It is that time of year when we are thinking of starting or returning to University. Hopefully Student Finance England have approved your application, but did you know that you can also apply for DSA – Disabled Student’s Allowance?
To qualify for DSA you will need a current, medical diagnosis. This can include physical as well as neurological conditions and mental health issues.
Once your application to DSA has been made you will be required to attend an assessment with a local assessors’ company. This appointment is extremely important as the assessor will be looking at what you need whilst undertaking your course. At this point I would like to add if you are already part way through your degree you can still apply for DSA.
There are many things that the assessor can recommend for you. These might include; a laptop, software, a guide, mentoring, a reader or scribe, study skills, in fact the list is extremely long and will be fashioned to your particular needs.
Once your assessment has been completed the assessor will send the report to DSA where it will be looked at and approved where possible. DSA will then allocate different companies to supply the recommended equipment and support. This will be sent to you by letter, called a DSA2.
It is then your responsibility to contact the companies allocated to arrange delivery of equipment along with training on how to use the equipment. You would also need to contact the companies allocated for your support needs. For example, if you are allocated mentoring, study skills or any other services with CoomberSewell Enterprises, you would then ring us on 07789685185 or email us on info@coombersewell.co.uk to arrange an initial meeting to discuss dates, times and venues for meetings. Due to the current Covid pandemic we are meeting all our clients on Zoom (except for library assistance, of course). Meetings normally take place once a week during semesters, at a mutually agreed time. After each meeting your non-medical helper would complete two pieces of paperwork, one is an overview of the session and the second is to document the date, time and location of the meeting. These would then be posted to you once a month for your approval and signature. On your returning them to us we would submit an invoice to DSA for payment.
It is important to remember that although you are not paying, DSA is, you will have entered into a contract with us for services, so signing and returning is your part of the contract.
We hope that with this explanation of the DSA system, you now feel confident to start or continue this part of your University journey.