Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA): Scotland
This information is for families of deaf children and young people in Scotland. Read our information for England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Lots of people don't consider deafness to be a disability. Even if you don't 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.
Watch these British Sign Language (BSL) videos explaining Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) (SAAS).
In school, additional support is paid for by the school or local authority. 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 an education provider can make to improve accessibility.
Refusing or failing to make reasonable adjustments is discrimination.
A university would be expected to:
- make sure lecturer’s faces are well-lit in lecture halls
- provide materials in advance
- provide deaf awareness training for staff
- one-to-one support.
Find more examples of reasonable adjustments that may be available in higher education (Disability Information Scotland).
Understanding Disabled Students’ Allowance (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 Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).
DSA is a government grant which pays for the extra costs a disabled student might have while studying.
DSA eligibility criteria
To claim DSA, students must:
- normally live in the UK
- qualify for student finance, even if they don’t claim it
- be taking an eligible higher education course at college or university, at HNC level or above, including a full or part-time undergraduate or postgraduate course in the UK
- 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 doesn't depend on the family’s income. If eligible, the same amount of DSA is available to all undergraduates.
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.
Top-up funding for interpreters
Deaf students may find that DSA doesn’t cover the full cost of British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters. If this is the case, talk to a disability adviser at college or university. Under the Equality Act 2010, universities may be required to top-up if the maximum amount of DSA is used. There may be additional funding available from other sources. Disability Rights UK has information about funding from charitable trusts.
What DSA can cover
Non-medical support:
- interpreters for British Sign Language (BSL) or Sign supported English (SSE)
- notetakers, including specialist notetakers
- 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/other costs:
- photocopying
- additional disability-related travel costs because of a mobility impairment.
DSA does not cover:
- disability-related costs a student would have even if they weren’t studying
- study costs that every student might have. There is general student finance available, such as loans and bursaries to cover study costs unrelated to a disability.
Applying for DSA
Apply for DSA with Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). For NHS-funded courses, apply with NHS Student Bursaries for DSA.
Apply for DSA as early as possible because it can take up to three 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 isn’t 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)
- documentation of additional support needs or a Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP), if they have one.
Some deaf students have other conditions or disabilities, in addition to their deafness. Include evidence of other 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 haven’t 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 to help a deaf student access their chosen course.
Following the assessment, the assessor will write a report and send it to SAAS. Keep a copy of this report.
DSA decision and what to do next
SAAS 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 advisor at the college or university.
University disability advisors may arrange any support funded by the DSA. It is more likely that SAAS 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 don’t provide this, SAAS may stop further payments or ask for the money back.
The assessor may identify support that a student needs but isn’t covered by DSA. This should be provided and paid for by the college or university as a reasonable adjustment. Discuss reasonable adjustments not being made this with a disability advisor.
Challenging 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 SAAS to discuss it. It may be worth getting advice from a disability advisor before doing this or contacting our Helpline for further support.
If a student is unhappy with the service they have received, they can make a complaint to SAAS. SAAS has more information about their complaints procedure (SAAS).
If circumstances change
If a student's circumstances changes, they should let SAAS 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.