Disabled Students' Allowance: Wales
The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) aims to ensure everyone has the support and adjustments they need to succeed during their studies. This information is relevant to students who normally live in Wales.
The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) aims to ensure everyone has the support and adjustments they need to succeed during their studies. This information is relevant to students who normally live in Wales.
Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is support to help with any extra study-related costs you may have as a direct result of a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition, or learning difference (e.g. dyslexia).
Visit Student Finance Wales’ support pages and application guidance.
For example, additional travel costs incurred to attend your course or placement.
If you have a disability, mental health condition, neurodiversity, chronic illness and/or learning difference, you may be able to access DSA.
There’s no exhaustive list of which conditions make someone eligible for DSA but you can apply if you meet the definition of disability in the 2010 Equality Act. This means you must have a “physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.”
In Wales, students must also:
You can’t get DSA if you’re:
There is no age limit for who can get DSA.
If you’re applying for other student finance, such as a Tuition Fee Loan or Maintenance Loan from Student Finance Wales, you’ll be able to apply for DSA from your online account after you’ve submitted your main student finance application.
The application process for DSA can take up to 14 weeks. You should apply and submit your evidence to Student Finance Wales as early as possible to ensure everything is ready for the start of your course.
You cannot apply online for DSA if you're applying for:
In these instances, you must apply using a paper application form (DSA1).
Usually, DSA applications are managed by Student Finance Wales, but there are exceptions:
After you’ve applied for DSA, Student Finance Wales will contact you to advise what evidence you need to provide to support your DSA application. Examples of accepted evidence are given below:
Condition | Evidence |
---|---|
Disability or long-term health condition | A copy of a report or letter from your doctor or consultant — or a copy of a disability evidence form completed by a medical professional. |
Mental health condition | A copy of a report or letter from your doctor or consultant — or a copy of a disability evidence form completed by a medical professional. |
Specific learning difficulty | A copy of a 'diagnostic assessment' from a practitioner, psychologist or suitably qualified specialist teacher. |
If you’ve applied for DSA online you can submit a digital copy of your evidence via your student finance account.
If you prefer, you can post hard copies (we recommend you also email these to the address given on the DSA application form in advance):
Student Finance Wales
PO Box 211
Llandudno Junction
If you don’t have an online account or applied on a paper form, send a hard copy of your evidence with your application. You can also send it later by emailing the DSA team at the address on the DSA application form.
You will be asked to share your disability evidence with the assessor before your needs assessment to help them prepare. This will be the same evidence you shared with Student Finance Wales as part of your DSA application.
Do not buy any equipment until you’ve attended your needs assessment as you will not be reimbursed for it.
Student Finance Wales will be sent a copy of your needs assessment report and you’ll be sent your DSA2 entitlement letter within ten working days.
After this, your allocated supplier will take care of delivering the support outlined in your needs assessment report, including setting up equipment, installing software, and any training or aftercare support as required.