Most students studying at Queen Mary University of London who are from the United Kingdom with a Specific Learning Difference (SpLD) e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia or ADHD, a disability or a long-standing mental health issue will be eligible for the DSA. The best way to think of the DSA is as a non-means tested grant which pays for the additional support that a disabled student needs to get through their course – that said, it can only be used to pay for services, e.g. Specialist One to One Study Skills Support or equipment.
The majority of students at Queen Mary University of London will have their DSA award administered by Student Finance England, but if they are from another part of the United Kingdom then their national equivalent body will deal with it, i.e. Student Finance Northern Ireland, Student Finance Wales or the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). For medical and dental students in the final years of their degree programmes their awards will be administered by the NHS Student Bursaries department.
We have produced a DSA Process Guide for SpLD Students [DOC 43KB] flow chart for students with SpLDs. An accessible description of this is available in our DSA Process Guide [DOC 15KB]. If you would like to request a copy of our DSA process guide for SpLD students in an alternative format please contact us.
More information is provided by the government on their website and an overview is presented in the video below.
Transcript of Disabled Students' Allowances Video [DOC 15KB]
A selection of other videos explaining DSAs and other financial support are available from Student Finance England.
Rather than regurgitate the information that is already available through the government website linked to in the last paragraph, this webpage is designed to answer some of the frequently asked questions which students have in relation to their DSA award and also to explain the role of the Disability and Dyslexia Service versus that of your DSA needs assessor (and the assessment centre that they work for).
DSA underwent a major restructure in 2024, resulting in the government contracting two new suppliers to provide DSA services for students funded by SFE and SFW. These are Study Tech and Capita. Students are allocated a supplier by their funding body based upon their geographical location. These suppliers provide students with a single point of contact throughout their DSA journey.
The result of this is that a number of smaller independent Needs Assessment centres have closed as needs assessments are now organised directly by Study Tech and Capita. Similarly, most equipment and assistive technology training will also be provided directly by these two companies.
The restructure is intended to make the process of applying for and accessing DSA more straightforward and efficient for students. Students who had a needs assessment prior to February 2024 should be aware that if they require any new support, they may need to undergo a new needs assessment (a ‘review of needs’) if their needs assessment centre closed due to the restructuring.
Please note: No changes have been made to the DSA process for Student Finance Northern Ireland or the Students Awards Agency Scotland.
Our needs assessment page explains in great detail the processes involved with attending a needs assessment. Your needs assessment is commissioned and paid for independently, by your DSA funding body, e.g. Student Finance England. They pay the assessment centre who conduct the assessment to produce the report, which includes justification of the recommendations and costings, along with multiple quotes.
If you wish to change any aspect of the report, e.g. a different computer, or different human support, this has to be communicated to the DSA funding body by the needs assessor as the author and owner of that report.
NB: the needs assessment fee covers not just the initial assessment and its report, but any additional queries relating to the student so long as they remain on the same course and at the same institution.
As such, there is very little we can do to amend an assessor’s recommendations other than to assist you in presenting your case to the needs assessor, the assessment centre manager or, ultimately, the quality assurance body that oversees the DSA on behalf of the tax payer. If we do not think there is a disability related justification for a requested needs assessment change then we won’t agree to do this.
Rather, our role is to implement those elements of your support that we have been awarded and assist you with any queries you may have accessing other recommended support. It is worth noting that we provide Specialist One to One Study Skills Support, but no other forms of DSA provided human support, not are we able to provide DSA-related equipment, although we do have a loan scheme (subject to availability), should you wish to access this due to problems with your DSA-provided equipment.
DDS are now offering a weekly DSA clinic for all students who require support with any aspect of the DSA process. This could include:
The clinic operates between 2pm and 4pm every Tuesday, and is available face-to-face (FB3.06) or online. To book a slot please use our DSA Clinic booking form.
The best advice is to read the content of the DSA2 letter carefully – funding bodies have worked very hard to make sure what is often a very arcane and complex process can be followed easily by reading the DSA2 award letter. The DSA2 will explain who to contact (and how) in order to secure delivery of your specialist equipment and to arrange your recommended human support. If you are not sure, please come to our weekly DSA-clinic.
The Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) does not cover costs that any student might have, or costs that are disability-related but would be incurred whether or not you were studying:
DSA does not fund non-specialist human support, such as general notetaking support or practical support (including lab support). If you require this support to help you access your studies, the university may be able to provide this for you instead.
Details on how to apply for Non-Specialist Human Support from the Disability and Dyslexia Service can be found here.
Should you have any queries regarding DSA provision please do come to our DSA-clinic.
The needs assessor recommends technology of a specification adequate to support recommended software, but it is recognised that some students may wish to amend this. The various DSA funding bodies may be willing to agree to this, provided students are prepared to pay any additional cost and the efficacy of recommendations remains unaffected.
The approved computer suppliers are businesses and will be happy for you to pay more money for a higher spec system. However, we would recommend that you think about issues such as battery life and also when considering a change in printer you should think about the cartridge life and the type of printing which you will need before committing to either a LaserJet or Inkjet printer.
Every computer retailer will provide at least twelve months of warranty on a new system and should your machine develop a fault the warranty will cover this. The approved suppliers are required to provide longer warranties than usual to cover the duration of three or four year degree courses.
Insurance is not the same thing as a warranty – if your computer is, for example, stolen or damaged by a flooded bedroom or otherwise needs replacing then you will need to claim from the insurance company used by your supplier. If you do not have any insurance, you won’t be able to get a replacement machine through the DSA.
You will have been allocated a set number of hours of Specialist One to One Study Skills Support EITHER per year OR in total. The concept of study skills is that it will ultimately allow you to study autonomously – think of it as a bit like having to take driving lessons before you are allowed to drive on your own. Among the ways that study skills can improve your academic performance are:
No. It’s an assessment of need – you either need a particular type of support or you don’t.
Again, this is clearly explained in the DSA2 letter. The letter explains how much you have been awarded for each item, e.g. printing consumables and you will need to send the relevant form along with receipts for the expenses you have incurred.