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Posted June 21, 2013

Disabled Postgrad Students Entitled to Additional Funding

Postgraduate funding is always difficult to gain, as there is no state funding available and other funding options can be hard to come by. Disabled students may be interested to discover that there is an additional funding option out there;  Photo Credit: HowardLake via Compfight cc Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) DSA grants are available to disabled students, those with learning difficulties, and also mental health conditions, who are enrolled to study on a full-time course which lasts for a period of one year or longer. The allowance is designed to help cover the cost of any additional specialist equipment that students require to complete their course, as well as some of the other additional course-related costs that arise. Part-time students may also be able to secure funding, as long as the duration of their study does not extend past twice the time period of the equivalent full-time course.

DSAs are not available to students who have already received a Research Council Award, or if you are eligible for any NHS, healthcare, or social work bursaries, or if you are on a paid placement.

Postgraduate DSAs operate on a needs assessment basis instead of the means testing which is used for undergraduates. This means that you will be awarded an amount based on your specific requirements and not on household income. Unlike a student loan, this allowance does not have to be repaid at any time in the future.

Other Funding Options Aside from the Disabled Student Allowance, there are no other mainstream specialist funding options available specifically for disabled students. However, there are many different funding options available to all students, and you can see full details in our Ultimate Postgraduate Funding Guide . Some of the options available include research councils, student bursaries, charitable trusts, and of course the career development loan. It is a good idea to conduct as much research as possible about funding options available to you, and doing this as early as possible may increase your chances of securing finances to help aid you through your study.

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