Funding support for disabled students - University of Birmingham

This page will tell you how you can access funding support for your disability by applying for Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) and other potential funding sources.

Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs)

The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is a grant available to disabled students. It is meant to help with the study-related costs you may have as a direct result of a disability. You can receive the DSA on its own or as well as any general student finance.

DSA funding can help pay for:

specialist equipment
non-medical helper support
assistive hardware and software
one-to-one specialist study skills
mentoring support

and other study-related costs that you may have.

The DSA is separate from the University’s reasonable adjustment plan arrangements.

DSAs are not means-tested, so you or your parents' income will not be taken into account. Getting DSAs will not affect any other benefits you receive. You can still apply if you are over 60 and previous study will not affect your claim.

If you want to know more about applying for DSAs, Disability Rights UK have a lot of helpful information on their Applying for DSAs factsheet.

Who can apply for DSAs?

To be eligible for DSAs, you must:

be a UK resident
have a condition that affects your ability to study
be studying on a course lasting at least 12 months

How do I apply for DSAs?

How you apply for DSAs depends upon where you live. If you are an undergraduate and your home residence is in:

England – you’ll need to apply via Student Finance England (SFE).
Wales – you’ll need to apply via Student Finance Wales (SFW).
Scotland – you’ll need to apply through the Students Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS).
Northern Ireland – you’ll need to apply via Student Finance NI.

If you're a postgraduate student from England, how you apply depends on your funding body.

What if I'm not eligible for DSAs?

If you’re not eligible for DSAs (for example, if you’re an international student) you may still be able to receive University of Birmingham funding. This can help with 1-to-1 specialist study skills or mentoring support, and in some cases, you can receive assistive equipment. This can be discussed in more detail with your Disability Adviser.

How do I apply?

The DSA application process can take up to 14 weeks in total, so we strongly recommend that you apply as soon as possible. You can usually apply from the March before the start of your course. Visit the gov.uk website to find out more about how to apply.

You’ll need to have appropriate evidence to submit with your application. Visit the gov.uk website to get more information on what is needed to prove your eligibility.

If you don’t currently have this evidence, SFE also provides a disability evidence form which can be completed by a medical professional. If you are asked to supply evidence of a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), you’ll need to provide a full diagnostic assessment.

What can DSAs fund?

Specialist equipment

You can get a one-off payment for equipment or software to help with your studies, for example:

computer (you may be asked to pay £200 towards a computer)
digital voice recorder
screen reader
Braille embosser
assistive software e.g. voice recognition software

Non-medical helper support

DSA can provide funding for study-related disability support you may need, for example:

dyslexia support tutor
specialist note-taker for deaf or visually impaired students
specialist mental health mentor
Asperger's support mentor
sign language interpreter

Travel costs

If you have extra travel costs to attend your course because of your disability, you may be able to get help with them.

General allowance

You can get an annual allowance for things such as:

software training
photocopying and printing expenses

What can DSAs not fund?

You cannot claim DSAs for costs which are not connected with your disability. They also do not cover costs that you would have had to pay regardless of your student status, including:

the cost of medicines
equipment for daily living or medical needs

Personal care support

Personal care support refers to any practical help you need in your daily life, regardless of student status.

This includes activities and tasks such as:

getting up, going to bed, or adjusting position overnight (and during the day).
washing/bathing and getting dressed.
help with eating or medication.
using the toilet.
domestic activities – cleaning your living area, laundry, shopping, preparing meals.
leisure or extra-curricular activities.
driving or helping you to get around outside study hours.

Funding for personal care support

UK students

Organising a care package can take between 6 and 12 months. It’s important that you contact your local social services or named social worker as early as possible. This allows funding to be organised in time. The appropriate support package can then be in place from the beginning of your course.

International and EU students

International and EU students are not able to get financial help with care costs from the British government. The University is unable to fund personal care support. Care and support can be very expensive as labour costs in the UK are high compared to some countries.

You should research ways to meet your personal care and support needs before you start. This will allow you to budget for extra costs before you take up a place at the University.

Funding for postgraduate students

Non-Research Council funded postgraduate students

If you're funded directly by the University or are self-funded, you can claim DSAs from Student Finance England (SFE).

Please complete the full version of the DSA 1 form. This form and others can be downloaded from the gov.uk website.

Please send the complete form, along with the relevant evidence of your disability, to the Aston Webb Student Hub. We will sign and stamp it and forward your application to Student Finance England. Please contact us if you need any help with this.

If your family home is in Wales, you can apply for DSAs via Student Finance Wales. If in Scotland, you can apply through the Student Awards Agency Scotland.

Research Council funded postgraduate students

If you receive a Research Council funded studentship and wish to claim DSA, please contact us at disability@contacts.bham.ac.uk. We can check your eligibility and help you with the application process.

International students

If you are a self-funded international student you may be able to access University of Birmingham funded support. You will need to provide evidence of your disability. Support can include 1-to-1 specialist study skills support for mentoring.

Research associates or assistants

If you're employed by the University as a research associate or assistant and are registered for a research degree, you should apply for both Access to Work and DSA funding.

DSAs will be provided by either the relevant Research Council or Student Finance England.

I'm unsure about the source of my funding

If you aren't sure which type of funding applies to you, please speak to your supervisor or contact us at disability@contacts.bham.ac.uk or on 0121 414 5130.

Other funding sources

If you’re not eligible for DSAs or are seeking alternative funding, here are a few options you can consider:

For further information and guidance, please contact us at disability@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

Three students sat on a bench looking at a laptop.