Consultation outcome

Disabled students in higher education: funding proposals

From:
Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
Published
1 July 2015
Last updated
2 December 2015 — See all updates
This consultation has concluded

Download the full outcome

Consultation on targeting funding for disabled students in higher education from 2016 to 2017 onwards - government response

Ref: BIS/15/657

PDF, 243 KB, 46 pages

Consultation on targeting funding for disabled students in higher education from 2016 to 2017 onwards - equality analysis

Ref: BIS/15/658

PDF, 824 KB, 79 pages

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Detail of outcome

The changes that will take effect from academic year 2016 to 2017 are:

  • higher education (HE) providers will be expected to take primary responsibility for most non-medical help in bands 1 and 2, and DSAs will keep primary responsibility for funding sighted guides
  • DSAs will keep primary responsibility for non-medical help under bands 3 and 4, with the exception of specialist transcription services, which will be the primary responsibility of the HE provider
  • DSAs funding will not be available for specialist accommodation provided by HE providers or their agents, other than by exception (additional costs should no longer be passed to the student)
  • printers, scanners and digital voice recorders will no longer be provided as standard
  • standard computer peripherals and other accessories will be funded by exception only
  • laptop carry cases will continue to be provided as standard

Detail of feedback received

201 responses were received from a wide range of organisations including:

  • disabled students
  • assessment centres
  • DSAs service providers
  • publicly funded institutions and alternative providers
  • disability charities and organisations
  • higher education providers and representative bodies

Original consultation

Summary

Seeks information to help us direct the funding for disabled students in higher education more effectively.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

We want information and evidence to help us direct funding for disabled students in higher education (HE) more effectively. We want to balance the support available for all disabled students from HE providers, and that available from Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs).

The consultation is relevant to:

  • HE providers
  • disabled HE students (current and prospective)
  • stakeholders working with disabled students in HE or wishing to enter HE
  • disability charities
  • advocacy organisations working with disabled people
  • DSAs assessment centres
  • non-medical help suppliers

The questions only relate to HE students entitled to receive support from Student Finance England.

Documents

Consultation on targeting funding for disabled students in Higher Education from 2016/17 onwards

Ref: BIS/15/81

PDF, 733 KB, 49 pages

Published 1 July 2015
Last updated 2 December 2015 + show all updates

  1. Added government response and equality analysis.

  2. First published.