An overview of the funding and funded support available to you in your studies. Advice about how and when to apply for this support.

General Student Finance (e.g. tuition fees and loans)

At UHI NWH we have both Further Education (FE) students and Higher Education (HE) students.  HE would be students studying at HNC level and above.

Further Education Students

Information on a full range of bursaries and discretionary funds available to HE students can be found here.  You apply via your MyDay portal, clicking on the UHI Records tile, and clicking on the link at the bottom right of the page.

Higher Education Students

HE Students are often eligible to apply for a loan which can help to pay for tuition fees and to help with living costs. Funding arrangements differ depending on the personal circumstances of the student and the chosen course. This process can take a long time so we would recommend applying early to give you the best possible chance of having funding in place in time for the start of your course. Full information can be found here: Student Awards Agency Scotland – SAAS – Funding Your Future

Disabled Students’ Allowances (only for HE students)

Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) is government funding intended to cover the extra costs of having a disability, long-term condition, mental health condition, or specific learning difficulty such as an autistic spectrum condition, dyslexia or dyspraxia. Further information and can be found here.

NB: We recognise that not everyone who has an autistic spectrum condition would use the word ‘disabled’ about themselves. This includes a lot of the students we spoke to in our surveys. However, DSA is the main way to access support for your study needs at the start of your course and beyond, so it is important to know all about it.

Most autistic students who have been officially diagnosed with an autistic spectrum condition, and are studying on an eligible course, are entitled to DSA – it is not related to any other benefits (even DLA or PIP) or means-tested.

DSA can help with the cost of any additional support you might require whilst studying, such as:

• One-to-one support (such as a specialist mentor)
• Specialist equipment (including useful software, such as mind mapping to help you make sense of a topic)
• Travel (like getting taxis when public transport is challenging)

DSA won’t cover costs that all students would have to pay for, like buying textbooks or standard laptops or tickets for the bus to and from college.

Autistic students who claim DSA are less likely to drop out of their studies and more likely to achieve their full potential.

Whether or not you received, or felt you needed support during school HE studies are very different from the type of study you have been used to and getting the right support in place can make your life a lot easier. DSA is intended to level the playing field for students who have disabilities, long-term conditions, mental health conditions, autism and specific learning difficulties like dyslexia and ADHD.

Students in our Autism&Uni surveys who disclosed their autism and got support early in their course were more likely to enjoy their studies and graduate with good grades than those who didn’t get any support.

The timing of the support is important too – students who had all their support in place before the end of the first semester had a much better experience than those students who did not access support. This means applying for DSA as early as you can is a very good idea – it doesn’t matter if your course or place of study changes.

You can also choose to access support at any point throughout your studies, even if you haven’t previously told us about your autism, or you receive a diagnosis of autism following commencement of your studies.

Your support can also be reviewed and amended at any time if you find your needs have changed during your course or the support you have in place is not really working for you. Your Disability Adviser is available for you to contact at any point.

The Process for Students Living in Scotland

The first step is to arrange a Personal Learning Support Plan (PLSP) with your allocated Learning Support Worker.  You can do this by emailing studentsupport.nwh@uhi.ac.uk.

They will then make a referral for a separate needs assessment which is specifically for a DSA application.

This separate Needs Assessment is an essential part of the process of applying for DSA, and somebody else will be in contact with you directly to arrange that appointment.  The Needs Assessment tends to be a structured but fairly informal one-to-one discussion with a Study Needs Assessor which will usually last between 2 and 3 hours. You won’t be tested or have to complete any assessment yourself, but the Study Needs Assessor will have specific questions they need to ask in order to explore your support needs.

Your Learning Support Worker is then provided with a copy of the report, and any quotes for:

• One-to-one support (such as a specialist mentor)
• Specialist equipment (including useful software, such as mind mapping to help you make sense of a topic)
• Travel (like getting taxis when public transport is challenging)

When your DSA award is approved, the funds are sent to your bank account.

If required you’ll then get help to purchase the recommended equipment and support listed in your report.

You’ll need to keep your receipts and send them to SAAS as proof of purchase.

Students living in the rest of the UK

If you don’t live in Scotland the process is slightly different.
You will apply directly to your awarding body (for example, Student Finance England or Student Finance Wales) for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).

Your awarding body will then:

• Arrange your Needs Assessment for you, rather than UHI North, West and Hebrides.

• Pay the approved DSA suppliers directly for any agreed support or equipment, instead of sending the funds to you.

A final note

This process can seem like a lot to take in, and it’s completely normal to feel that way.
You won’t have to manage it all on your own, your Learning Support Worker will guide you step by step, making sure you understand each part and have the support you need along the way.

• How do you feel about making notes in lectures, where most of what is said does not end up on a whiteboard or the PowerPoint slides? It is also not possible to write down every word that is said.
• Would being able to record lectures help you?
• How do you make and organise your notes when reading or revising?
• Do you enjoy going to new places?
• Do you find new places easily?
• Does it help to have someone with you when you go somewhere for the first time?
• What are you most excited about when it comes to your course?
• What would you like to know more about or might need support to do before you get excited?
• How do you feel about group work?
• How do you manage your free time?
• Are you always on time for appointments without help from someone else?
• Do you like to be in busy, lively places or quiet places?
• How do you find out about new topics?
• Do you find it easy to organise your ideas and structure them in writing?
• Do you find academic writing easy? How about spelling, punctuation and grammar?
• Would you like somebody to talk to about your autism who has a good understanding of both autism and studies?
• Do you have any other conditions like dyslexia, dyspraxia or ADHD?
• Does it help you to read information from the internet if you can print it out?
• Who supported you with your work at school and what did they do that was helpful?
• What helps you when you’re stressed? Music, exercise, art, reading, playing games, talking to others?
• Did you use any tools like visual schedules, social stories, coloured overlays, coloured paper or alarms to help you at school or college?
• How do you feel about talking to people about your autism, including tutors and other students?