Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) 2026/27: What It Covers and How to Claim

DSA is extra financial support for students whose disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition, or specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) means they face additional study-related costs compared with other students. It covers things like specialist equipment, a non-medical helper (such as a note-taker or study skills tutor), extra travel costs, and other disability-related study costs.

No — DSA is not means-tested on your own income or your household/parental income, unlike the Maintenance Loan. It is also a grant, not a loan, meaning it never has to be repaid, regardless of how much you receive or your income after graduating.

DSA typically covers: a specialist equipment allowance (for example, assistive software, an ergonomic chair, or specialist recording equipment), a non-medical helper allowance (funding support workers like note-takers, readers, or specialist mentors), a general allowance for other disability-related study costs, and travel costs where a disability means you cannot use the same transport as other students or need to travel for a specific study-related reason connected to your disability.

Yes, generally you need evidence of your disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition, or specific learning difficulty — for physical or sensory disabilities and most health conditions, this is usually medical evidence from a relevant professional; for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, it is usually a diagnostic assessment report from a suitably qualified specialist (often an educational psychologist), which may need to meet specific format and recency requirements set by the funding body.

Once your DSA application is approved in principle, you generally attend a Study Needs Assessment (sometimes called an Access Needs Assessment) with an independent assessor, who discusses your specific course and how your disability or condition affects your studies, and recommends the specific equipment and support that should be funded. This individualised recommendation, rather than a fixed one-size-fits-all package, is what determines your actual DSA award.

There is no single fixed maximum 'DSA amount' in the way there is for some other allowances — instead, funding is based on what the Study Needs Assessment recommends for your specific circumstances and course, within the overall DSA funding rules and any specific component caps that apply (for example, to the specialist equipment allowance). Check current gov.uk guidance for the specific component caps in place for 2026/27.

It can, if the Study Needs Assessment recommends specialist computer equipment or software genuinely necessary because of your disability — but DSA generally expects students to contribute toward a portion of a standard computer's cost first (since most students need a computer regardless of disability), with DSA funding the disability-specific additional cost or specialist elements on top.

Universities have separate legal duties (under the Equality Act 2010) to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students regardless of DSA — DSA is designed to fund additional support and equipment beyond what a university is required to provide as a reasonable adjustment, so the two systems work alongside each other rather than one replacing the other. Your university's disability service can help clarify what falls under each.

Apply through Student Finance England (or the equivalent body in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland), usually alongside or after your main student finance application, providing evidence of your disability/condition. The process (evidence submission, approval in principle, then the Study Needs Assessment) can take some weeks to a few months, so applying as early as possible — ideally well before the start of your course — helps ensure support and equipment are in place from day one rather than arriving partway through term.