Disabilities or learning difficulties are no barrier to success at Bloomsbury Institute. We are committed to combatting the financial burden that additional support needs can entail.
Disabled Students' Allowance
Disabled Sudents’ Allowance (DSA) is provided by the government, via the Student Loans Company, and is only available for students who qualify for Student Finance (primarily British or Irish citizens).
Disability Support Fund
The Disability Support Fund (DSF) is provided by Bloomsbury Institute to all of our students with a diagnosed disability or specific learning difficulty.
Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)
DSA is a grant of up to £25,000 to help with the extra costs that you may encounter because of your disability. DSA grants help students living with a disability, mental health problem or long-term illness pay for study-related costs.
Specifically, DSA can help with the cost of:
- Specialist equipment
- Non-medical helpers
- Extra travel because of your disability
- Other disability-related costs of studying.
Eligible students recieve these allowances on top of their student finance and they do not need to be repaid.
How to apply for DSA
Are you eligible?
If you are a UK resident, whose studies are funded by a student loan, and have any of the conditions below then you are eligible:
- Long-term medical condition
- Sensory impairment
- Specific learning difference
- Mental health issue
- Autistic spectrum condition
- Physical disability.
Apply to your funding body
As DSAs are issued by your student finance provider, you will need to apply through them. Where you apply depends on which body grants your student finance. You must submit your application within 9 months of the start of your academic year.
Needs Assessment
Once your application has been sent and approved, you’ll be asked to book a Needs Assessment. The Needs Assessment will establish what additional support you are eligible for and will send a report to you and your funding body.
Your funding body will confirm what support and equipment you are entitled to and how you can obtain it.
If you need any help or support throughout the DSA application process, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Disability Support Fund (DSF)
We’ve created the Disability Support Fund (DSF) to help students with disabilities to combat the additional support costs that can come with studying for a degree. The DSF issues grants towards services or equipment that supports your academic study, either directly or indirectly.
The primary focus of the DSF is to give financial support if you are faced with additional costs that you are unable to fund through other channels, such as DSA. Therefore we recommend that you apply for DSA before requesting a DSF grant. DSF grants are issued for specific goods or services that can help you learn; for example the £200 contribution towards DSA equipment.
Applications can be made between 1 November and 30 July each academic year. You can apply more than once for a DSF grant, but the maximum amount of money a student can claim is up to £1,000 per academic year.
Who can apply?
The Disability Support Fund is available to Bloomsbury Institute students who:
- Are fully enrolled and started their studies from and including the academic year 2021-22
- Have a diagnosed disability, long-term medical condition or Specific Learning Difference
- Are registered with our Disability Office.
How to apply
We strongly advise you to contact the Disability Office before making a DSF application.
Once you are ready to do so, you can apply to access DSF financial support through the Student Self-service Portal (SSP). Please raise a request and upload your supporting evidence and proof of purchase where relevant.
The fund is intended to help students with disabilities cover some of the unexpected costs that have arisen because of:
- Your disability/long-term medical condition (related to your studies)
- Pay for doctor’s fees (letters)
- DSA £200 contribution
- Specialist equipment
This list is not exhaustive.
- You will need to provide evidence of your disability or impairment (physical or sensory impairments, learning difficulties such as dyslexia, mental health difficulties or long-term illnesses, such as cancer/diabetes) from a qualified practitioner.
- Eligible students will need to supply a quote/ evidence of costs for the specific help sought, together with details of suppliers. You may be asked to provide evidence that you have taken advice from the Disability Office/ the supplier on which equipment/ service will best suit your requirements and that you have researched the best value option available.
- Upon receipt of the application, staff within the Disability Office will review the application along with the supporting documents and reasons for the application. If you meet the criteria for support, approval will be given for the grant to be paid into your personal bank account.
- Once an application for support has been approved and the amount confirmed, the grant will be paid into your personal bank account within 15 working days from its approval.
- Successful applicants must provide copies of receipts for all purchases bought or part-funded with their award, within 4 weeks of receiving the award. If you do not provide the receipts, you will be expected to return the amount of money that cannot be accounted for.