BPP University - Disabled student allowances

Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)

You will receive up to about 32,000 EUR per year (up to 27,783 GBP) to cover the additional study costs you incur as a result of a disability, illness or learning difficulty. You will never have to repay this amount. This is not a one-off cash payment. The amount is based on your individual needs, not on your income, and covers, for example, the cost of specialist equipment (e.g. a computer, for which you pay the first 200 GBP yourself), non-medical support staff such as a British Sign Language interpreter or a note-taker, taxi journeys to your place of study if you are unable to use public transport, and other disability-related study support such as additional printed materials. The scheme is administered by Student Finance England on behalf of the UK Government. You can receive this support on its own or in addition to your other student finance.

Who can apply

• Where you live: They live in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each operate their own separate systems.
• Your condition: You have a disability that affects your studies, such as a specific learning difficulty (e.g. dyslexia or ADHD), a mental health condition, a physical or sensory impairment, or a long-term illness such as cancer, chronic heart disease or HIV.
• Proof: You can provide evidence of this, for example, by means of a letter from your doctor, a report from a specialist or an education, health and care plan.
• Course: You are undertaking a bachelor’s or master’s degree programme in the UK lasting at least one year, or you are earning at least 30 credits as part of the ‘Lifelong Learning Entitlement’.
• Student finance: You are entitled to both a loan to cover your tuition fees and a loan to cover your living costs in full from Student Finance England.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.
• Not eligible: You are not eligible for this grant if you merely meet the criteria for a loan to cover your tuition fees, are already receiving equivalent support from another source (e.g. an NHS grant for students with disabilities or support from your higher education institution) or are undertaking higher education or a course leading to an academic qualification.

How to apply

You can apply for the grant via your online account with Student Finance England or by post using form DSA1. There is no fixed deadline. Once your eligibility has been confirmed, you will take part in an informal needs assessment (not a test), which will determine what support you are entitled to. It takes around 4 weeks to decide on your eligibility, and it can take up to 14 weeks for your support to be fully paid out.

How realistic are your chances?

This is not an award granted as part of a competition. It is an official entitlement: so if you live in England, are eligible for the full student finance package and can provide evidence of your medical condition, you will receive this support. The support is tailored to your individual needs and is not allocated to a fixed number of recipients. Please apply for the support well in advance, as processing can take several weeks.