DEMOS Project - Module: Disability Awareness

Funding

For Universities

In 2000/01 HEFCE introduced mainstream disability funding for supporting disabled students.

The allocation is based on the number of disabled students who have claimed DSAs within your institution and is part of the total mainstream funding that your HEI receives from HEFCE. (HEFCE circular )

The funding is not ring-fenced but universities are advised to achieve at least base level provision for disabled students.

For students

Most groups of disabled students are now eligible to claim additional allowances to support them in higher education. These are known as the disabled students' allowances (DSAs).

DSAs comprise of:

Specialist equipment allowance (for such things as a PC with specialist software);
Non-medical helper's allowance (to pay support workers such as note takers);
General allowance (to cover other costs).

Before students can claim these allowances they must provide proof of their disability and will undergo an in depth assessment (usually by staff from an Access Centre ) to identify how they can be best supported.

| Previous || Table of Contents || Next |