FAQ 164
What happens at a DSA needs assessment?

Once your eligibility for DSA is confirmed, Student Finance England may ask you to contact an assessment centre to work out what help you need.  This is known as a needs assessment and shouldn't be booked until Student Finance England asks you to do so.  The needs assessments are carried out on site at York St John by the Higher York Access Centre (HYAC) team and are simply a conversation between you and a specialist assessor to discuss your needs in relation to your course, and come up with some ideas about support and solutions.

Process

Prior to the assessment:

  • Requests for assessments will be responded to within 1 working day
  • Assessment dates will be offered that are within 15 working days of your initial request
  • Alternative assessment centres will be offered should we be unable to offer an assessment within the 15 working days

During the assessment:

  • The assessment will take place in an appropriate space
  • The assessment will be conducted by an appropriate assessor
  • Appropriate equipment will be available for the assessment
  • The length of the assessment will vary from case to case, but is usually around one and a half to two hours

Following the assessment:

  • A report will be produced in a format that the you can access
  • A copy of the report will be sent to you within 10 working days of the assessment for confirmation
  • We will you up to 10 working days to respond with any changes required
  • If changes are made, these will be sent back to you within 1 working day
  • The final report will be sent to your funding body, (and, if you provide permission, to York St John Disability Advice) within 1 working day of receiving confirmation from yourself
  • The assessor's recommendations should be approved by Student Finance England, and they will contact you to advise you how to proceed with getting equipment and support

The cost of the assessment is covered through any DSA entitlement you may receive.  Following the assessment, your report will list equipment and any other support you may be entitled to.  Don’t buy any equipment until you’ve been assessed as you won’t be reimbursed for it.

Regardless of the outcome of your assessment you will need to pay the first £200 towards equipment/support, and the DSA will not cover any disability-related costs you would have if you weren’t attending a course, or costs that any student might have.