Disabled students allowance

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) is a Government grant in the United Kingdom (UK) available to students in Higher education, originally established by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).^[1]

1 Background
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Background

The scheme is for students in England and Wales,^[2] with a similar scheme in Scotland^[3]^[4] and Northern Ireland [1]
DSA's are grants to help toward meeting the additional studying costs or expenses that students face as a direct result of a disability or specific learning difficulty. They are intended to help disabled students study on an equal basis with other students. Full-time, part-time and postgraduate students all qualify for help, and the DSA's are paid on top of the standard student finance package and are not means-tested.^[1]

The Disabled Students Allowance consists of three elements:
an equipment allowance,
non-medical helpers allowance
and a general allowance.

In addition to this there is the possibility of travel related expenses to also be met in certain circumstances. All funds can only be spent on education related support. The equipment allowance is used to obtain any assistive equipment (e.g. assistive computer software and hardware, recording devices, ergonomic items) which may be required to facilitate full access to the course and the institution. Non-medical help relates to any human support, such as note-taking or the use of sign language interpreters, that may be required. The general allowance is typically used to cover the cost of sundry items. Possible examples include paying for internet connections, book (under some circumstances), ink cartridges and paper, photocopying or coloured overlays.

The DSA is a Student Finance Direct initiative and the administration of this grant in England is currently being transferred from Local Education Authorities (LEA)'s to the Student Loan Company.^{[citation needed]} In Wales it will remain the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government, and continue to be administered by the individual local authorities.

To receive funds from the DSA, students must pass the basic eligibility checks for Student Finance Direct products as well as the criteria for disability, by providing the LEA with written proof of the students disability from a medical professional.^[1] For those with a specific learning disability (e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia) suitable proof can be in the form of a report from an appropriately qualified and approved individual such as an Edncational Psychologist or Specialist Teacher. The only other requirement is that any report be completed when the individual in question is over the age of sixteen. Most universities will be able to put students in touch with an appropriately qualified person who can assess them and produce an acceptable report. For other disabilities and medical conditions correspondence from a doctor or consultant is generally sufficient. The LEA then asks the student to have an assessement to establish exactly what help they need to help them with their studies.^[1] Proving eligibility in the above manner is sustaining the medical model of disability[2] and at odds with the social model of disability[3].

Assessments are conducted by approved centres, often located within universities although a few operate as private companies. The assessment of need is intended to identify the specific details of support for each individual student. Lasting anywhere from 90 to 180 minutes (possibly more, split over more than one appointment, for complex cases) they should cover all of the potential support needs that may arise. A report is produced that contains recommendations for support, including any equipment. For students with dyslexia these reports are generally the same, invariable citing a computer and assistive software as being essential and recommending additional tuition with a dyslexia specialist. The reports have to be approved by the student's local education authority. Once approval is given, invariably without any dispute or disagreement, arrangements for purchase of equipment and facilitation of human support (where appropriate) can be made. Universities often have the ability to facilitate human support in-house but training the use of assistive technology (including computer hardware and software) usually requires contact with an external trainer. Some assessment centers also provide this kind of training although the issue of conflicting interests[4] can arise since the assessment stating both a need for equipment and a need for training with that equipment comes from the organization most likely to deliver that training. The assessment center is paid for their work from the DSA funds (approximately £550 a time) thus reducing the total amount of funds available to the student. Training providers and those facilitating human support to students with disabilities add an administration premium when invoicing a student's local authority. This is regarded as acceptable practice even though it further depletes the funds available for supporting each individual. In practice this premium can be as much as 40%. Higher Education institutions receive a nominal amount of funding for each student confirmed as being in receipt of DSA[5]. This comes from the Funding Councils[6] and not out of individual student's DSA.

In Autumn 2000 the grants were extended to include to include those studying part-time as well as full-time.^[5] The DfES estimated that in the year 2002-03, 25,000 DSA claims were accepted in the UK.^[6]

A report on the BBC Ouch! website in 2003 claimed that some disabled students did not have their equipment and/or an agreement in place from their LEA when they arrived at university. SKILL, the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities, a charity that helps disabled students in Higher education, claimed that, this was due to the "Efficiency of the LEA, coupled with fitting into an assessment timetable all within the short time-frame between exam results being released (mid-August) and the start of the new term at university (late September)".^[6] That same year though, new working methods were introduced that helped cut down any delays.^[6]

Prospective students planning to enter higher education are free to apply for DSA from approximately the April prior to the commencement of their course. Students already enrolled on a course can apply at any time. However, LEA's will make financial decisions taking into account the amount of time a student's course has to run. Those administering the funds are responsible for ensuring they are spent in an appropriate manner are it is very unlikely that a student applying for the first time with just a few months of their course left would be approved a large package of support, especially in terms of equipment.

Currently the amount of funding from DSA for a full-time undergraduate is:
Equipment allowance - £4,905
Non-medical help allowance - £12,420
General allowance - £1,640 [7]

The equipment allowance amount is for the duration of the course. The non-medical help and general allowances are annual figures. Where payable there is currently no upper limit on travel expenses. Part-time students receive proportionate amounts depending on the intensity of their study. Postgraduates have not previously been as well funded as undergraduates. The amounts for all applicants are set to increase from 2008/09.[8]