Information
Funding higher education for
disabled students
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Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities
Chief Executive: Benet Middleton
Unit 3, Floor 3, Radisson Court,
219 Long Lane, London SE1 4PR
Email: skill@skill.org.uk
Website: www.skill.org.uk
Tel: 020 7450 0620
Fax: 020 7450 0650
Information service:
Tuesdays 11.30am-1.30pm and Thursdays 1.30pm-3.30pm
Tel: 0800 328 5050 or Textphone: 1 08001 0800 328 5050
Email: info@skill.org.uk
SMS text: 07786 208028
Skill is a company limited by guarantee (2397897) and a
registered charity (801971), also registered in Scotland
(SC039212)
Funding higher education for disabled
students 2010/11
Contents
1 Introduction
2 Where do I apply for funding?
3 How is my income assessed?
4 Do I qualify for funding?
5 Funding for full-time students
6 Funding for part-time students
7 Other study
8 Other financial support
9 Disability and welfare benefits
10 Disability-related funding
11 Funding for personal care
12 Professional courses
13 Further information
14 Useful contacts
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1
Introduction
This guide is for UK students whose courses started
from September 2006 onwards. If you started your course
before this, contact your awarding authority to find out about
support arrangements. See the Useful Contacts section for
details. If you are an international student, read our booklet
Information for International Disabled Students.
If you are going to study a higher education course at college
or university you may need funding to cover your fees, living
costs and disability-related costs. This booklet tells you
about the student support that is available in higher
education and where to apply for it. It covers undergraduate
higher education courses, including:
 a first or Bachelor’s degree
 an undergraduate Master’s degree
 a Higher National Diploma (HND) or Higher National
Certificate (HNC)
 a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ 4 or 5) linked
with a degree, a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
or other job-related courses such as a Diploma in Social
Work (DipSW)
 most foundation degrees
 some vocational courses.
2
Where do I apply for funding?
You should apply to one of the following agencies for higher
education government funding:
 If you currently live in England and are applying for a
new higher education course contact Student Finance
England. If you started before September 2008, contact
your Local Authority (LA). You can find their details in
local directories.
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 If you currently live in Wales contact your Local
Authority (LA). You can find their details in local
directories or by contacting Student Finance Wales.
 If you currently live in Scotland contact the Student
Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).
 If you currently live in Northern Ireland contact your
local Education and Library Board (ELB). You can find
their contact details in local directories.
When we say ‘awarding authority’ it means the funding
agency that applies to you.
All awarding authorities use standard application forms which
you can get from them directly. In most cases you can also
apply online. It is important to apply for funding as soon as
you can so that funding is available at the start of your
course. If you live in England, you can apply online to
Student Finance England at the same time as making your
UCAS application.
3
How is my income assessed?
Your household income - parents
If you are considered dependent on your parents, their
residual income (the amount left after specific allowances
have been deducted from their income) will be assessed.
The awarding authority will then decide the amount of loans
and grants you can get.
Independent student
If you are an independent student, your parents’ income will
not be taken into account.
You are an independent student if you meet one of the
following conditions.
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 You have care of a child or children on the first day of
the academic year for which you are applying for
support, or
 You are 25 or over before the start of the academic year
for which you are applying, or
 You have been married or entered into a civil
partnership before the start of the academic year for
which you are applying for support, or
 You have no living parents, or
 You have supported yourself for at least three years
before the start of the academic year of your course.
Contact your awarding authority if you need more details.
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Do I qualify for funding?
Personal eligibility
You must be ordinarily resident, or normally living, in the
United Kingdom (UK) three years before the academic year
in which your course starts. You should contact your
awarding authority for exceptions to the three-year
residence rules. You should also have settled status, which
means you should be ordinarily resident in the UK without
being subject under the Immigration Act of 1971 to any
restrictions on the amount of time you can remain in the UK.
Course eligibility
Most full-time or sandwich higher education courses in
publicly-funded UK institutions are automatically eligible.
This includes most initial teacher training (ITT) courses and
those offered by the School-Centred Initial Teacher Training
scheme. Other courses at the same level may be
designated part-time courses, and attract a different package
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of support. Contact your awarding authority to find out if the
course you want to do is eligible for support.
Previous study
Support will be available for the length of your course, plus
one extra year if needed, less any years of previously
supported higher education study.
