The DSA Assessment Process

Once you have qualified for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA and have received your DSA1 letter from the Student Loans Company, the next step will be to have a needs assessment. Details on how to arrange your needs assessment will be set out in your DSA1 letter. For a refresher on DSA and the application process, check out our DSA guide homepage.

The needs assessment is there to help identify what support you may need whilst studying and will be carried out by a Needs Assessor. They will look at:

• What methods you currently use to study.
• What technology you use and how you use it.
• What additional technology you may need.
• What other support you may need to access your studies. This is known as Non-Medical Help (NMH).

Find out more about the role of a DSA needs assessor here.

Prior to your needs assessment, your supplier will ask you to share information about what support you may have received when at school or college. You could also include any reports from a Qualified Teacher of Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (QTVI) or other professionals.

This is also an opportunity for you to start to think about what support you might need at university. If you’re unsure then don’t worry, your needs assessor will help with this.

Where Will the Needs Assessment Take Place?

Your needs assessment can take place online or in person – it is YOUR choice! You should have up to two hours to discuss your needs.

As we covered in the previous page of this guide, you will have been assigned either Capita or StudyTech as your supplier when your application for DSA was approved. These suppliers cover different regions of the UK. To find out who you are assigned to, you can enter your postcode into the SLC website.

The supplier you are assigned will be based on the contact address you provide to DSA when you make your application (usually your home address). However, if your eligibility for DSA is confirmed following the start of term, you will be assigned a supplier based on your university’s location.

This can be an important factor to consider if you would like to have a face-to-face/in person needs assessment rather than an online one.

Which one you choose will be dependent on what suits you best. For example, an online assessment can be conducted from your home and does not require travel. Alternatively, a face-to-face assessment may provide you with the opportunity to physically try out equipment to see if it is the right fit.

If you have any difficulties with being assigned a supplier due to the location they cover, and where you would like to have your face-to-face assessment, you can contact SLC directly to seek advice on this.

Preparing For Your Needs Assessment  

It is always a good idea to prepare for your needs assessment and the types of questions the needs assessor may ask you. Areas to think about may include: 

How do you currently study?

Thinking about how you currently study can help determine what type of support might be the right fit for you. For example, how you take notes during teaching, how you like to read study material or how you approach writing an essay, are all questions the needs assessor is likely to ask you. If you take notes using audio software, you may want to discuss what software is available to you. Alternatively, you might prefer to have a notetaker in lectures who can support you. Both options (and more!) are available through DSA and so preparing for this will help you to cover all areas with your needs assessor.

What technology you use 

Considering what technology and equipment you currently use is also important. The needs assessor will discuss what kind of computer would be useful and the software you could use with it. This might be anything from screen reading software and magnification, to a device with a larger screen or brightness. Ergonomic equipment, headphones and printers with ink allowance are also all options.  Learn more in our Useful Accessible Accessories for Education page!

We strongly suggest doing your research before going into the assessment, so you have some ideas about what tech you think you need or want to explore. For further information on technology to consider, you can visit our DSA and Technology webpage.

Top tip: what you do currently might not be the best solution

While looking at what you currently do and have done in the past during your education is a great place to start when figuring out what you need for university, we highly recommend exploring your options and evaluate whether there are new skills and technology you could use. Just because something seemed to work well previously, it may not be the best solution available, for example, using  an iPad at college might have worked well, but progressing to using a laptop may give you a lot more options and  useful functionalities which will make university study a lot easier, save time and get you better results. Learning/developing key skills such as touch typing, using a word processor, using a screen reader/magnification software, etc could put you in a much stronger position to be independent, empowered and thrive in your studies and beyond. 

How you will navigate campus

It is good to think about how you anticipate navigating both to and from university and the campus itself. For example, if you require travel support from your accommodation to university or if you would like to have mobility training or sighted guidance to support you in getting around campus. At the time of assessment, you might not know yet what university you are going to, so it is always a good idea to research your choices beforehand to have an idea of the course and campus. Some courses may have a placement so it is advisable to let your needs assessor know of this and what the placement might entail.  

Further information on mobility support and DSA can be found on our Getting around campus page. 

Other types of support you may need

There are also other types of support available through DSA you may want to consider. This can include non-medical helper (NMH) support such as Specialist Support Professionals (SSPs) and Assistive Technology Trainers.  

Further information on this can be found on our DSA Non-Medical Help Support and The Professionals There to Support You at University pages. 

The needs assessor will also ask you what kind of support you will get through your university such as a support plan and the types of exams and assessments you will have. You can prepare for this by reading about your university, attending open days or contacting the Disability Service in advance of starting the course.  

Our useful Six Steps into University guide can also help you to start thinking about this. 

Getting the Support in Place

Once the Student Loans Company has looked at your report, they may get back in touch with the assessor to ask for more information, or they may approve the report.

When they have agreed on what support you should receive, they will send you another letter. This will set out what technology support, training and Non-Medical Help you should receive. Either Contact Associates or StudyTech will then be responsible for providing any equipment or training.

You will be told in the letter who to contact to set up any Non-Medical Help you are awarded.

Future Changes to Your DSA

If you are a full time undergraduate student, you do not need to apply for DSA each year. Your assessment should identify your needs for the entire duration of your course.

However, sometimes things change; you may experience a deterioration in sight or encounter a problematic module that requires additional or different support to access, or you may have to repeat a year or need to change courses.

If there are any changes in your circumstances you should discuss this with your disability advisor at university who will be able to advise on the next steps. For example, if it is a change in your eye condition you can go back to your DSA supplier, but if it is a change in your course you may need to reapply for DSA. It is always worth checking with your DSA supplier first.

Technology could play a vital role in supporting you with your studies. Check out the next page in this guide to find out more about tech and DSA!