Regarding premium funding for students with disabilities, I have
several concerns:
how will institutions know if a student has obtained a DSA? Will
LEAs have to inform the students institution? If a student transfers
how will the new institution know if they are in receipt of a DSA?
many LEAs go to great lengths to reject claims for the DSAs. Should
the level of an HEI’s funding be dictated by administrative staff in
LEAs? Bearing in mind that higher education was omitted from Part 3
(Goods Facilities and Services) of the Disability Discrimination Act,
on the grounds that Government should not be permitted to interfere
with the internal workings of HEIs. But local government can!
there are many students with disabilities who do not need to claim the
DSAs but do require significant support within their institutions;
in the past the extra cost of educating part-time and postgraduate
students has been acknowledged and they attract a premium of five
percent. Soon students with poor socio-economic backgrounds will
also attract a five percent premium. In keeping with this it would
appear that the premium that institutions will receive for students with
disabilities will also be five percent. Although I welcome the extra
funding, does it not cost considerably more to provide services and
support for students with disabilities than it does for part-time
students? Should the disability premium be larger?
if we get a disabled, part-time student from a poor area, will we get
the five percent premium times three?
> Seeing the recommendations for staffing levels certainly
> concentrates the mind somewhat. One is also prompted to
> reflect upon the HEFCEs proposal to fund disability support
> based upon the number of DSA applications. As we know
> having 1000 students declaring that they have disability,
> many of which will be hidden (like mild asthma) or the wide
> ranging "Disability not listed" is a dodgy basis on which
> to base funding.
>
> This again conjures up the concern that those responsible
> for disability support will be "encouraged" to maximise DSA
> applications. However, if we do go down this line I would
> like to see clarification from HESA or the HEFCE about
> which DSA students they want to see counted. I bet many
> HEIs will be interpreting the number of students is receipt
> of Student Disability Allowance (AKA Disabled Students
> Allowance) count in all sorts of imaginative ways.
>
> Bryan Jones
> Equal Opportunities Adviser
> London Guildhall University.
>
>
>
Steve Metcalfe
Head of Disability Access Resources and Technology
University of Lincolnshire & Humberside, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1482 440550 ext. 3300
Fax: +44 (0)1482 463531
EMail [log in to unmask]
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