With the exception of supplementary grants, further support
is not usually available to students who have used up their
entitlement to funding. However, maintenance loans will
continue to be available to students who do not already have
an honours degree from a UK institution, and to students
who are on a course leading to a professional qualification in
a number of areas, including medicine, dentistry, veterinary
science and architecture.
You will still be eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowances
(DSAs) whether you have studied at undergraduate level
before or not.
Tuition fees for second degrees
The government has withdrawn funding for equivalent or
lower qualifications (ELQs). This funding is money that
universities and colleges get towards their costs.
Universities and colleges will now charge students the full
cost of tuition fees if they want to take a second
undergraduate degree. The fees will be similar to the amount
that international students have to pay, usually £7,000 per
year or more.
However, if you get Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs)
you will qualify for an exemption, and the maximum you will
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pay for fees on a second degree course will be £3,290 per
year.
Repeat study, transferring courses and taking time
out
Awarding authorities can use their discretion to fund students
who have to repeat a year of their course because of their
disability.
It may be possible to transfer your funding to another course,
or even to a different institution. You should consult your
awarding authority before changing your course or institution
because your entitlement to support may change.
You may also suspend your award with the agreement of
your awarding authority if you have to take time out, perhaps
because of an illness or disability, but plan to restart your
course in the future. It may be a good idea to suspend rather
than terminate your award in some situations, because if you
terminate a student award your entitlement to any future
support might be restricted by the ‘previous study’ rules.
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Funding for full-time students
Fees
The level of tuition fees and financial support available will
vary depending on what part of the UK you are studying in
and also where you are from.
Studying in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Institutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland currently
charge fees of up to £3,290 per year for an undergraduate
course. These increase each year in line with inflation. All
eligible students can apply for a tuition-fee loan to pay part or
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all of their fees. Contact your awarding authority for further
information.
Studying in Scotland
If you are from Scotland, you will not be charged tuition fees
in Scotland on your first degree course. If you are from
England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you will have to pay
tuition fees of up to £1,820 (£2,895 for medicine) per year.
These increase each year in line with inflation. You may
qualify for a tuition fee student loan to pay part or all of your
fees. Contact your awarding authority for further information.
It is worth remembering that Scottish degrees tend to be four
years long, instead of three years elsewhere in the UK.
Financial support
All 16-year-old students in England who qualify for Education
Maintenance Allowance (EMA) will be guaranteed the top
rate of Maintenance Grant if they go into higher education
within the next three years. This is called the Higher
Education Student Support Guarantee (HESSG).
Student Loans for Tuition Fees
Full-time students are eligible for loans to cover the costs of
tuition fees, depending on your location in the UK as already
described. The loan is paid directly to the college or
university on your behalf. This means that you will not have
to find the money before you start the course or while you
are studying. You have to start repaying the loan in
instalments after you have finished the course and are
earning over £15,000 per year. There is no upper age limit
on applying for tuition-fee loans.
Students who take out loans are allowed ‘repayment
holidays’ after graduating. You can choose to take breaks
from repaying your loan for up to two years in total.
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Maintenance grants
Full-time students from lower-income households in England,
Wales and Northern Ireland may be eligible for nonrepayable maintenance grants. How much you can get
depends on your income and that of your household. In
England the maximum grant is £2,906 and in Northern
Ireland the maximum available is £3,475 per year. Contact
Student Finance England or your ELB for details.
Assembly Learning Grants (Wales)
Full-time students from lower-income households in Wales
may be eligible for non-repayable maintenance grants,
known as Assembly Learning Grants. How much you can get
depends on your income and that of your household. The
maximum available grant is £2,906 per year. Contact your
Local Authority for details
Special Support Grant
A Special Support Grant is available to some full-time
students, such as lone parents and those already receiving
certain disability benefits who are eligible to apply for Income
Support and/or Housing Benefit. The maximum amount
available is £2,906 per year.
If you get this grant you are not entitled to other maintenance
grants. The advantage of the Special Support Grant is that it
is not counted as income when calculating income-related
benefits.
Bursaries (Scotland)
If you live in Scotland and want to study there full time, you
may be eligible to apply for the Young Students’ Bursary
(YSB). This is a means-tested, non-repayable grant of up to
£2,640 per year. It is paid instead of part of the student loan,
so it reduces the amount you need to borrow. The YSB is not
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available if you are over 25, have been living independently
for more than three years, or if you are married (unless you
have a dependent child). Contact SAAS for more
information.
