Funding for Disabled Students

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Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)​​

If you're a student with a disability – such as a long-term condition, sensory impairment, mental health challenges or Specific Learning Difference – then you may be able to apply for funded support. Further information, including who is eligible and what is required, can be found below. If you still have questions or concerns, please contact us at either disability@chester.ac.uk

DSA is a non-means tested grant that can help to pay for additional support that you may need during your studies as a direct result of your disability, to help ensure you reach your full learning potential whilst at University.

The amount you will receive depends on the type of support you need.

DSA is broken down into 4 distinct types of support:

  • Equipment allowance for specialist supportive equipment and assistive technology, for example computer software, ergonomic aids.
  • Non-medical helper allowance to pay for support services, for example specialist one to one study skills or a specialist mentor.
  • Travel allowance to cover additional travel costs incurred due to your disability.
  • General allowance for small, ongoing additional expenses that you might have because of your disability, for example extra printer paper or photocopying.

You can't use Disabled Students' Allowances to pay for:

  • Daily living expenses.
  • The cost of medicines.
  • Any course related costs that non-disabled students would be expected to pay for i.e. course text books.
  • Cost of personal care that would ordinarily be provided by social services.

The amount you will receive is based on your individual needs. Further information about the process can be found on Disability Rights UK. 

For more information on how to apply and the most current figures, please visit your funding body's web page. These can be found below under Funding Bodies.​

Students must satisfy the following criteria in order to be eligible to apply for DSA:​

1. Proof of disability

You must provide suitable evidence of your disability.

For the majority of disabilities this would be an up to date letter from your Doctor or appropriate specialist. 

If you have a specific learning difference (SpLD) such as dyslexia or dyspraxia you will need a full educational psychologist’s assessment produced by a HCPS registered psychologist or a Specialist Dyslexia Teacher with a current Practice Certificate for assessing students at higher education (HE).

Further information can be found on our Setting up Support page, under Acceptable evidence of disability.

2. Nationality​

You must fall into one of the following categories: 

  • UK student,
  • EU student who has lived in the UK for more than five years immediately prior to starting your course for SFE (This may vary with other funding bodies),
  • International student with either settled status or indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

Please note: students from overseas are not eligible for DSA but should seek funding from their sponsor.

3. Course requirements

  • You can apply for DSA if you attend a publicly-funded full-time or part-time HE course in the UK,
  • Part-time students are eligible for DSA as long as it is a designated course and they are studying at least 25% of the full-time equivalent. The course must last at least a year, 
  • Postgraduate study includes research and taught masters, doctorates, postgraduate diplomas and certificates. If you’re applying for a Postgraduate Loan for a part-time masters degree, the course must not last more than twice as long as the full-time equivalent,
  • Previous degree study will not affect your eligibility,
  • Unlike the loan system, students aged 60 or over may also apply for DSA,
  • You are responsible for obtaining and paying for any supporting evidence to establish your eligibility for DSA.

Most international students and students on short courses (for example, single modules) won't be eligible for DSA. In these circumstances, we would advise you to contact the Disability & Inclusion team as soon as possible in order to discuss the support you may need while studying at the University of Chester.​

Apprenticeships

If you are a disabled student studying on an Apprenticeship course, please speak with your tutors about your disability needs and they will liaise with us about how to set up funded support for you. This will be the equivalent of DSA support for non-apprentice students.

This can include being referred for an assessment of Specific Learning Differences (if applicable) or, if you have suitable medical evidence, arranging an Apprenticeship Needs Assessment to discuss what funded support you are entitled to.

Funding is broken down into 4 distinct types of support:

  • Equipment allowance for specialist supportive equipment and assistive technology, for example, computer software, ergonomic aids.
  • Non-medical helper allowance to pay for support services, for example, specialist one-to-one study skills or a specialist mentor.
  • Travel allowance to cover additional travel costs incurred due to your disability.
  • General allowance for small, ongoing additional expenses that you might have because of your disability, for example, extra printer paper or photocopying.

You can't use this funding to pay for:

  • Daily living expenses.
  • The cost of medicines.
  • Any course related costs that non-disabled students would be expected to pay for i.e. course text books.
  • Cost of personal care that would ordinarily be provided by social services.

Please contact your tutor to discuss your disability-related needs and send them copies of your medical evidence. Alternatively, you can send this directly to us at disability@chester.ac.uk 

Once we receive your medical evidence, we will speak with the Apprenticeships team so they can arrange for you to have an Apprenticeship Needs Assessment. This will be a meeting between you and a needs assessor to determine what funded support you can access. The assessor will then create a Needs Assessment report within the next 10 working days, highlighting what you are eligible for.

Further information on suitable evidence can be found on Setting up Support page under Acceptable evidence of disability. 

Once you confirm you are happy with the Needs Assessment report, a copy will be sent to us so we can create an Entitlement Letter. This is the final step, which outlines what type of funded support you can now access and how you can arrange this support directly with the providers.

If you are granted specialist equipment, the Apprenticeships team will speak with those providers to confirm university-funded support. Once this is confirmed, the Apprenticeships team will ask you to arrange delivery of the equipment directly with the providers. It will be your responsibility to arrange this.