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Interestingly our experience here at Glasgow is the opposite. DSA claims through SAAS for PG students are not problematic whereas we probably couldn't say the same for our experience with research councils. -----Original Message----- From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Felicity Burgess Sent: 27 April 2007 11:13 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Postgraduate DSA Funding All I can say is wow - research council DSAs are so much better than LEA postgrad ones. Quoting alex larg <[log in to unmask]>: > I don't know if it is still the case, but I think it used to be the case > for > Scottish students (resident in Scotland for the purposes of DSA) that if > a > postgraduate student was not funded by a research council then they > wouldn't > receive DSA at all because SAAS rules meant they often fell through the > cracks in terms of eligibility. (I may be wrong about this - any students > or > people out there with any personal experience of this?) > > Separately, for information about AHRB DSA taken from their:- > http://www.ahrb.ac.uk/holders/postgrad/information_for_award_holders_with_a_ > disability.asp > > (This was taken today and seems to be the most up to date information > available on line) > > "Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) > > If you have a long-term disability and as a result of your disability you > are obliged to incur additional expenditure in connection with your > studies, > you may be eligible for an extra allowance. > > As an award holder you should apply to the AHRC for DSA and not your > local > education authority (LEA). > > You should apply as soon as possible in order to avoid any delay in > accessing the equipment or services you require. > > DSA may cover costs relating to additional daily expenses, equipment, or > non-medical help. We shall consider meeting only those costs that are > incurred directly and solely as a consequence of your taking up an AHRC > award to pursue postgraduate study. > > This allowance is available to all award holders from 1 October 2006. > > You should contact the disability coordinator at your institution before > applying to us for the disabled students' allowance. > > In most cases you will be asked to undertake a needs assessment at a > recognised Access Centre. If your disability coordinator considers such > an > assessment to be necessary the AHRC will normally cover the cost. > > If you apply for the disabled students' allowance you should not commit > yourself to any expenditure relating to your claim until you have > received > formal agreement of the amount of support we are able to provide. > > In the academic year 2006-07 the maximum entitlement for disabled > students' > allowance is as follows: > > Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) > Daily expenses £1,605 pa > Non-medical helper £12,135 pa > Equipment £4,795 > > The figures above are maximum allowances. The equipment allowance is > usually a one-off payment at the start of your award and is not available > for subsequent years of your award although it may be possible to add > small > top-up items later provided the maximum equipment allowance was not > spent > in the first instance. > > If you are entitled to disabled students' allowance, we will normally > make > approved payments for equipment and non-medical help directly to your > institution's finance office. > > You will need to make arrangements with your institution about how best > these funds should be administered or distributed. > > Your institution will be required to provide invoices or receipts as > proof > of expenditure for all equipment and services provided by use of the > DSA. > > Payments for daily expenses will be paid directly to you and you will not > normally be required to produce receipts for items such and books and > photocopying. > > Please note that any under spend must be repaid to the AHRC." > > Alex > > Alex Larg > > [log in to unmask] > 07931 561 877 or 07916 175 077 > Freelance Assistive Technology Trainer > Freelance study needs assessor > Former Disability Officer > > > > On 27/4/07 09:59, "Penny Georgiou" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > Dear Felicity, > > > > Your specific question probably means that you would simply make an > > application to your LEA as a postgraduate student. It would not be a > matter of > > a 'switch' from the perspective of the LEA or the NHS - the system > itself > > doesn't 'think' in those terms. > > > > If you are uncertain about the process, contact me off list for more > detail. > > [log in to unmask] > > > > Regards, > > > > Penny > > > > Penny Georgiou > > North London Regional Access Centre > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. on > behalf > > of Felicity Burgess > > Sent: Fri 27/04/2007 07:50 > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Cc: > > Subject: Re: Postgraduate DSA Funding > > > > > > > > Does anyone know about the protocol for NHS-funded undergrads switching > to > > an LEA-funded postgrad DSA? (Just wondering if I'm going to have to pay > for > > lots of medical evidence again). > > > > > > > > Quoting "Ian F." <[log in to unmask]>: > > > >> Hi, regarding LA-funded Postgrads, according to current (and > previous) > >> DfES guidance: > >> > >> quote: > >> Once an LA has established that a student is an eligible student under > >> the regulations (i.e. eligible to receive support for fees and loans) > the > >> student becomes eligible at that stage to receive DSA support. An > >> assessment of course needs should be arranged as soon as possible > after > >> it is established that the student is eligible for support and the LA > is > >> satisfied that they have a disability, specific learning difficulty or > a > >> mental health problem. This arrangement should mean that appointments > for > >> assessments are spread over the early summer, and will help to reduce > the > >> backlog of appointments in September/October time... > >> > >> see > >> http://www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport/administrators/doc/DSA > Guidance.doc > >> > >> an html version of this document is available at > >> http://www.asasa.org.uk/assessment/LA-DSA-2007.htm > >> > >> LAs are given specific advice about early DSA assessments by the DfES > in > >> this document: > >> > >> The cost of the early DSA assessment should be met from the DSA. ... > In > >> the case of students not going on to attend a course, they should not > be > >> asked to repay the fee for the needs assessment. In many cases, they > will > >> reapply for higher education courses the following year and in such > >> cases, the needs assessment already completed for them should be > >> sufficient to process their new DSA application. The Department is > >> prepared to write off