Student Loan for Living Costs
You can apply for a student maintenance loan if you are a
full-time student from the UK and under 60. Once your
awarding authority has decided how much support you are
entitled to, you should let them know how much of the loan
you wish to borrow. You only start to pay back the loan once
you start earning over £15,000 per year.
Students who take out a loan are allowed ‘repayment
holidays’ after graduating. You can choose to take breaks
from repaying your loan for up to two years in total.
There are two parts to the loan. All students can apply for the
first part and are entitled to 75% of the maximum figure. The
second part depends on your household income - the higher
your income, the less you can apply for. The amount of loan
you can receive also varies according to where you live and
study. You can get extra weekly loan payments if your
course lasts longer than a specific amount of time. These
extra payments also depend on your income and where you
are living and studying. If you study abroad for at least eight
weeks as part of your course, you can apply for an overseas
rate of loan.
10
The amounts of student loan available for 2010/11 are:
Living
Loan rate –
full year
Loan rate –
final year
in London Elsewhere in the Parental Home
£6,928
£4,950
£3,838
£6,048
£4,391
£3,319
Bursaries from colleges and universities
Colleges and universities in England and Northern Ireland
which charge more than £2,906 in tuition fees per year have
to provide additional non-repayable support to students who
get the full maintenance grant. The packages vary, but
should be at least £329 per year if they are charging tuition
fees of £3,290. In 2009/10 the average bursary was around
£1,000. You should contact each institution you are
interested in to find out exactly which bursaries are available
to you. There is also a National Bursary Scheme for students
in Wales. Contact Student Finance Wales for more details.
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6
Funding for part-time students
Fees
Fee Grant (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
If you are studying at least 50% of the full-time equivalent
course, you may be able to apply for a means-tested fee
grant and a course grant towards other study costs such as
books, materials and travel.
Percentage of
full-time
equivalent
50%
60%
75%
Max fee
grant for
2010/11
£820
£985
£1,230
Max course
grant for
2010/11
£265
£265
£265
Total
support
£1,085
£1,250
£1,495
Part-time students can also apply for a career development
loan (CDL). CDLs are available from participating banks.
You can borrow between £300 and £10,000 and the
government pays the interest while you are studying.
If you are from Wales or Scotland and on a low income, you
may be eligible for an Individual Learning Account (ILA) to
help pay fees. Contact learndirect in Wales or ILA Scotland
for more information. If you are from Scotland and studying
in Scotland, you can also apply for a part-time loan from
SAAS to cover study-related costs such as travel or books.
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7
Other study
Sandwich courses - industrial placement year
Students on sandwich courses have to pay tuition fees while
they are on an industrial placement, though these are usually
lower than the full fee rate. You must spend 10 weeks or
more in full-time study to be eligible for support for living
costs. If your placement is unpaid and is in the public or
voluntary sector you will qualify for the full amount of student
support, regardless of the number of study weeks.
Open University students
The Open University (OU) deals with its own students’
applications for the part-time fee grant, the course grant and
DSAs. The OU has its own application form. See Skill’s
information booklet Opportunities in open and distance
learning for more details.
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Other financial support
Access to Learning Fund (England)
Hardship Fund (Scotland)
Financial Contingency Funds Scheme (Wales)
Support Fund (NI)
These schemes are broadly similar across the UK. Each
institution administers these funds, which are available to
support part-time and full-time students experiencing
financial hardship. In England and Wales, mature students,
disabled students, final year students and care leavers have
priority. In Northern Ireland and Scotland, it is up to the
institution how the money is distributed. It can be used to
cover the cost of initial diagnostic assessments, for example
for dyslexia, but this may depend on your household income.
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Contact the student support officer responsible for financial
advice to get an application form.
Adult Dependants’ Grant (UK)
You may get this additional allowance if you are studying fulltime and have adult dependants. In England, Wales and
Northern Ireland, this includes your wife or husband or civil
partner and other adult family members, if they are financially
dependent on you. In Scotland, you can only receive
Dependants’ Grant for your husband, wife or civil partner.
The grant is calculated by taking into account the income of
your dependants as well as your own income. The
maximum available in 2009/10 was £2,642 per year. The
grant is paid by the awarding authority along with your loan if
you live in England, Wales and Northern Ireland or by SAAS
if you live in Scotland.
