Disabled Students Allowances

These allowances are intended to assist students with disabilities to benefit as fully as possible from their course. They are designed to cover special equipment, non-medical helpers and other general expenses.

Remember these allowances are not means-tested.   

Who's eligible?

Full-time and part-time students, including distance-learning students, with disabilities. If the course is part-time, you must complete it in no longer than twice the time taken to complete an equivalent full-time course. Postgraduate students, including distance-learning students,are also eligible.

Specialist Equipment Allowance

This allowance covers major items of equipment, the need for which arises from a disability, and which are necessary to enable a student to benefit fully from the course. It is payable at any time during the course, by one or more instalments, provided that the aggregated total of the payments does not exceed the maximum prescribed limit of £4795 for the whole course. If it is more economical, items of equipment should be leased rather than purchased, especially if the claim is made during the latter stages of the course.

Non-Medical Helper's Allowance

This allowance reimburses students up to a maximum of £12,135 each year for expenditure on personal helpers such as readers, lip speakers, note takers, non-medical carers, necessary for the student to benefit fully from the course. The maximum available is £9105 if you are studying part time. The authority must be satisfied  that the expenses are in respect of the student's disability, and arise as a direct consequence of attendance on the course. The provision of these allowances does not remove the duty of local Social Services to provide assistance towards personal care costs which would have been incurred irrespective of a student's attendance on a course.

General Disabled Student's Allowance

This allowance has a maximum of £1605 each year and provides for supplementary payments for disability related expenditure incurred because of attendance on the course. The allowance may be used for miscellaneous expenditure not covered by the specific allowances and to supplement expenditure on non-medical helpers and/or special equipment in excess of the maxima of the specific allowances.

Travel for Disabled Students

Reimbursement of travel expenses may also be claimed if, by reason of your disability, you incur additional expenditure. You will be asked to show how your disability incurs additional cost, and to provide medical evidence if necessary.