Disabilities, Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD’s) and Long-Term Health Conditions

If you’re planning to enrol in an undergraduate degree, you may be eligible for DSA if you have a disability that affects your ability to study. This includes physical disabilities, long-term health conditions, specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, or ADHD), and mental health conditions like anxiety or depression.

DSA is awarded by your funding body, such as Student Finance England or Student Finance Wales. It does not need to be repaid and is based on your individual needs. The support provided through DSA might include:

• Ergonomic equipment or assistive software: For example, a student with dyslexia might receive dictation software to help with writing or read-aloud software for reading and research.
• Non-medical help: This could include support from a specialist 1:1 study skills tutor or a specialist mental health mentor, where appropriate.

DSA covers costs that arise specifically because of your disability and that are necessary for your studies. It does not cover:

• Day-to-day disability-related costs that you would have even if you weren’t studying, such as personal care services.
• General costs that any student might have, such as standard printing or purchasing art materials. However, if your disability means you need to print more than usual, DSA may provide a printing allowance.

If a new computer is required to run any software awarded as part of the disability support package, the student is expected to contribute the first £200 of this cost. Help with this cost may be available via OCA’s Learner Support Scheme.

Many students don’t apply for DSA until they realise what support is available, which can affect their studies. We recommend applying before starting your course, if you’re eligible. For reference, DSA can take up to 14 weeks to be approved and as we operate on monthly intakes – you may wish to choose a start date that keeps this processing timeframe in mind.

You do need to meet a 25% rate of study (study intensity) to remain eligible for DSA support. There are variances so do ask your funding body. For example, students in receipt of a grant via Student Finance Wales or Student Finance NI may need to complete the degree within six years (50% intensity).

You will need to apply via your funding body and can check you are eligible on the relevant website:-

DSA – England
DSA – Wales
DSA – Northern Ireland

To apply for DSA, follow these steps:

1. Complete the Application Form: Fill out the DSA application form provided by your funding body.
2. Submit Supporting Evidence: Include the necessary documentation with your application. This may include:
   • A completed disability evidence form
   • A copy of a diagnostic assessment (e.g., for dyslexia)
   • A report or letter from your doctor or consultant
3. Your funding body will review your application and supporting evidence to determine your eligibility for DSA. 
4. Section 5 – Your University or College: You can leave Section 5 (Your University or College) blank. Since OCA is a distance learning institution, Student Finance England allows our students to submit their DSA application form with this section left blank. Student Finance England will reach out to us directly to obtain the required information.
5. Section 6b – Consent to Share Information: Complete Section 6b (Consent to Share DSA) to give Student Finance England permission to contact us for additional information.

Once your eligibility has been confirmed by Student Finance, your funding body will refer you to one of two providers, Study Tech or Capita. 

Please refer to the information below to confirm which provider you will be assigned to. If you apply before your course starts, you will be referred to the provider responsible for the area in which you currently reside.

Per the GOV website, “Study Tech will deliver DSA support for students funded by Student Finance England (SFE) and Student Finance Wales (SFW) in zones 1 and 4: Northwest England; Northeast England; Yorkshire and the Humber; South West England; South East England; and Scotland.

Capita will deliver DSA support for students funded by SFE and SFW in zones 2 and 3: East England; the Midlands; London; Wales; and Northern Ireland.”

You will meet with a Needs Assessor, either at a local centre nearby or via online video call. You won’t be charged for this – the fee will be met by Student Finance.

Don’t be alarmed at the term ‘assessment’ – it’s not a test. It’s an opportunity for a specialist to look at the requirements of the course and what areas of difficulty you may be expected to have as a result of your disability.

They will then discuss with you what is recommended to help. You don’t have to agree with all of the recommendations.

The assessor will then draft a report and you need to give them permission to share this with OCA (learnersupport@oca.ac.uk). This will help us to see any recommendations they make to us, and will also highlight areas of difficulty identified so that we can see where you may need support.

Take a look at this video from Student Finance England – What to expect from your Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) Needs Assessment

We understand that the amount of information provided may seem overwhelming, but please take the time to carefully read each of the sections outlined in your DSA letter and action accordingly. 

The assistance provided is independent of the University, meaning the University does not participate in arranging your DSA support. Your support or equipment will not be arranged or dispatched automatically by the University. 

It is your responsibility to promptly reach out to the suppliers listed in your letter to ensure that your support or equipment is arranged without delay.

Study Needs Assessors may find the information on this page helpful when completing DSA Study Needs Assessments with current or prospective students of OCA.

