FACTSHEET 3
Education and Training
People aged 16 – 19 should seek advice from their school, careers adviser or local Connexions
office concerning the options open to them regarding employment, continuing in education or
embarking on appropriate training. No special provision is made for deafened or other disabled
people, but employers, colleges and training providers are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act
(DDA) and subsequent legislation. Where the household income is low, students may be eligible for an
Education Maintenance Allowance.
People entering Further Education.
A very large number of courses are available in Further
Education Colleges and Adult Education Centres throughout the country. These include vocational
courses, computing and information technology, “general interest” courses like foreign languages and valuable courses like lip-reading. Attendance may be a condition of benefits like jobseekers
allowance, or required by employers seeking qualifications for their staff. Charges are a matter for
the College. If they’re not paid by an employer or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP),
they have to be paid by the student. Some IT courses are free. Some local authorities have a policy
of subsidising lip-reading courses. Without a subsidy, the course is probably not viable and
won’t be offered.
People entering higher education.
The cost of following a course of higher education is made up of two components: tuition fees,
payable to the university or college, and the cost of maintaining the student. Assistance is available
from the Government for each component, depending on the circumstances of the individual
concerned, and application should be made in the normal way.
In addition, students with a disability, such as being deaf, deafened or severely hard of
hearing are entitled to Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA). This does not depend on the financial
circumstances of the student, but solely on need for certain types of assistance.
The first enquiry regarding any application for DSA should be made to the Local Education Authority (LEA)
in whose area you live if this is in England or Wales. Note, that the LEA concerned is that for the
area in which you live, not where you are hoping to study. You should make the contact as soon as you
have been offered a provisional place on a course and should NOT wait for exam results, on which a firm
place may depend. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland you should make the approach to
students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) or the Department for Employment and Learning
(Northern Ireland) (DELNI). Open University (OU) students should contact the DSA Office at OU.
The benefits available under the DSA are quite complicated depending on, amongst other things,
the type of course and your assessed needs. More details can be found on the DirectGov website or on the SKILL website (see Factsheet 1)
If you are on a low income, you may be eligible for assistance from the Access to Learning Fund,
which is administered on behalf of the Government by universities and colleges.
Further information can be obtained from Skill: the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities,
Chapter House, 18-20 Crucifix Lane, London SE1 3JW. Information Service available Mon –
Thurs, 1.30 pm – 4.30pm. Phone (voice) 0800 328 5050 (text) 0800 068 2422. (Full contact details
on Factsheet 1)
NADP, PO Box 50, Amersham, Bucks HP6 6XB
E-mail: enquiries@nadp.org.uk
www.nadp.org.uk
N.B. The information in this factsheet is given in good faith but NADP cannot accept responsibility
for any loss, damage or injury resulting from its use.
Updated February 2008
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