University of Birmingham - Support for students with disabilities

Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) at the University of Birmingham

You will receive a grant of up to about EUR 32,000 (£27,783) per year to cover the additional study costs arising from a disability. This is a grant, not a loan, so you will never have to repay this amount. The amount of the grant does not depend on your income or your parents’ income, and it does not affect any other benefits you may be receiving. The DSA covers the costs of assistive technology such as a computer, screen-reading software, Braille printers and speech recognition software. It also covers the costs of support professionals such as a dyslexia tutor, a specialist note-taker, a sign language interpreter or a mental health mentor. Furthermore, it covers disability-related travel to the university as well as one-to-one coaching to improve learning skills. The grant is funded by the government; the University of Birmingham will assist you with the application and organisation.

Who can apply

• Where you study: You are enrolled at the University of Birmingham as a Bachelor’s or Master’s student.
• Disability: You have a condition that affects your ability to learn, such as dyslexia or other learning difficulties, a mental health condition or a chronic illness.
• Course length: Your course lasts at least 12 months.
• Residence: You are based in the UK. International students are not eligible for DSA, but may be able to claim funding from their university.
• Age: There is no age limit. You can still apply even if you are older than 60, and previous degrees do not disqualify you.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.

How to apply

You should submit your application to the national student finance body responsible for your place of residence: Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales, the Students’ Awards Agency Scotland or Student Finance NI. You will need to provide evidence of your disability, such as a doctor’s certificate or a comprehensive diagnostic report on a specific learning difficulty. An informal assessment interview will then take place to determine which benefits you are eligible for. The process can take up to 14 weeks, so please apply for funding well in advance. You can usually submit your application from March onwards, before the start of your course.

How realistic are your chances?

This is not a competitive scholarship with a limited number of places. It is an entitlement: if you are resident in the UK, have a qualifying medical condition and are undertaking a course of study lasting at least 12 months, you will receive support based on your assessed needs rather than on a ranking against other applicants. The biggest risk is the time involved, as the process can take up to 14 weeks. You should therefore start your application as early as possible before your course begins.