St Peter’s
RC Sixth Form
Higher Education: Circumstances that could affect your
funding
If you become ill
...while you are studying and/or need to take significant time out for medical
reasons, notify your LEA, the SLC and your university department at once.
If you are ill and absent from university for more than 60 days, your student
loan might be affected. If this happens, contact your student officer or
the hardship officer at your university immediately. If your LEA agrees,
you will be able to suspend your tuition fees for a negotiated period of
time.
If you have a disability
...you might be able to access some additional sources of income, such
as particular scholarships or grants. Perhaps the most important of these
is the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). DSA can pay for a care
helper, or assistants to read for you or take notes in lectures, sign
language interpreters, special computers, books in braille, or so on.
However, the allowance is not supposed to go towards costs that you would
have whether or not you are a students. DSAs are no longer means tested,
so they are not affected by your family’s income. The amounts listed
below are the maximum rates for 2002-2003, and most people will get less:-
Full-time students:
- General disabled students allowance up to £1,490 a year.
- Specialist equipment allowance up to £4,460 for the whole of your course.
- Non-medical helpers allowance up to £11,280 a year.
Part-time students:
- Specialist equipment allowance up to £4,460 for the whole of your course.
- Non-medical helpers allowance maximum payable is up to £8,465.
If you incur extra travel costs to attend your course because of your
disability, your LEA may help with them. (back to top)
Skill - National Bureau for Students with Disabilities,
Chapter House,
18-20 Crucifix Lane,
London
SE1 3JW.
'Skill' Information Service:
Tel: 0800 328 5050
Fax: 020 7450 0650
Email: info@skill.org.uk
Web: www.skill.org.uk
Minicom: 0800 068 2422.
‘Skill’ is a very useful source of info. It publishes several
booklets and information sheets about DSAs and higher education, including
'Into Higher Education 2000 Disability Guide: The Higher Education
Guide for People with Disabilities', and 'Disabled Students’
Allowances', which has useful checklists for students who are considering
applying for DSAs, and outlines the evidence required by LEAs from applicants.
Higher Education pages updated 23rdJune 2003