You will usually be eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowance if you’re:
- Legally qualified as disabled
- Ordinarily resident in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
- Not receiving equivalent funding from another source
More detailed information on these criteria is provided below.
Disability criteria
To qualify for Disabled Students’ Allowance you will need to have a disability that fits the criteria defined in the Equality Act. This means you will need to have a long-term condition that significantly impairs your ability to complete your studies.
This could be:
- A physical disability
- A mental health condition
- A chronic illness
- A learning difficulty
You can read more about the legal definition of disability in our guide to the rights of disabled students in the UK.
Proof of disability
You will need to provide proof of your disability to receive Disabled Students’ Allowance. This will usually be quite a simple process. In many cases your existing doctor will be able to supply a medical report of your condition and its impact, and will do so free of charge.
If you suffer from a learning difficulty such as dyslexia you will need to supply a diagnostic assessment made since you were 16. You may already have this if you have received specialist support at previous stages of your education. If you require a new assessment you should be able to receive one from a qualified individual (such as a psychologist, special needs teacher or education specialist).
Residency
To qualify for DSA you must be a UK national and ordinarily resident in the UK prior to beginning your PhD.
This means that the UK is your normal place of residence and you have the right to live there. Moving to the UK for the purposes of study doesn’t count as being ordinarily resident.
In most circumstances EU students won’t qualify for DSA. However, if you’ve been ordinarily resident in the UK for five years before the start of your PhD, you may be eligible.
Mode of study
You can receive Disabled Students’ Allowance to study a PhD on a full or part-time basis. If so, your course must last at least one year. This means that there must be a year or more of your PhD remaining (based on your registration status) when you apply.
Additional criteria also apply regarding the intensity of part-time programmes:
- Part-time PhD students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must be studying at a rate equivalent to at least 25% of full-time study. Under normal circumstances this will mean you expect to complete a standard three-year PhD in no more than 12 years of part-time study.
- Part-time PhD students in Scotland must be studying at a rate equivalent to at least 50% of full-time study. Under normal circumstances this will mean you expect to complete a standard three-year PhD in no more than six years of part-time study.
Financial circumstances
Disabled Students’ Allowance is designed to help you cover additional costs associated with PhD study as a disabled student. It is therefore needs-tested rather than means-tested. As such, you can receive DSA as a PhD student regardless of your personal financial circumstances, provided you have a need for support arising from your disability.
DSA and other PhD funding
You can apply for DSA from a student finance body regardless of any PhD funding you receive, unless your PhD is already funded by the NHS or one of the seven UK Research Councils. These organisations provide their own Disabled Students’ Allowance and you should apply to them in the first instance. You cannot combine Disabled Students’ Allowances from different sources.
Your right to any form of DSA is unaffected by any other PhD funding you receive (such as university scholarships), unless that funding is specifically intended to assist you with costs arising from a disability. This means that:
- If you receive a scholarship from your university to cover tuition fees and living costs, you can still apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance to meet other costs associated with your disability.
- If you receive financial support from your university that is specifically intended to cover all costs associated with your disability, you cannot apply for additional Disabled Students’ Allowance from the Government.
You can claim DSA for the duration of your course, provided you continue to be defined as disabled. Some providers may ask you to review and renew your DSA application each year, but this will usually be a simple process.