Please take care to advise your assessor that you are studying with OCA, rather than directly with The OU, to ensure they base recommendations on accurate information.

As our students are based at a distance, OCA does not currently list any preferred suppliers, so please select accordingly from those in your geographical area.

If you require further information please contact the Learner Support Team by email: learnersupport@oca.ac.uk. 

Teaching and Learning
OCA works to embed reasonable adjustments into the curriculum design and delivery as a whole, providing an inclusive learning environment that benefits all students.

Our courses and resources are all made available in electronic format – see ‘What support is available?’ above, for the different conversion / file formats available.

Course Information
You can view information for each of our degree programmes under the relevant degree page on our website.

Some units of study include essays, but there are no examinations. Instead, assessment is based on a portfolio submitted at the end of each unit, with formative feedback provided during the study period.

There is no mandatory in-person attendance requirement, as our courses are designed to be studied from the comfort of your own home. Students are encouraged to attend exhibitions and galleries where possible, but the course can be undertaken without doing so.

Please read the information below regarding DSA’s support period. As OCA is a flexible distance learning provider with 9 intakes across the academic year, our start and end dates / full course period do not always align with DSA’s support period.

Why does my unit start date matter for DSA?
When you apply for DSA, we must confirm which unit(s) you are studying within a given academic year. The funding year you fall under is determined by the start date of your unit. This sets your Seasonal Academic Year (SAY) – the period during which DSA can provide support.

DSA funding is only available during your SAY. Any study that falls outside this timeframe is not eligible for DSA funding. Even if you are granted an extension by OCA, DSA cannot extend support beyond the SAY. Your DSA will normally resume once you start your next unit. 

If you require support for the remainder of your unit, we can connect you with our Disability Support Officer as we may be able to offer interim support until your DSA support resumes. 

The information below shows the support period your SAY covers, depending on the start date of your unit. Please note that some start dates offer more advantageous support periods than others. Intakes where this applies are shown in bold. You may wish to plan your studies accordingly to maximise the support available to you.

OCA Intakes and SAY Dates:
September Intake – 1 September to 31 August
October Intake  – 1 September to 31 August
November Intake – 1 September to 31 August
January Intake – 1 January to 31 December
February Intake – 1 January to 31 December
March Intake – 1 January to 31 December
May Intake – 1 April to 31 March
June Intake – 1 April to 31 March
July Intake – 1 July to 30 June

You should not attend any mentor support sessions that fall outside your SAY, as you will be billed for sessions that are not covered within your support period.

Examples

September to October Intake

• You planned to begin studying in September, but decided to begin in October instead.
• We need to update DSA, but your SAY will remain the same, with support running to 31 August.

September to January Intake

• You planned to begin study in September, but need to delay until January.
• You need to update DSA, and your SAY will change.
• Your updated SAY will be 1 January to 31 December – if you had arranged any sessions for your original intake, in September, you should ensure they are cancelled. You could be billed for any sessions taken outside your SAY.

How long will my support last?
Our units last 12 months, but DSA support only runs within your Seasonal Academic Year (SAY). This means if you’re looking to study over the maximum period, your support may stop (until the next unit) before your unit officially ends.

One-off support

• Items like laptops, software, ergonomic equipment are normally given at the start of your unit.
• These are yours to keep and would not usually be limited by your SAY, unless you are making a late application e.g. they would not be awarded between units / outside of your SAY.

Ongoing support (time-limited)

• Specialist mentoring, one-to-one study skills, printing/ink allowances must be used within your SAY dates.
• Any unused support does not roll over, and you could be billed if you use it outside your SAY.
• DSA support cannot be extended beyond the SAY for an individual unit, even if you are granted more time on your unit by OCA.

What if I am taking more than one unit in a year?
We are required to provide individual unit start and end dates to the DSA Team. This means that although support cannot be extended for a unit, if you take a second unit within a 12 month period this usually starts a new support period.

Example

You begin your first unit in September 2025, so your initial support period runs from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026. You then start a second unit in January 2026, so your support is extended to 31 December 2026 to reflect the new support period.

Unit 1.1 – SAY 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026
Unit 1.2 – SAY 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026

If there are changes to your studies during the year:
If you cancel, defer, or add an additional unit during your academic year, you must inform Student Finance / DSA, as this could affect your support. It’s your responsibility to make sure they are aware of any changes. We recommend copying us into relevant emails you send to DSA, particularly those about changes to your study.