Disabled Students' Allowances 2025

Discover how to apply for non-repayable, needs-assessed Disabled Students' Allowances (DSA), designed to help university students with a mental health problem, long-term illness or other disability reach their full academic potential

DSA FUNDING AT A GLANCE

A non-repayable allowance of up to 拢27,783 (2025/26) for those living in England.
DSA funding is also available in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Available to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
For assistance with disability-related costs, including specialist equipment, a non-medical helper, additional travel and other study support.
An informal needs assessment determines the amount you can get.
Most payments will be made directly to the supplier of these goods/services.

What is the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)?

The DSA is a government scheme that helps to cover the study-related costs of higher education for students with:

a long-term illness
mental health condition or learning disability
other form of disability.

It's not means-tested, and it will not affect any other benefits or loans you receive to fund your undergraduate or postgraduate course.

How much can I receive?

The figures below are stipulated as a maximum; most students will get much less.

The DSA doesn't cover the cost of anything unrelated to your condition (such as standard course books) or costs associated with your disability that you'd still incur if you weren't studying.

For 2025/26, undergraduates and postgraduates eligible for DSA funding in England can receive a single allowance of up to 拢27,783.

Get the lowdown on DSAs in England at GOV.UK - Disabled Students' Allowance.

In Scotland, full-time students starting a postgraduate course can receive up to 拢27,405, which is broken down into a:

basic consumable items allowance of up to 拢1,725
equipment, software and accessories allowance of 拢5,160
non-medical personal help (NMPH) allowance of up to 拢20,520.

Read about DSA support in Scotland at the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).

Welsh students can expect to receive up to 拢34,000 for support towards the cost of:

specialist equipment
a non-medical helper
other general requirements.

Find out more by visiting Student Finance Wales - What's available.

In Northern Ireland, eligible students can receive up to 拢25,000 based on their individual needs.

To explore this further, see Student Finance NI.

International students are usually ineligible for DSA funding.

What does the DSA support cover?

While this does vary between each home nation, in England, this non-repayable grant can provide funding for:

Specialist equipment, such as a computer or laptop.
Non-medical helpers, tutors or mentors - for example, a specialist note-taker, a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter or a study skills tutor.
Travel costs for attending your course or placement due to your disability, e.g. taking a taxi if you can't use public transport.
Other study support, such as course materials in accessible formats, e.g. speech-to-text software.

Your background, household income and employment status won't affect the funding you're entitled to. DSA funding is needs-tested rather than means-tested, meaning you'll complete a needs assessment to determine the level of help you require.

Am I eligible for DSA?

General eligibility criteria

To receive DSA, you must:

live in England (or the home nation you're applying to)
meet the definition of disabled under the Equality Act 2010 - you have a physical or mental impairment that has a 'substantial' and 'long-term' (12 months or more) negative effect on your ability to complete simple daily tasks
prove that you're disabled using one of the methods below
be an undergraduate or postgraduate student (including distance learning)
qualify for student finance from Student Finance England (or other funding body)
be studying a course that lasts at least a year.

Proving your eligibility

Depending on the nature of your condition, you can provide one of the following:

Disability or long-term health condition - submit a report or letter from your doctor. Alternatively, you can complete the鈥�disability evidence form.
Mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression - provide a copy of a letter or report from your doctor. You also have the option of filling out the disability evidence form.
Specific learning difficulties, such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), dyslexia or dyspraxia - arrange for a practitioner psychologist or specialist teacher to provide a copy of a diagnostic assessment.

You may be able to get additional help for the costs of a new diagnostic assessment.

Examples of situations where you aren't eligible for DSA

an international student applying for tuition fee-only funding
if you're receiving equivalent support from another funding source, such as the NHS Disabled Students Allowance, your university or a鈥疪esearch Council
those on a higher or degree apprenticeship.

Is my course eligible?

Most full-time postgraduate courses are eligible for DSA funding, including:

Your course is eligible if you're studying it part time. However, the total duration of the course must not be more than twice as long as the full-time equivalent.

You can't receive DSA student finance while undertaking a paid work placement as part of a sandwich course.

Discover if your course is eligible for DSA funding at GOV.UK - DSA eligibility.

How do I apply for DSA?

The DSA application process follows a similar structure across all parts of the UK.

You'll register with the relevant student finance organisation for your country, such as Student Finance England.
On the relevant website, you'll need to complete and then submit a DSA application form. For students living in England, this is the DSA1 form for the year you're applying, e.g. 2025/26.
Your administrative body will also ask for evidence of your disability in addition to your application form.
You'll receive confirmation of whether your application has been successful within six weeks.
After you receive your DSA eligibility letter, a supplier (such as Capita or Study Tech) will contact you to arrange a needs assessment appointment.

Please note that setting up your DSA support can take up to 14 weeks, as this is done separately. The money will typically be paid directly to the suppliers of your additional equipment.

Only some allowance costs can be paid to you directly. If this applies to you, it will be explained in your entitlement letter.

If you're already getting DSA, you can complete a DSA expenses claim form to claim back your expenses. If you're moving straight from undergraduate study to postgraduate study, you may not need a new needs assessment, but you must check this first.

It's always best to apply as soon as you can to allow for any delays or errors with your application. Postgraduate students have to reapply for DSA funding for every year of study.

What does the needs assessment involve?

The needs assessment is an informal session that lasts approximately two hours and can be held in person or remotely.

You'll discuss your course with your assessor to determine the kind of help that would best suit your needs.

The supplier will then provide you with:

a recommendations report based on the assessment
an entitlement letter detailing the support you can get
further instructions on purchasing your equipment and arranging any assistive technology training required.

It's important not to make any equipment purchases before you've been contacted by the relevant body, as you won't be reimbursed.

What alternatives to DSA are there?

Research Council-funded students can apply for additional disability-related financial support from their research organisation. This is also called a DSA, but it isn't related to the main government DSA and cannot be received in conjunction with it.

Contact the named disability adviser at your research organisation to arrange a needs assessment directly with them, as it's the organisation that provides the funding. Read more about Research Council funding.

Alternatively, if you're ineligible to receive DSA, you may be able to find other forms of postgraduate funding for disabled students at your university, as well as through various charities and foundations. For instance, there may be a number of Masters scholarships and bursaries鈥痮n offer.

Discover all types of funding for postgraduate study.

Find out more

Search for postgraduate courses.
Explore neurodiversity in the workplace.
Read the complete guide to DSAs from Compare the Market.