Starting your DSA application: Northern Ireland Applying for Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA): Northern Ireland
How and where you apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is different depending on where you live in the UK. The following information is for students living in Northern Ireland.
The funding body that provides DSA for students living in Northern Ireland is Student Finance NI.
DSA is not available to apprenticeship learners. You may be eligible for Access to Work (NI) which you can discuss with your apprenticeship employer.
Applying for DSA in Northern Ireland
Hi there, my name is Madeleine. I'm one of the Educational Advisors in the Student Support team for the Open University in Ireland office. I just wanted to speak to you today about disability support and the different things that we can support students with when they let us know about a disability.
Title on screen: What is DSA?
DSA stands for Disabled Students’ Allowance, and this is funding that's provided by Student Finance Northern Ireland and for short, we'll refer to them as SFNI when we're in contact with you. So, the DSA is funding that's not paid directly to students, but it goes towards essential study costs as a direct result of a disability when a student is studying.
Title on screen: How do I apply for DSA?
To apply for DSA, you can get the application forms directly from the SFNI website.
Words on screen: To find out more search: Student Finance NI disability.
And at that stage once you've completed your application, we would then ask you to send it directly to us.
Words on screen: Email: Ireland-dsa@open.ac.uk, Post: 110 Victoria St Belfast BT1 3GN.
You can send that to the Belfast office directly in the post or you can e-mail your application form to Ireland-DSA@open.ac.uk.
Once you've done that, we then complete our relevant section, and we forward it on to SFNI for assessment and their consideration.
So that's the first part done and then the next part of the DSA process is that once SFNI have assessed that, they'll then get back in touch to confirm whether or not you're eligible for DSA. At that stage the university, ourselves are contacted as well and we'll then reach out to you and what's called a Needs Assessor to arrange a needs assessment appointment.
Title on screen: What is a Needs Assessment appointment?
Really it’s just an appointment, it's a collaborative supportive meeting where a Needs Assessor will talk to you about your conditions and how you feel they may impact on your studies. During that appointment they'll also discuss strategies with you and different things that would help you in line with your disability and your studies while you're studying with us. The needs assessment appointment is not a test of your academic ability or health and DSA is not means tested.
Title on screen: How long does DSA last?
Once awarded, your DSA will remain in place for the duration of your course. However, at any time during your studies, if you do wish to discuss any changes to your DSA support, please do get in contact with us and we'd encourage you to do so, and at that stage we can explore this further with you.
Title on screen: What happens if I have a disability but I’m not eligible for DSA?
If you're not eligible for DSA, don't worry, we'd still encourage you to get in touch and we'll discuss other available support.
Timescales for applying for DSA
The DSA application form becomes available in May or June for the next academic year starting in August. Each year Student Finance NI will announce when you can apply for DSA for the new academic year on their website, Student Finance NI. You can apply for DSA anytime from when the application form becomes available and throughout the academic year.
It can take up to four months to complete the full process from starting the application to receiving your support. To have everything in place for when you start studying, we recommend you apply for DSA four months before your module starts.
Eligibility for DSA
To be eligible for DSA, you must have at least one of the following:
- a long-term health condition such as cancer, HIV, or chronic heart disease
- a learning difficulty like dyslexia, ADHD, or dyspraxia
- a physical disability such as being partially sighted, blind or using crutches
- a mental health condition, for example, depression or anxiety.
You'll also need to:
- be studying a minimum of 30 credits per year
- be studying towards a qualification of at least 60 credits that involves at least one year of study
- meet the residency criteria as outlined by Student Finance Northern Ireland
- provide evidence of a disability or specific learning difficulty.
Where to apply for DSA
The DSA application process is handled by Student Finance NI.
For an overview of the process on the Student Finance NI website, select the link that applies to you:
- DSA for part-time undergraduate Northern Ireland students
- DSA for postgraduate Northern Ireland students
Be prepared to provide evidence with your application
As you complete your application form, you’ll be asked for evidence for some of the information you provide. The guidance notes will explain what evidence is required and whether it needs to be the original document or a copy.
