Students: Disabled Students Allowance

Last Updated: September 2016

If you are a student in higher education and you are living in England, you can apply for a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). To be eligible you must have a disability, which can be:

• long-term health condition
• mental health condition
• specific learning difficulty, eg dyslexia

You must meet the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010.

The support you get depends on your individual needs and not on income.

For more useful information about help for disabled students:

• Money Advice Service guide on support for studying when ill or disabled
• Disability Rights UK – disabled students helpline
• Government overview of DSA
• Focus On Disability guide to DSA