Childcare Grant (UK)
You are eligible to apply for this grant if you are a full-time
student from England or Wales and have dependent children
in registered or approved childcare. You can apply before or
after the start of your course. You must fill in a form from
your awarding authority and enclose documentary evidence
of your household income. The amount you get will be based
on your actual childcare costs and your income, or that of
your dependants. You will receive this grant from the
awarding authority along with your loan.
In Scotland you can apply to your college or university for
help from the Higher Education Childcare Fund and, if you
are a lone parent, you can apply for an additional grant from
SAAS.
In Northern Ireland, you should apply to your ELB. You do
not qualify for this grant if you receive Lone Parents’ Grant or
if you claim the childcare element of Working Tax Credit.
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Parents’ Learning Allowance (England, Wales and NI)
If you are a full-time student with dependent children, you
may qualify for help with course-related costs. The amount
you can get depends on your income and that of your
dependants, including your husband, wife or civil partner.
The maximum amount available in 2009/10 was £1,508 per
year. It is paid by the awarding authority.
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Disability and welfare benefits
Most full-time students cannot claim welfare benefits.
However, if you are disabled, you may still be able to apply
for the benefits listed in this section. It is important to let the
Benefits Agency or Jobcentre Plus know that you are starting
a course. This is a change in your circumstances, so you
must tell them even if you believe it will not affect your
benefits. Skill produces information booklets on studying and
claiming benefits. If you have specific questions, it is best to
speak with a welfare rights specialist at your university or
college, or your local Citizens Advice Bureau
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/getadvice.htm.
Income Support
If you already get Income Support, you may be able to
continue to claim as a full-time student if you qualify for any
kind of Disability Premium. You also qualify if you receive
any part of Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit at
the long-term rate, Severe Disablement Allowance, if you are
registered blind, or get Disabled Students’ Allowances
because you are D/deaf.
Income Support is a means-tested benefit. The amount you
receive depends on your income. If you are eligible for a
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student loan, even if you do not take it out, part of it will be
considered as income and the amount of Income Support
may be reduced. Some income will not be taken into account
for the calculation, for example, the Special Support Grant
and the allocated amount of student loan or institutional
bursaries towards books and equipment. Any Disabled
Students’ Allowances you get are not considered as income.
Housing Benefit
The same eligibility rules are used for Housing Benefit as for
Income Support. Housing Benefit can be paid towards the
cost of living in halls provided by your university or college,
as well as if you live in private rented accommodation.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
Going into higher education should not affect your
entitlement to DLA or the amount you get. If you get DLA you
can apply for Income Support and Housing Benefit (see
above).
Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance
The Benefits Agency or Jobcentre Plus may review your
claim because they may think that since you can study you
are also able to work. However, there is no rule which says
you cannot claim these benefits while studying. You may
need to tell Jobcentre Plus how studying on your course is
different from work and highlight any flexibility or support that
you get with your studies. Incapacity Benefit is a taxable
benefit and it will be treated as income when calculating
student support entitlement.
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
From 27 October 2008, ESA replaced Income Support and
Incapacity Benefit for new claimants who are incapable of
work.
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If you are a full-time student, you may be able to claim
income-related ESA if you qualify for a disability premium,
for example if you receive any part of Disability Living
Allowance.
Income-related ESA is a means-tested benefit. The amount
you get depends on your income. If you are eligible for a
student loan, even if you do not take it out, part of it will be
considered as income and the amount of income-related
ESA may be reduced.
If you get contributory ESA you will be able to study and
claim in the same way as Incapacity Benefit. However, you
may need to tell Jobcentre Plus how studying on your course
is different from work and highlight any flexibility or support
that you get with your studies. Contributory ESA is a taxable
benefit and it will be treated as income when calculating
student support entitlement.
Tax Credits
The means-tested Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit
should not be affected by studying as long as you meet the
eligibility criteria. Both credits are treated as income when
calculating entitlement to other welfare benefits including
Income Support and Housing Benefit.
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10 Disability-related funding
Disabled Students’ Allowances
Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) help you pay for extra
costs you have on your course because of your disability.
The four components are:
 Specialist equipment - maximum £5,161 per course for
full and part-time students.
 Non-medical helpers - maximum £20,520 per
academic year of the course. For part-time students the
allowance depends upon the percentage of study in
relation to the full-time equivalent course. The maximum
part-time amount that you can claim per year is £15,390.
