Disabled Students Allowances 20092010 provisional

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Disabled Students Allowances2009/2010
(provisional)
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Contents

• Disabled Students Allowances (DSA)
• Evidence
• Allowances 2008/2009 for illustration purposes
• Application
• Further assistance

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Disabled Students Allowances (DSA)

• To help pay for extra costs that a student may
  incur as a direct result of their disability
• DSA can help with
• the cost of a non-medical personal helper
• items of specialist equipment
• reasonable travel costs
• consumables

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Disabled Students Allowances (DSA)

• Amounts depend on level of need up to specified
  maximums
• Non-repayable
• Not dependent on household income
• Does not affect benefit entitlement
• Not age-limited

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Eligibility

• DSA can be awarded to students studying
• full-time and part-time undergraduate courses
  or
• certain full-time and part-time postgraduate
  courses
• AND who can prove they have a disability, mental
  health condition, or specific learning difficulty
  which affects their ability to study
• Including Open University and other
  distance-learning courses

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Eligibility (continued)

• Students are NOT eligible for DSA if
• They are a European Union student only eligible
  for support with fees
• They are a sandwich course student on a full-year
  placement or in receipt of an NHS bursary

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Eligibility (continued)

• Postgraduate students are not eligible for DSA if
  they receive
• An NHS or Social Work bursary
• A bursary or award from a Research Council
• A bursary from their university or college which
  includes support that is equal to DSA

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Evidence

• Students need to supply details of their
  disability
• Recent medical evidence of a physical disability
  or mental health condition, such as a letter
  from doctor or consultant or
• A full diagnostic assessment of Specific
  Learning Difficulties, carried out after the
  students 16th birthday
• The cost of providing this must be met by the
  student

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Allowances 2008/2009 Full-time
2009/2010 may differ

• Specialist equipment allowance up to 5,030 for
  entire course
• Non-medical helpers allowance up to 20,000
  per year
• General Disabled Students Allowances up to
  1,680 per year
• Reasonable spending on travel costs over and
  above those which any other student may incur

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Allowances 2008/2009 Part-time
2009/2010 may differ

• Specialist equipment allowance up to 5,030 for
  entire course
• Non-medical helpers allowance percentage of
  the full-time rate, depending on workload of the
  course, up to 15,000 per year
• General allowance a percentage, as above, up to
  a maximum of 1,260 per year
• Reasonable travel costs

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Allowances 2008/2009 Postgraduate
2009/2010 may differ

• One allowance to meet all costs of up to 10,000
  per year for both full-time and part-time
  postgraduate students
• The amount awarded depends on the Needs
  Assessment report

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Application Process (1)

• Students should apply as soon as they can, to
  avoid delay
• Tick DSA box when applying
• Easier and quicker if evidence is sent in with
  main application
• Once eligibility is confirmed, student will be
  asked to attend a Needs Assessment this cost
  is met automatically by DSA

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Application Process (2)

• On receipt of a Needs Assessment, the student
  will be informed of the level of help available
  from DSA and how to arrange this
• The student may purchase any authorised equipment
  before their course starts but may be asked to
  repay amounts, or return equipment, if they
  withdraw or do not attend
• Open University and NHS students apply to their
  awarding authority

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Further Assistance

• SKILL National Bureau for Students with
  Disabilities
• www.skill.org.uk
• Disability Officer at the University or College
• Student Finance England
• www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

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Any Questions?