> I have been away for the summer from this mailing list and so will
> probably have missed any comments on this if it were raised. Please excuse
> this. I have just become a postgraduate and understand that "we" are now
> entitled to the Disabled Student Allowance as well. What is the provision
> for this and how does one go about applying for it?
Since the DfEE have no direct statutory duty to post-grads (whose
support normally comes via other sources) they have decided to
make an allocation of a single award (as opposed to the three at
undergrad level) of up to £5000 per annum.
All needs will have to be met from within this maximum, though the
equipment allowance is still set at its normal limit- around £4100
this year. Thus study skills support, books, photocopying etc will
have to be supplied from the same single sum.
Applicants will have to fill in a form, part of which is completed by
the university. They have to establish their residency qualifications
and eligibility in the same way as undergrads. The university is
asked to confirm course details.
Post-grads can also be part-time, in which case they will get less
than the full award. If they complete an MA in two years in stead of
one, they will be subject to half the limit, ie £2500. This would
make it difficult for someone to request a very high IT spec costing
anything like the limit.
The DfEE was a bit late in gathering its lawyers together to create
the means to allow awards officers to go ahead from 1 Sept. but
this has now been done, so there is no reason for LEAs to
continue doing what some were doing a few weeks ago, by saying
they could not accept requests at this stage.
Your universities should know about the forms, but if they don't you
can obtain them from:
0800 731 9133
Dave Laycock
Head of CCPD
Computer Centre for People with Disabilities
University of Westminster
72 Great Portland Street
London W1N 5AL
tel. 020 7911-5161
fax. 020 7911-5162
WWW home page: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/ccpd/
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