Updates for the Student Finance England, Disabled Students' Allowances guides coming soon.
For current details please see: New DSA Students 2015/2016 and a detailed comparison: Comparison of DSA Draft Guidance
Stage: Disabled Students' Allowance
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Eligibility - Student Finance Wales

To be eligible for DSAs you must:

  • meet the personal eligibility conditions for receiving student finance;
  • study an eligible course


Previous Study
This will not affect your eligibility for DSAs, even if you received financial support. However, if you received any specialist equipment through the DSAs for a previous course, this will be taken into consideration.



Age Limit?
There is no age limit on receiving DSAs, and if you are aged 60 or over you may be eligible for them even if you are not eligible for a Maintenance Loan.

The information on this page is derived from studentfinancewales.co.uk


Course Eligibility

To be eligible for DSAs you must be studying an eligible:

  • full-time undergraduate course (including a distance-learning course);

  • part-time undergraduate course (including a distance-learning course);

  • other first higher education course (such as a HND or Dip HE);

  • taught or research post-graduate course (including a distance-learning course);

  • Initial Teacher Training course; and

  • provide evidence that the effects of your disability, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty will mean that you will need to pay extra costs in attending your course.


NOT Eligible

You cannot get DSAs if:

  • you are an EU student and are eligible only for support with your fees;

  • you are a sandwich-course student on a full-year paid placement (but you may still be able to get DSAs if you are doing certain types of unpaid work experience in the public or voluntary sectors);

  • you are an undergraduate or post-graduate student and are eligible for a Department of Health, NHS or other healthcare bursary;

  • you are a post-graduate student receiving a bursary or award from a research council;

  • you are a post-graduate student who will get the NHS Business Services Authority’s bursary for students on post-graduate social work courses; or

  • you are a post-graduate student receiving a bursary or award from your university or college which includes support that is equal to DSAs.

You cannot have DSAs for more than one course at the same time.





For further information see: Guidance Notes

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