 Other and general expenditure - maximum £1,724 per
academic year of the course. For part-time students this
allowance depends upon the percentage studied of the
full-time course. The maximum amount that you can
claim part-time is £1,293.
 Disability-related travel costs – there are no maximum
amounts.
In Scotland there are no DSAs for travel. However, you may
be able to claim extra disability-related travel costs from the
Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). You should
write to SAAS to make a claim, preferably at the same time
as you send in your application for the DSAs. You must
send SAAS proof of your disability (if you have not already
done so) and give details of the additional costs. SAAS may
also consider making a 50% advance payment of normal
travel costs in certain circumstances.
DSAs are non-means-tested. This means your income or
your parents’ income is not taken into account when
assessing the level of DSAs you will receive. If you
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previously attended a course, this does not affect your
eligibility to get DSAs. There is also no upper age limit on
applying for DSAs. The allowances you receive are only
based on the assessed support you need while studying.
DSAs do not fund items or costs related to your disability
that you would have regardless of whether or not you were
studying.
How to apply
All awarding authorities use standard forms to work out who
qualifies for student support. These forms contain a section
on applying for DSAs. When you have completed this form
and returned it to your awarding authority, they should send
you information about the DSAs. If they do not send you an
application form, contact your awarding authority to ask for
one. The application forms are also available on the Student
Finance websites listed at the back of this booklet. You can
apply before you have a confirmed place at a college or
university. It is always a good idea to apply as early as
possible.
Part-time study
You can apply for DSAs for part-time study. However, you
must not take longer than twice the time normally needed to
complete full-time study for the course.
See Skill’s information booklet Applying for Disabled
Students’ Allowances for further information.
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11 Funding for personal care
Social services have a legal responsibility to meet the day-today needs of disabled people. Education providers have a
legal duty to meet their educational needs.
Section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons
(CSDP) Act 1970 states that, if you come under the definition
of a disabled person, you have the right to an assessment of
needs for any help needed to take advantage of educational
facilities.
When you go to university, you have the right to ask your
local social services department for an assessment of your
daily living needs. This includes any personal care or help
and adaptations needed in your accommodation for greater
safety, comfort or convenience.
If you already have a care package, you are allowed to take
it with you, including if you go away to university outside of
your local area.
From April 2011, if you are entitled to Housing Benefit, you
will be able to claim the costs of additional room if you need
an overnight carer.
All universities and higher education colleges should have a
Disability Equality Scheme setting out the actions that they
are taking to remove barriers to disabled peoples
participation. This may include actions that they are taking to
improve the non educational support provided to disabled
students. These could include accommodation adapted for
the needs of disabled students and assistance from
volunteers.
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12 Professional courses
Medical and dental courses
For the first four years of study, students taking a five or sixyear undergraduate programme are eligible for the same
support as other students taking Higher Education courses.
Students may then qualify for an NHS or Scottish Executive
Health Department means-tested bursary in their fifth and
further years. Students who get bursaries are eligible for
free tuition.
Students taking a four-year Graduate / Professional Entry
Programme in Medicine or Dentistry qualify for means-tested
bursaries from their second to their fourth year. In this time,
they are also eligible for 50% of the full student loan and free
tuition.
Additional allowances such as Disabled Students’
Allowances (DSAs) and Care Leavers’ Allowance may also
be included in the bursaries, depending on individual
circumstances.
For more information, see Skill’s careers guide Into
Medicine.
Nursing, midwifery and other related health
professions
England and Wales
Students accepted for an NHS-funded place on a full-time or
part-time pre-registration health professional course can
apply for an NHS bursary. Students who get NHS bursaries
have their tuition fees paid.
Degree students may be entitled to a means-tested NHS
bursary and a student loan. Extra allowances such as
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Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) and Care Leavers’
Allowance might also be included in the NHS bursary
depending on individual circumstances. If you face severe
financial hardship, you can apply for funding from the Access
to Learning Fund and then the NHS Hardship Grant.
Diploma of Higher Education – Nursing or midwifery (DipHENursing) students are entitled to a non-means-tested
bursary, which is at a higher rate than the bursary for degree
students. The bursary may include extra allowances such as
Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) and Care Leavers’
Allowance. Students on these courses are not entitled to
apply for a loan, but you can apply for the Access to
Learning Fund and the NHS Hardship Grant if you are facing
extreme financial difficulty. For part-time nursing and
midwifery diploma students, the bursary is a proportion of the
full-time amount.
