Next steps after completing DSA application: England Applying for Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA): England

After receiving your Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) application, Student Finance England will contact you to confirm whether you’re eligible. If you are eligible, you'll be asked to book a needs assessment. 

Needs assessment for DSA application 

A needs assessment is not a test or an assessment of your disability. It is a collaborative meeting between you and a study needs assessor to discuss your specific study support needs. 

You’ll be asked to book your needs assessment at an assessment centre. Don’t book an assessment until you have confirmation from Student Finance England to go ahead. The assessment fee is covered by your DSA, so you don’t have to pay for it. 

After you’ve had your needs assessment, you’ll receive a report with recommendations for your support. Ask the assessor how long it will take to receive the report, so you know when to expect it. 

If you agree with the recommendations, sign and return the report to Student Finance England. Within 14 days of sending the signed report you’ll receive a letter of entitlement listing the support and equipment that has been approved for you. 

Receiving the agreed DSA support 

Your letter of entitlement will explain how the funds you’ve been allocated will be paid. Follow the instructions in the letter to contact suppliers to put in place your support and equipment. 

If your DSA is paying for a new computer or laptop to run assistive software for you, you’ll need to pay a £200 contribution towards it. However, you may be able to get this reimbursed through the OU study-related costs fund. For more information see Contribution towards the cost of a DSA funded PC/Laptop.

If you’re not eligible for or have reached the maximum of your DSA

You can contact the Disability Support Team at the Open University (OU) to discuss options for other sources of funding and support.

Other sources of funding 

Alternative funding, separate from the OU and DSA, might be available, for example: 

• Access to work

  If you're studying for an apprenticeship, speak to your employer about Access to Work.

• The Snowdon Trust

  Assists people with disabilities to access vocational and academic courses in the UK by awarding grants for equipment and essential study needs. Awards are only made where funding cannot be met through other channels and students are expected to have applied for DSA or have confirmation that they are ineligible for DSA.

• Student Health Association - Student Enablement Fund

  Helping students with disabilities to access funding for study-related costs. Students are expected to apply for DSA before applying to the Student Enablement Fund.