Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA): Northern Ireland
Deaf students taking higher education courses may be eligible for funding.
This information is for families of deaf children and young people in Northern Ireland. Read our information for England, Scotland and Wales.
Lots of people do not consider deafness to be a disability. Even if you do not consider yourself to be disabled, you may still be eligible for extra financial support in higher education.
Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is a government grant for disabled students in higher education. DSA covers extra disability-related costs, over and above reasonable adjustments. It is available to students taking eligible higher education courses at HNC level or above.
Reasonable adjustments
In school, additional support is paid for by the school or Education Authority (EA). It works slightly differently in higher education.
Colleges and universities have a responsibility to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students. Reasonable adjustments are often small and inexpensive changes made to improve accessibility.
Refusing or failing to make reasonable adjustments is discrimination.
A university would be expected to, for example:
- make sure lecturer’s faces are well-lit in lecture halls
- provide materials in advance
- provide deaf awareness training for staff
- provide one-to-one support
Understanding DSA
Any support needed, in addition to reasonable adjustments, will be the student’s responsibility and may be expensive. Additional support at university may be covered by DSA.
DSA is a government grant which pays for the extra costs a disabled student might have while studying.
Eligibility criteria
To claim DSA your child must:
- normally live in the UK
- qualify for student finance (studentfinanceni), even if they do not claim it
- be taking an eligible higher education course at college or university, at HNC level or above. Eligible courses include full or part-time undergraduate or postgraduate courses in the UK or the Republic of Ireland. The course must be at least 1 year, as short courses are not eligible.
- have a disability, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty
Deafness meets the definition of a disability.
How grants work
DSA is a grant. This means that unlike a loan, DSA doesn't have to be paid back. Any equipment bought with an allowance belongs to the student.
DSA is not means tested. Unlike student loans, how much a student gets does not depend on the family’s income. If eligible, the same amount of DSA is available to all undergraduates.
Disability Rights UK has information about funding from charitable trusts.
Students can qualify for DSA even if they have claimed for a different course before. If a student has completed an undergraduate degree and would like to continue their education, they will still be eligible for DSA. However, the amount they get may depend on what they’ve received before.
Note about interpreters
Deaf students may find that DSA does not cover the full cost of British Sign Language (BSL) or Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreters. If this is the case, talk to a disability adviser at college or university. Universities may be required to top-up if the maximum amount of DSA is used. There may be additional funding available from other sources.
What DSA can cover
Non-medical support
- interpreters for British Sign Language (BSL), Irish Sign Language (ISL) or Sign supported English (SSE)
- specialist notetakers (only notetakers with a qualification in taking notes for deaf students)
- electronic notetakers
- speech-to-text reporters/palantypists
Specialist equipment
- radio aids
- specialised software, such as speech-to-text software
- a computer to run recommended software printers and scanners
- insurance, repairs or extended warranty for specialist equipment
General or other costs
- photocopying
- additional disability-related travel costs because of a mobility impairment
DSA does not cover
- disability-related costs a deaf young person would have even if they were not studying
- study costs that every student might have. General student finance is available to cover study costs unrelated to a disability.
Applying for DSA
Apply for DSA with Student Finance NI. For NHS-funded courses, apply with NHS Student Bursaries for DSA.
Apply for DSA as early as possible because it can take up to 3 months to arrange. The earliest students can apply for DSA is at the same time as they complete their online UCAS application. DSA applications can be submitted before a place on a course has been confirmed.
Whether a student is preparing to start university or college (for higher education courses) or they have already started, it is not too late to apply for DSA.
Students can apply for DSA at any point during their studies. Before applying for DSA, it can be helpful to have a discussion with the disability adviser at the university or college.
The form
Filling in the form to apply for DSA is relatively simple. Deaf students should include details of their deafness and how it affects them.
Include evidence, such as:
- a letter from a doctor or Teacher of the Deaf (ToD)
- statement of special educational needs (SEN), if they have one
Some deaf students have other health conditions or disabilities in addition to their deafness. Include evidence of any other health conditions or disabilities in the same application.
DSA assessment
When a DSA application is received, the student will be asked to go for an assessment.
They will need to book an appointment with an assessment centre by phone or email. The assessment centre should arrange communication support. Assessments and equipment, such as radio aids, are organised by Capita or Study Tech. Which provider depends on the area a student lives.
We know that some deaf students worry about the idea of an assessment. Especially if they’ve had assessments for other things in the past where they have not felt listened to. DSA assessments are generally different. Some assessors do lack knowledge about deafness. They may not completely understand the support a deaf student may need. However, the purpose of the assessment is to help. They are to discuss a student's needs and potential solutions that DSA could fund.
A DSA assessment may involve:
- discussion about the course (structure, content or work placements)
- questions about the support needed
- trying different equipment or software
- deciding what support is best for your child to do their chosen course
Following the assessment, the assessor will write a report and send it to Student Finance NI. Keep a copy of this report.
DSA decision and what to do next
Student Finance NI will write to confirm whether a student has been given DSA entitlement. In this letter, they will explain how to order recommended equipment. They will also recommend contacting the disability adviser at the college or university.
University disability advisers may arrange any support funded by DSA. It is more likely that Student Finance NI will pay DSA direct to suppliers or service providers (non-medical helper agencies). The DSA letter will explain which non-medical helper agency they've been allocated. Contact them as soon as possible to start confirming details. For BSL users, for example, sharing the course timetable for interpreters.
In some circumstances, they may pay DSA directly to a student. If DSA is paid to a student, they must provide receipts or evidence of how they spend the money. If they do not provide this, Student Finance may stop further payments or ask for the money back.
The assessor may identify support that a student needs but is not covered by DSA. This should be provided and paid for by the college or university as a reasonable adjustment. Discuss any reasonable adjustments not being made with a disability adviser.
Challenge a DSA decision
If a student's DSA application is turned down, they can ask for an explanation or to have their case reviewed.
If their application is successful but they’re unhappy with the entitlement, they can contact Student Finance NI to discuss it. It may be worth getting advice from a disability adviser before doing this. For further support, contact our Helpline.
If a student is unhappy with the service they have received, they can make a complaint to Student Finance NI.
If circumstances change
If a student's circumstances changes, they should let Student Finance NI know. This includes:
- leaving a course
- repeating a year
- changing course or university
- a change in their condition that affects their needs
Students changing course or university should be able to transfer their DSA support. However, this can mean that their support needs change. Contact the DSA needs assessor to update the report or arrange a top-up assessment.
More information
Full references for this webpage are available by emailing
informationteam@ndcs.org.uk