Yes - many of our students haven't bothered with a student loan because
of the complex form filling and so haven't had the "trigger" for a DSA
application.
I wish WP or Aimhigher or whatever could reinforce the very practical
messages back to schools about the DSA and the need for real evidence.
So many students rely on scrappy photocopies of some exam exemption
document that could easily have been forged!
John.
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sharron Sturgess
Sent: 11 October 2005 13:34
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Low number of DSA applications
It doesn't help that students have to be registered with the loans
company
to apply for DSA. I have had to refer quite a number of students to
their
LEAs to get a PN1 form before they can even do a DSA 1 form. Then there
is
the rigmoral of reassuring them that they don't need to actually take
out
the loan just apply for it, and they won't have to pay any of the DSA
back -
it is a grant not a loan etc etc. And then I refer then to student
welfare
for help with the loans form because it is not my area of expertise.
I have also had a lot of freshers who need up to date evidence (because
the
specialist teacher/SENCO exam thingy won't satisfy LEAs) which is
delaying
them being able to apply for DSA, and freshers who simply didn't know
about
DSA at all for whatever reason (even though we would have sent them info
about it at some point).
So yes a large part of my start of term has been providing 'more
assistance
and encouragement' to students to apply for DSA, whilst still putting as
much support as possible into place.
Sharron Sturgess Loughborough Uni
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bryan Jones" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2005 1:09 PM
Subject: Low number of DSA applications
> Dear all
>
> There seem to be less students applying for DSA this year. The NNAC
> Assessment Centres in the south, who do a lot of external assessments,
> have noticed that there are less students calling for assessments this
> year. I've also spoken to a few LEA awards officers who have also
seem
> to think that numbers of students applying for DSA are down. Either
> there are less students with disabilities coming into HE this year, or
> something is causing students to hold back applying for DSA. Many
LEAs
> are now requiring full time students to fill in some sections of the
DSA
> 1 form (normally used for PG or PT students) and return it. It seems
> that not all students are doing so happily. Perhaps with all the other
> forms they have to complete the DSA 1 is a step too far for many,
> obviously with the inevitable consequence that they don't get DSA
> support they need or it is delayed. Might be worth being aware that
> some students may need some encouragement, assistance with the
> increasing amount of red tape associated with applying for support.
>
>
> Bryan Jones,
> Manager, Disability Support Services
> & North London Regional Access Centre,
> Middlesex University
> Tel: 020 8411 5366
>
>
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