How to apply
If you’re a full-time student and applying for other student finance, such as a Tuition Fee Loan or Maintenance Loan, you’ll be able to apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) from your online account after you’ve submitted your main student finance application.
After you’ve applied for DSA, you’ll be told what evidence you need to submit to Student Finance England to support your application.
If you’re only applying for DSA and no other type of student finance, you need to complete a paper application form (DSA1). You’ll be able to download this from www.gov.uk/student-finance-forms.
The application process for DSA can take around 14 weeks. You should apply and submit your evidence to Student Finance England as early as possible to make sure you have everything you need ready for the start of your course.
Applying for a part-time or postgraduate course? You cannot apply online – you must apply with a paper application form (DSA1), which you can download from
www.gov.uk/student-finance-forms.
Supplying evidence
You won't automatically get DSA – you need to submit evidence to Student Finance England.
If you’ve applied online you can submit a digital copy of your evidence via your student finance account.
If you don’t have an online account or applied on a paper form, you should send a copy of your evidence with your application or send it later by emailing their DSA team.
You can also post copies of your evidence, if you’d prefer.
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. |