Disabled Students Allowance is a grant that is available for people staring an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that need extra support because of their disability or health condition. The amount of support you get depends on your individual needs not your household income and does not need to be paid back unlike other forms of student finance.
How much is it worth?
Students starting their course in 2025/2026 can get up to £27,783 a year of support depending on the needs of the person applying. DSA can support you across a number of different areas such as:
- Specialist equipment including a computer if you require one because of your disability
- Specialist software such as magnification or dictation software if you require it
- Training for equipment and software
- Non-medical helpers such as note takers, BSL interpreters ect
- Extra travel to attend your course or placement if you struggle with limited mobility
And many more. Anything you need support with while studying that is because of your disability you should mention when you meet with the assessor.
Eligibility
You can apply for disabled students allowance if you live in the UK and have a disability that affects your ability to study such as:
- Specific learning disability
- Mental health condition
- Physical disability
- Sensory disability
- Long term health condition
You must also meet the following criteria:
- Be an undergraduate or postgraduate student (including at Open University or through Distance Learning)
- Be eligible for both a tuition loan and a maintenance loan from student finance
- Studying on a course that lasts at least a year
How to apply
You can apply for DSA when you apply for student finance. If you have done so already it will be in your to do list (if you have noted that you will be apply for it for other support) or you can go to the tab that says change in circumstances and change your answers to include DSA.
Need more information?
For more information on DSA follow the link below.
