An overview of the funding and funded support available to you throughout your studies. Advice about how and when to apply for this support.

General Student Finance (e.g. tuition fees and loans)

Students are often eligible to apply for a loan which can help to pay for university tuition fees and to help with living costs. Funding arrangements differ depending on the personal circumstances of the student and the chosen course. This process can take a long time so applying early will give you the best possible chance of having funding in place in time for the start of your course.

You can find more information here.

If you have any questions or concerns about this our Money Advice team will be able to help.

Disabled Students’ Allowances

Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is government funding intended to cover the extra costs of having a disability, long-term condition, mental health condition, autism spectrum condition or specific learning difficulty such dyslexia or dyspraxia. You can apply to your funding body (e.g. Student Finance England) for Disabled Students’ Allowance. Further information can be found here and how to apply here.

NB: We recognise that not everyone who has an autistic spectrum condition would use the word ‘disabled’ about themselves. This includes a lot of the students we spoke to in our surveys. However, Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) is the main way to access support for your study needs at the start of your course and beyond, so it is important to know all about it.

Most autistic students who have been officially diagnosed with an autistic spectrum condition, and are studying on an eligible course, are entitled to DSA – it is not related to any other benefits (even DLA or PIP) or means-tested.

DSA can help with the cost of any additional support you might require whilst studying, such as:

• One-to-one support (such as a specialist mentor)
• Specialist equipment (including useful software, such as mind mapping to help you make sense of a topic)
• Travel (like getting taxis when public transport is challenging)

DSA won’t cover costs that all students would have to pay for, like tuition fees, accommodation, buying textbooks or standard laptops or tickets for the bus to and from university.

DSA is not paid directly to the student, instead, the funding pays the providers of the equipment and support directly.

The process takes approximately 14 weeks from the point of applying for DSA so we would encourage you to apply as soon as possible. You do not need to know which university you will be attending, you just have to have an offer of a place.

Autistic students in receipt of DSA are less likely to drop out of university and more likely to achieve their full potential.

Whether or not you received, or felt you needed support during school or college, university life is very different from the type of study you have been used to and getting the right support in place can make your life a lot easier. DSA is intended to level the playing field for students who have disabilities, long-term conditions, mental health conditions, autism and specific learning difficulties like dyslexia and ADHD.

Students in our Autism&Uni surveys who told the university about their autism and got support early in their course were more likely to enjoy their time at university and graduate with good grades than those who didn’t get any support.

The timing of the support is important too – students who had all their support in place before the end of the first semester had a much better experience than those students who did not access support. This means applying for DSA as early as you can is a very good idea – it doesn’t matter if the university you end up going to changes as these details can be updated at any point.

You can also choose to access support at any point throughout your studies, even if you haven’t previously told the university about your autism, or you receive a diagnosis of autism following commencement of your studies.

Your support can also be reviewed and amended at any time if you find your needs have changed during your course or the support you have in place is not really working for you. Your Disability Adviser is available for you to contact at any point throughout your studies.

You can apply to your funding body (e.g. Student Finance England) for Disabled Students’ Allowance. Further information can be found here and how to apply here.

Once your application has been approved you will receive a DSA1 letter advising you to book a Study Needs Assessment.

Booking your Study Needs Assessment

The Study Needs Assessment is an essential part of the process of applying for Disabled Students’ Allowance. Your funding body will advise you when your application for DSA has been approved and will tell you to book a Study Needs Assessment.

There are Assessment Centres throughout the UK that can undertake your Study Needs Assessment; it doesn’t matter which University you are going to, or whether you have decided on which one. You can find your local Assessment Centre here. Leeds Beckett also has its own Assessment Centre and you are welcome to contact the team to book an appointment and you can find out more about the Study Needs Assessment at Leeds Beckett here.

Apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance

Disability Rights UK: Applying for DSA Factsheet

Diversity and Ability: Find Your Way