your claim has been accepted. You must take the letter with you to confirm that the cost of the assessment will be met by us.
The assessment will be carried out by a person with specialist experience at an independent assessment centre or a centre within your university or college. You must arrange this with the disability advisor at your university or college.
Your assessor will submit a report to us by post or email. We'll use this to calculate any DSAs you may be entitled to.
There is no guarantee you’ll be awarded all the support they recommend. When processing any recommendation from your assessment report we must make sure any equipment or allowances awarded are appropriate to your disability or condition. We must be satisfied that the extra cost is due to your disability or condition.
Once we’ve processed the report, we'll write to you confirming exactly what additional support you've been awarded.
When you receive DSAs in future years you'll receive an award letter based on your initial assessment of study needs report. A further assessment is only needed if your disability has changed.