As part of the application process for the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA), students have to undertake a study needs assessment.
This assessment is not to test whether or not you are entitled to DSA or not, but to identify what support would be most suitable for you and it is an opportunity to discuss with the assessor what type of support would be of benefit. Students are commonly recommended support under:
- Specialist equipment eg accessibility software
- Non-medical helper (NMH) allowance eg mentoring or tutoring
- General allowance eg support with travel costs or photocopying
Needs Assessment Centre
Students are able to attend a study needs assessment in Student Services at St Mary's University, as we are an outreach needs assessment centre of the North London Regional Access Centre (NLRAC) and are able to carry out assessments for all disabilities, including mental health conditions and specific learning difficulties. Students and applicants for other universities are also able to have assessments with us. For more details, please visit the NLRAC webpage.
How to arrange a DSA Needs Assessment
If you have applied for DSA and received a confirmation email (DSA1) from Student Finance, please complete the needs assessment booking form, or forward your confirmation email to wellbeing@stmarys.ac.uk.