Disabled Students Allowance (DSA)

If you have a disability and need extra support during your studies, Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) can help with costs for:

specialist equipment
non-medical help
course related travel costs

You can also get a general allowance which could cover other course related costs.

You cannot use DSA for disability related costs that you'd have if you were not studying a course.

Eligibility

You can apply for DSA if you:

are a medical or dental student
get an NHS Bursary
you meet the general definition of a disabled person as set out in the Equality Act 2010

What you could get

The maximum rate of DSA is £26,291.

Your entitlement depends on your Needs Assessment Report (NAR) recommendations.

Help to buy specialist equipment

Your NAR will recommend what specialist equipment you need.

Funding could include:

a laptop or computer
specialist software
ergonomic equipment
insurance or extended warranty costs of your equipment

You're expected to pay the first £200 towards any computer or laptop.

We’ll pay you directly for any recommended specialist equipment shortly after we send your DSA award letter. You’ll need to upload receipts for the equipment you’ve bought to your NHS Bursary account within one month of receiving the allowance. If you do not show us proof of purchase, we’ll ask for the full allowance back.

If you choose to pay for more expensive equipment, you’ll need to pay the difference.

Non-Medical Help Allowance

This helps fund any additional support you need to attend your course on the same basis as other students.

This could include paying for:

support workers
specialist mentors
study skills supports
note takers
library assistants

Your NAR will recommend if you need Non-Medical Help Allowance, and we’ll write to you confirming that we agree to fund this.

Your report will recommend a suitable provider and provide their contact details.

We’ll pay your Non-Medical Helper for the support they give you after we receive their invoices.

Help with disability related travel costs

This helps with costs you pay travelling to or from your university or practice placement where you cannot use public transport due to your disability.

Your assessment of study needs report will recommend travel using the difference between the public transport cost of your journey and the actual cost you paid. We’ll pay you that difference.

This allowance does not have a limit, but the costs must be included in your NAR. If you do not know details of your placements when you have your study needs assessment, the needs assessor should send us the correct information before your placement starts.

You should not claim Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses for these costs.

Other disability related study support

This may include the cost of printing additional copies of documents for proof reading, such as paper and ink cartridges if recommended.

You must show us receipts to confirm the costs you paid.

How and when to apply

How to apply

You can apply for DSA using your NHS Bursary account. Your university’s disability advisor can help you with your application if you need it.

After we’ve assessed your application, you’ll need to contact an assessment centre to arrange a NAR.

This helps us find out:

what support you might need
how much DSA you’re entitled to

If you do not attend the study needs assessment, you cannot get DSA.

The assessment centre then needs to send a copy of your NAR to us and your university’s disability advisor.

We’ll review the NAR and then write to you confirming the details of the DSA we’ll pay you.

Evidence of your disability

We’ll ask you for evidence of your disability during your application. Usually, this should be from your GP or a consultant and should explain how your disability affects your day to day life.

We may be able to accept a copy of your Local Authority health, education and care (EHC) Plan, if applicable.

If you have a Specific Learning Difficulty, you need to show us evidence of a diagnostic assessment. This should be done by a practitioner psychologist or a qualified specialist teacher assessor with an Assessment Practicing Certificate.

If you’ve received DSA from another funding body, such as Student Finance England, you need to show us a copy of your previous NAR and DSA award letter.

When to apply

You could become eligible for DSA during your course.

For example, you could:

become disabled
have an existing disability identified
choose to tell us about a disability after your course has started

You can apply through your NHS Bursary account at any time.

Guidance

You can watch a short YouTube video with information on DSA.