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About Disabled Students' Allowances

Disabled Students' Allowances are grants to help meet the extra course costs students can face as a direct result of a disability, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty. They are aimed at helping disabled students to study on an equal basis with other students.

Full-time, part-time and postgraduate students can apply for Disabled Students' Allowances.

The amount you get doesn't depend on your household income.  Disabled Students' Allowances are paid on top of the standard student finance package, and don't have to be paid back.

What they are for

Disabled Students' Allowances can help with:

Eligibility

You can apply if you are doing:

• a full-time course that lasts at least one year (including a distance-learning course)
• a part-time course that lasts at least one year and doesn't take more than twice as long to complete as an equivalent full-time course (can include an Open University or other distance-learning course)

Checking if you're eligible for student finance

To apply for financial help through Disabled Students' Allowances, both you and your course must be eligible. It's worth checking this before you make your application. There is more information on this in the education and learning section of this website.

• Do you qualify for student finance? (general education and learning section)

Getting proof of your disability or specific learning difficulty

To apply, you'll have to show your local authority (or the Open University) evidence of your disability.

If you are physically disabled, or have a mental-health condition, you will need to provide medical proof of this - such as a letter from an appropriate medical professional.

If you have a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, you must provide evidence in the form of a 'diagnostic assessment' from a psychologist or suitably qualified specialist teacher. If you've had a diagnostic assessment in the past, it may need to be updated.

Your local authority cannot meet the cost of any tests to establish your eligibility for Disabled Students' Allowances. If you need a test but cannot afford to pay for it, you may be able to get help with the cost through the Access to Learning Fund.

• Access to Learning Fund: extra help if you need it (general education and learning section)

Who doesn't qualify

If you are eligible for a bursary from the NHS you won't qualify for Disabled Students' Allowances from your local authority – but you can apply for equivalent help through the NHS bursary scheme.

You also won't qualify for Disabled Students' Allowances from your local authority if you're a postgraduate student getting:

• a research council bursary or award
• a social work bursary from the NHS Business Services Authority that includes equivalent support
• a bursary or award from your college or university that includes equivalent support

You should contact the provider of your bursary or award for advice on any extra support you may be entitled to because of a disability.

How much you can get

This is based on your individual needs, but there are maximums for the different allowances.

• Disabled Students' Allowances - how much you can get

How to apply

Follow the link below for details on how full-time, part-time and postgraduate students can apply. You'll also find information on who to approach if your application is turned down and you want to appeal.

• Disabled Students' Allowances - how to apply

More information

You can get more information about Disabled Students' Allowances from the booklet, 'Bridging the Gap'. You can download a copy from this site, or ask your local authority to send you one.

• Download Bridging the Gap: a guide to Disabled Students' Allowances 2008/2009 (PDF, 277K)
• Download Bridging the Gap - a guide to Disabled Students Allowances 2007/2008 (PDF, 1370K)
• Help with PDF files
• Contact your local authority (student finance applications) (opens new window)

Other forms of student finance

Disabled Students' Allowances are paid on top of the standard package of financial help available to students.

If you're doing a higher education course, you can get information on student loans, grants and bursaries from 'Student finance: what you could get' – or, if your course began before 2006, 'Student finance: started before September 2006?'.

If you're a postgraduate student, follow the link to 'Financing your postgraduate course'.

• Student finance: what you could get (general education and learning section)
• Student finance: started before September 2006? (general education and learning section)
• Financing your postgraduate course (general education and learning section)