Funding for disabled students at university

Going to university is a great opportunity to improve your career prospects, study subjects you enjoy and learn how to manage money. Here's how to make the most of the extra sources of funding and support available for disabled students.

What is the Special Support Grant?

The Special Support Grant is an alternative to the Maintenance Grant for people on low incomes. This includes students who get Disability Living Allowance and who are eligible for means-tested benefits, such as Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). The advantage of the Special Support Grant is that the Jobcentre doesn't count it as income.

The Special Support Grant is not available in Scotland.

Who pays for my disability support costs?

In higher education you can apply for Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs). DSAs are for extra costs you have on your course because of your disability. There are four categories:

• Specialist equipment allowance: for computer equipment, specialist software, furniture or training.

• Non-medical helper's allowance: for a support worker, sign language interpreter, or other personal assistance you need on your course.

• General expenditure allowance: for any costs not covered by the other allowances, for example, extra books or photocopying. It can also be used to 'top up' the specialist equipment and non-medical helper's allowances.

• Travel allowance: for extra travel costs you have because of your disability. For example, if you need a taxi when other students use public transport, you'll get the difference between the two fares. There is no travel allowance category in Scotland.

If you're a part-time student, the amount you can get depends on the 'intensity' of your course, or how much time you spend studying compared to a full-time student.

DSAs aren't means-tested. They're paid on top of any help you get through the standard student finance package, and you don't have to pay them back.

Who pays for my personal care?

If you go to university, even if you're studying in another part of the country, you should be able to take your care package with you. Sometimes students find it hard to get help from social services. However, just as universities must support you on your course, social services have a legal duty to help with your daily living needs.

You have the right to ask your local authority for a needs assessment to decide what services they're going to provide. Depending on your household income, your family may be asked to contribute to the costs.

What can I get if I'm a postgraduate student?

Getting money for postgraduate study is often very hard and most people have to get a mixture of funding from various sources. For most courses there is no financial support towards tuition fees, except for professional shortage areas, such as teaching or social work. Disabled graduates can try the Law Society Diversity Access Scheme for the Graduate Diploma in Law or Legal Practice Course, but scholarships from professional bodies and higher education institutions are few and far between.

Postgraduate students can apply for Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) towards extra disability-related costs.

Is there anything else I can apply for?

It's worth checking you're getting all the benefits you're entitled to. If you receive Disability Living Allowance you're likely to be eligible for Employment and Support Allowance and Housing Benefit, although Jobcentre Plus will consider part of your student loan as income. You should also make sure you apply for the standard package of higher education loans and grants.

In England, disabled students are one of the priority groups for support from Access to Learning Funds, which offer hardship grants for students in financial difficulty. These funds can also pay for the cost of a diagnostic assessment for dyslexia. Access Funds tend to run out quickly, so it's best to get your application in as early as possible. There are similar schemes across the UK, usually known as the Hardship Fund (Scotland), Financial Contingency Funds Scheme (Wales) or Support Fund (Northern Ireland).

A number of charitable trusts and foundations run their own grant schemes. Skill's information booklet Funding from charitable trusts lists those that support disabled students in particular.

By Tony Stevens

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