the assessment costs for those students who do > not > >> enter higher education. > >> > >> And about students going on to postgraduate studies: > >> > >> Students who have just graduated and are proceeding directly to > >> postgraduate study should be able to use their current DSA assessment > as > >> a basis for their support. This means that for non-medical helpers, > for > >> example, the students can continue to receive support without the > >> necessity of a new assessment. If the student wishes to undergo a new > >> assessment, whether because the disability is now different or the > needs > >> of the course are substantially different, that can be paid for from > the > >> DSA. If the student seeks new equipment, the LA will need to take into > >> account any equipment the student received as an undergraduate, having > >> regard to how recently the equipment was bought and how appropriate it > >> now is for the software necessary to support the studentıs disability. > >> The Departmentıs view is that the LA could replace equipment provided > in > >> the first year of an undergraduate course, but would need to look > >> carefully at requests for new equipment if it had been provided in the > >> final year of an undergraduate course. > >> > >> Students who might be eligible for research council funding should > start > >> the application process asap. Research Councils tend to take a > sensible > >> approach by adopting the undergraduate DSA funding structure as > opposed > >> to the current postgrad single allowance provided by central > government, > >> which really needs to be sorted out as it makes no sense that a > student > >> who might need up to 20k or more worth of assistance as an > undergraduate > >> only needs around a quarter of this as a postgraduate. > >> > >> What is the 'protocol system', by the way? It doesn't seem to be > >> mentioned in the guidance provided by the DfES. > >> > >> > >> > >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> From: David Austen > >> To: [log in to unmask] > >> Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 4:54 PM > >> Subject: Re: Postgraduate DSA Funding > >> > >> > >> Hello Caroline > >> Perhaps the situation with post graduate, as well as part time > >> students, where the 'protocol system' does not allow LEAs to process a > >> DSA application until the student is actually registered at the > >> Institution (as last year), can also be addressed. There is also the > >> situation where some LEAs are already processing applications for > full > >> time 07/08 undergrads, where others state that no applications will > be > >> processed until , again, the student is registered. > >> This, as I understand it, is not in line with DFES guidelines. > >> Best > >> David Asuten > >> > >> www.cambridgeaccesscentre.com > >> > >> > >> > >> ----- Original Message ---- > >> From: Caroline Davies <[log in to unmask]> > >> To: [log in to unmask] > >> Sent: Thursday, 19 April, 2007 4:34:18 PM > >> Subject: Re: Postgraduate DSA Funding > >> > >> > >> I will ask for it to be put on the Agenda of the next Skill HE > Working > >> Party meeting in May. Maybe Skill can take some action on this with > the > >> funding councils. > >> > >> Caroline > >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> From: Marie Norris > >> To: [log in to unmask] > >> Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 2:49 PM > >> Subject: Re: Postgraduate DSA Funding > >> > >> > >> Dear all, > >> > >> > >> > >> For information: > >> > >> > >> > >> This was raised and discussed at the last NE Region Skill/DSA > >> meeting. Ellen at Skill was gathering information about the issue as > it > >> had already caused a number of difficulties at some universities. (Her > >> email address is [log in to unmask] ) > >> > >> > >> > >> Best wishes, Marie > >> > >> > >> > >> Marie Norris > >> > >> > >> > >> phone: 0845 833 9971 > >> > >> fax: 0845 833 9979 > >> > >> text/mobile: 07702 598408 > >> > >> text only: 07786 204296 > >> > >> > >> > >> [log in to unmask] > >> > >> www.clear-links.co.uk > >> > >> > >> > >> Clear Links Support Ltd > >> > >> Globe Works > >> > >> Penistone Road > >> > >> Sheffield S6 3AE > >> > >> > >> > >> Please use the Globe Works address above for all correspondence. > >> > >> > >> > >> Registered Office: > >> > >> Wake Smith Solicitors > >> > >> 68 Clarkehouse Road > >> > >> Sheffield S10 2LJ > >> > >> > >> > >> This message and any attachments are confidential and should only > be > >> read by those to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended > >> recipient, please delete this message from your computer and destroy > all > >> copies. Any views or opinions are solely those of the author and do > not > >> necessarily represent those of the company. > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> > >> From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support > staff. > >> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Emma Price > >> Sent: 19 April 2007 12:38 > >> To: [log in to unmask] > >> Subject: Postgraduate DSA Funding > >> > >> > >> > >> Dear all > >> > >> > >> > >> There appears to be a number of research councils who are now > >> transferring administrative and financial responsibility for the DSA > >> directly to institutions. We are currently aware of the AHRC and the > >> ESRC who have taken up this model. The AHRC have decided to transfer > the > >> required funds to the institution, in order to pay suppliers, > non-medical > >> helpers etc. The transfer goes directly into a general account (the > same > >> as used for any block grants) as and when requested. The ESRC work on > a > >> reimbursement system, with the College claiming back any deficit spent > >> throughout the year on ESRC DSA. Iım skipping the details here, > however > >> this generally means that DSA goes into a wider pool of money, making > our > >> administrative task of getting our hands on the funds more > problematic, > >> though this may just be us! I wonder if this is a problem for other > >> institutions who have a significant proportion of PG research > activity. > >> > >> > >> > >> It would be ideal if someone at the research council was > responsible > >> for notifying the allocated Disability Support Officer at the > institution > >> when money was being transferred in the same way that LAs aim to > keep > >> DOs in the loop. No knowledge that the funds have been transferred > >> results in an unnecessary delay for the student. Has anyone else > found > >> this? > >> > >> > >> > >> Best wishes > >> > >> > >> > >> Emma > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> Emma Price > >> > >> Disability Co-ordinator > >> > >> Kingıs College London > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >> Yahoo! Mail is the world's favourite email. 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