Disabled Student Allowance (Postgraduate)

DSA goes towards costs of equipment and support, not fees. Did you get any DSA as an undergraduate?

Maz44 said:

I read on GOV that post graduate students can get up to £10,000 which will go towards the fees, so im really confused

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I don't think it goes towards the fees, but I found these for you @Maz44

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgra...stgraduate-study/disabled-students-allowances

https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas/what-youll-get

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@Maz44 If you are a UK/EU student, you can get a postgraduate loan for up to £10,250 which you can use however you like. You can go about getting that in the same way as the undergraduate loan, through the student loans company. However, this is not the same as a DSA.

In terms of DSA, from my understanding and experience you would have to be extremely lucky to get one if diabetes is your only issue, as it doesn't really incur any additional equipment costs. In addition, they rarely give it to you as cash - if its equipment, you buy the equipment that you need, send them the receipts and they reimburse you (at least in my boyfriend's experience).

Have you talked to the university you will be studying with? Many of them have scholarships for disabled students.

@Maz44 @EllsKBells
DSA for diabetics (based on my experience) will be a potential laptop, voice recorder, printer/scanner and software to convert pictures into text and utilise voice recordings of lectures. I also received £400 for printing and book costs every year of my undergraduate degree. It is not a lot of money but if textbooks are expensive it does help a little bit (it may be a higher allowance for masters students). However the money isn't cash, you have to claim back your printing credits and book purchases but it is a very hassle free system. Worthwhile looking into!

I'm pretty sure that developing type 1 diabetes between my BSc (1989/92) and MSc (1997/8) didn't mean I needed to spend more in photocopying etc for my second than first degree. Main difference was that internet and email had come into academic use.

Maz44 said:

Hi i just finished my three years as an undergraduate and now looking to do a postgraduate degree, the only issue im having is the cost of the tution fees. I was told that it may be possible to get some sort of financial support via DSA. Has anyone ever received this type of support? Thanks

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Ok DSA is to support with your illness not tuition fees however if your studying a master's degree there is now funding available 10280 for the duration of your course this is a loan to the student to do with as they please most will pay their fees but it's designed to help however student sees fit in their studies

DSA for diabetes tends to be a fridge for your room little else

Hope that helps

P.s. manager of student loans lol

isjoberg said:

@Maz44 @EllsKBells
DSA for diabetics (based on my experience) will be a potential laptop, voice recorder, printer/scanner and software to convert pictures into text and utilise voice recordings of lectures. I also received £400 for printing and book costs every year of my undergraduate degree. It is not a lot of money but if textbooks are expensive it does help a little bit (it may be a higher allowance for masters students). However the money isn't cash, you have to claim back your printing credits and book purchases but it is a very hassle free system. Worthwhile looking into!

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Surely you had more than just diabetes as no way would you get a laptop for that usually lucky to get a fridge for your insulin. As diabetes doesn't effect the way you comprehend information .

Shadow_83uk said:

Surely you had more than just diabetes as no way would you get a laptop for that usually lucky to get a fridge for your insulin. As diabetes doesn't effect the way you comprehend information .

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It's not to do with how you comprehend information, more about retaining it. They offer voice recorders for lectures in case you have a hypo and can't concrete so miss key parts, similarly if you struggle to work in the library as you aren't allowed to eat, that's why there is a book allowance. The laptop is provided as an accessory for the software (although pretty basic, if you don't have a laptop and want a better one you can also get some money towards buying a laptop).

Hi I was diagnosed type one in my first year at uni, I graduated and did an M.A. without any disability grant to buy all this technological stuff.. and to be honest although I’m quite happy that you have received something to make studying easier it seems more like equipment for a dyslexic student than a diabetic ... as someone said earlier a fridge in one’s bedroom to store insulin would have been a very valuable help to me and I think all diabetics. I just don’t understand the link between the tech and diabetes ... although now I am partially sighted through diabetes it would be wonderful. I really don’t mean to seem rude but if you are young and have your diabetes pretty much under control ( very hard I know) I don’t see the necessity. Would you explain it for me? Maybe you like me have eye issues or another illness that would make it necessary. I’m very curious to see how it was awarded.

Sorry I’ve just read your reply to someone else above as I said I’m partially sighted