Northern Ireland
If you are studying a pre-registration nursing or midwifery
course full-time on a commissioned Department of Health,
Social Services and Public Safety (DHSS&PS) placement in
Northern Ireland, you will be entitled to get free tuition, a nonmeans-tested bursary and extra allowances, such as the
DSAs.
Scotland
Nursing students are eligible for support available under the
Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary Scheme (NMSB).
This is a non-means-tested bursary and the grant amounts
available depend on your age at the start of the course.
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Bursaries and tuition fees are provided by:
 NHS Student Bursaries for students from England
 the NHS Wales Student Awards Unit for students from
Wales
 your local Education and Library Board for students from
Northern Ireland
 the Student Awards Agency for Scotland for students
from Scotland.
For more information, see Skill’s careers guide Into Nursing
and Midwifery.
The NHS Students Grants Unit also produces a guide for
students on health-related courses called Financial Help for
Health Care Students which you may find useful.
Social work
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA)
manages the bursary scheme for students studying
approved degree courses in social work in England.
Applicants must meet eligibility criteria set out by the
NHSBSA.
Social care funding is devolved to the four countries of the
UK. If you are not eligible for support from the NHSBSA, you
should contact the relevant social care regulatory body in
your country.
 If you are from Wales, contact Care Council for
Wales (CCW)
 If you are from Scotland, contact Scottish Social
Services Council (SSSC)
 If you are from Northern Ireland, contact Social
Services Inspectorate (SSI)
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Dance and Drama
Students on designated Higher Education dance and drama
courses at private institutions may qualify for financial
support. Dance and Drama Awards can cover some of the
costs of tuition fees and there are means-tested grants for
living costs. However, if you are offered a place as a private
student, you will have to pay the fees yourself.
Postgraduate courses
See Skill’s information booklet Postgraduate Education for
Disabled Students for full details.
12 Further information
Further information from Skill
Skill produces a range of information booklets. The following
are particularly relevant to higher education:
 Applying for Disabled Students’ Allowances
 Higher Education in Scotland: guidance for disabled
people
 Postgraduate education for disabled students
As a disabled student or potential student you can request
up to five information booklets free of charge. There is a
charge of £2.50 per booklet for additional booklets and to
professionals. All booklets can be downloaded as A4 sheets
from our website. Click on Information, then Information
Sheets, or go direct to
www.skill.org.uk/page.aspx?c=10&p=106.
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Into Higher Education
Into Higher Education is published in September each year,
for students entering Higher Education the following
academic year. It includes up-to-date information on the
student support arrangements and tuition fees across the
UK. It also features case studies of students writing about
their own experiences, giving an insight into what it is like to
be a disabled student in higher education. £2.50 to disabled
students or £15.00 to professionals. Available to order on our
website at www.skill.org.uk/shop/shop.asp or by
contacting Skill.
Official guides to higher education funding
Contact details for the organisations who publish these
guides are listed in the Useful Contacts section.
 A guide to financial support for higher education
students in 2010/11
Department for Children, Schools and Families, Local
Authority or Student Loans Company.
 Financial support for part-time students in higher
education in 2010/11
Department for Children, Schools and Families, Local
Authority or Student Loans Company.
 Bridging the Gap – A guide to the Disabled Students’
Allowances (DSAs) in higher education in 2010/2011
Local Authority or Student Loans Company.
 Childcare Grant and other support for student parents in
Higher Education in 2010/11
Department for Education or Local Authority
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 The European Choice: A Guide for Higher Opportunities
in Europe
Available from www.eurochoice.org.uk
 Financial Help for Healthcare Students
NHS Student Grants Unit, England
 Student Loans – A Guide to terms and conditions
2010/11
www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
Aimhigher booklets:
 How to get financial help as a student
 Financial help for part-time students
 Thinking it through – A Guide to Higher Education
Available from:
www.aimhigher.ac.uk/ or your local Aimhigher adviser
 Educational Grants Directory – published by the
Directory of Social Change, price £29.95
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13 Useful contacts
Aimhigher
Website: www.aimhigher.ac.uk
Information on what higher education can do for you, how to
apply for a course, funding and student life.
Benefits Enquiry Line for people with disabilities, carers
and representatives
Tel: 0800 882 200
Textphone: 0800 243 355
You can find benefit information on the Department for Work
and Pensions website at www.direct.gov.uk/benefits.
