Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)

The Disabled Student Allowance is a government-funded program that provides financial support to students with disabilities to help them cover the costs of their education. It is available to students who meet certain eligibility criteria, including having a disability that significantly affects their ability to study. The DSA program is administered by Student Finance England and the Department for Education and is funded by the government.

Visual Reading and DSA Funding

For students in the U.K. who meet eligibility criteria, Visual Reading can be funded by the DSA program (Student Finance England) at no direct cost to the student.

However, Visual Reading must be allocated to students by an official accessor of need. We can not refer, allocate or influence DSA funding in any way.

If you are interested in obtaining funding for Visual Reading or any other program through the DSA, you must go through the official process and we have included more information about this below.

If you believe you have already been allocated Visual Reading but you have not yet heard from us, please use the support center area of this website to contact us - we usually contact students within hours when we receive notification of them being allocated a Visual Reading course, however have experienced some delays in receiving notifications about students being awarded Visual Reading - so if you have gone through the process and had confirmation from your accessor of need that you have been awarded a Visual Reading course but have not yet heard from us, please contact us and we will work with you to quickly get you started!

You don't need to pay back DSA

The type of support and how much you get depends on your individual needs - not your household income.

2025-2026 Academic Year

Undergraduate and postgraduate students can get up to £27,783 a year for support.

What DSA Can Pay For

Specialist Equipment

  • •Computer if you need one because of your disability
  • •Assistive technology and software
  • •Specialized reading aids and tools

Non-Medical Helpers

  • •British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter
  • •Specialist note taker
  • •Study skills support

Additional Support

  • •Extra travel costs due to disability
  • •Additional printing for proof-reading
  • •Other disability-related study support

Important Note

DSA does not cover disability-related costs you'd have if you were not attending a course, or costs that any student might have.

How to Apply

1. Check Your Eligibility

You must be a UK higher education student with a formal dyslexia or neurodivergent diagnosis.

2. Get a Needs Assessment

After you receive your DSA eligibility letter, a supplier (either Study Tech or Capita) will contact you to arrange a needs assessment. This is an informal meeting to determine what support you can get for your studies - it's not a test.

The assessment can be in-person or remote.

3. Receive Your Support

After your assessment, you'll get a report with recommendations and an entitlement letter explaining what support you can get.

Visual Reading and DSA

How We Can Help

Visual Reading Online can be fully covered by DSA funding if you're eligible. Our program is specifically designed to help students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties improve their reading speed and comprehension.

  • •One-on-one coaching sessions
  • •Specialized reading overlays and tools
  • •Personalized learning plans
  • •Progress tracking and support

Next Steps

If you're interested in using Visual Reading Online through DSA funding:

  1. 1.Apply for DSA through your student finance provider
  2. 2.Mention Visual Reading Online during your needs assessment
  3. 3.We'll contact you once allocated - if you haven't heard from us within a week, please contact us

Official Information: This page provides general information about DSA. For the most up-to-date and official information, please visit theofficial GOV.UK DSA page.