Benefit Enquiry Line Northern Ireland
Tel: 0800 220 674 (open Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm)
Textphone: 0800 243 787
You can find benefit information on the Department for Social
Development NI website at www.dsdni.gov.uk.
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)
1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET Tel: 020 7215 5555
Email: enquiries@bis.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.bis.gov.uk
Department for Employment and Learning
(Northern Ireland)
Student Finance Branch, Room 407, Adelaide House, 39-49
Adelaide Street, Belfast BT2 8FD
Tel: 028 9025 7777
Email: del@nics.gov.uk
Website: www.delni.gov.uk/studentfinance
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Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
(Northern Ireland)
Bursaries Section, Castle Buildings, Stormont
Belfast BT4 3SQ
Tel: 028 9052 0706
Email: ssi@dhsspsni.gov.uk
Website: www.dhsspsni.gov.uk
Educational Grants Advisory Service (EGAS)
501-505 Kingsland Road, Dalston, London E8 4AU
Tel: 020 7254 6251
Website: www.egas-online.org.uk
Advice agency for people looking for funding for further or
higher education.
Erasmus
Erasmus team, British Council, 1 Kingsway, Cardiff CF10
3AQ
Tel: 029 2092 4311
Email: erasmus@britishcouncil.org
Website: www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus
Advice and information on the Socrates-Erasmus
programme and funding.
HM Revenue and Customs (formerly Inland Revenue)
England and Wales:
Tax Credit Helpline: 0845 300 3900
Textphone 0845 300 3909
Northern Ireland:
Tel: 0845 603 2000
Textphone: 0845 607 6078
Website: www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits
NHS Careers Helpline
Tel: 0845 606 0655
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Email: advice@nhscareers.nhs.uk
Website: www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
NHS Student Bursaries, England
Student Grants Unit, Hesketh House, 200-220 Broadway
Fleetwood, Lancashire FY7 8SS
Helpline: 0845 358 6655
Fax: 01253 774 491
Email (general): enquiries@nhspa.gov.uk
Email (Disabled Students’ Allowances): dsa@nhspa.gov.uk
Website: www.nhsstudentgrants.co.uk
NHS Business Services, Social Work Bursary
Sandyford House, Archbold Terrace
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1DB
Tel: 0845 610 1122
Email: swb@ppa.nhs.uk
Website: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Students.aspx
NHS Wales Student Awards Unit
3rd Floor, 14 Cathedral Road, Cardiff CF11 9LJ Tel: 029
2026 1495
Website: www.nliah.wales.nhs.uk
National Union of Students (NUS)
4th Floor 184-192 Drummond Street, London NW1 3HP
Website: www.nus.org.uk
Open University
Tel: 0845 300 6090
Email: general-enquiries@open.ac.uk
Professional and Career Development Loans
Information Line: 0800 585 505
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Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS)
Gyle View House, 3 Redheughs Rigg, Edinburgh EH12 9HH
Tel: 0845 111 1711
Fax: 0131 244 5887
Email: saas.geu@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.saas.gov.uk
Student Loans Company Limited
100 Bothwell Street, Glasgow G2 7JD
Tel: 0141 306 2000
Fax: 0141 306 2005
Website: www.slc.co.uk
Student Finance England
Website: www.direct.gov.uk/StudentFinance Tel: 0845 300
5090
Central system for information on financial support and
online applications for grants, loans and Disabled Students’
Allowances (DSAs) in England.
Student Finance Northern Ireland
Website: www.studentfinanceni.co.uk
Tel: 0845 600 0662
Information on financial support in Northern Ireland and
contact details of local Education and Library Boards (ELBs).
Student Finance Wales
Tel: 0845 602 8845
Website: www.studentfinancewales.co.uk or
www.cyllidmyfyrwyrcymru.co.uk (Welsh version)
Provides information and administers financial support for
HE students in Wales on behalf of Local Authorities and the
Student Loans Company.
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Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA)
Teaching Information Line
Tel: 0845 6000 991
Website: www.tda.gov.uk
UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)
Tel: +44 20 7107 9922
Website: www.ukcisa.org.uk
Advice service for international students.
Welsh Assembly Government
Higher Education Division,
Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ
Tel: 0845 010 3300
Fax: 029 2082 5823
Website: www.wales.gov.uk
Updated August 2010
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