A Guide to DSA Laptops

Am I Eligible for a DSA Laptop?

If you’re a student in Higher Education with a disability or a specific learning difference, you may be eligible to apply for a grant from the Disabled Students Allowance. Some of the conditions that would make a student eligible for a DSA grant include:

• Dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, autism, and other Specific Learning Differences
• Mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression
• Long-term health conditions
• Physical disabilities such as visual or hearing impairments

If you’re applying for a DSA laptop and you’ve received a DSA approval letter to confirm your funding, you’ll need to make a one-off contribution of £200. Depending on your level of household income, you may be eligible for reimbursement. To apply for a DSA laptop, there’s a set of criteria you’ll first need to consider. Students should be:  

1. Eligible for UK home fees and reside in the UK. 
2. A current full-time or part-time registered student.
3. Have undertaken a Study Needs Assessment(SNA) and not claimed laptop reimbursement before. 
4. Have an annual household income of up to £25,000—as assessed by Student Finance England—and have been means tested. 

If you meet the criteria you’ll also need a needs assessment with a professional assessor.  

What Laptops Are Available Through the DSA?

If you make a successful application for a DSA laptop, you can expect to receive a state-of-the-art computer that meets your needs. And there’s a selection of DSA laptop suppliers to consider approaching: 

• Assistive IT
• iansyst 
• Remtek Systems
• Microlink PC
• Barry Bennett
• Concept Northern
• Wyvern Business Systems
• Sight and Sound Technology 

The type of laptop a student might expect to receive depends on the software they need to run. For instance, students with visual impairments may need dictation software to help provide them with audio cues. In this case, they may need a laptop to feature a more powerful processor than a standard off-the-shelf laptop. 

Students lucky enough to receive their first DSA laptop choice may get to pick from a range of laptop manufacturers like Fujitsu, Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer, Toshiba, and Apple.

What is a WKH Notebook? 

A WKH Notebook is a DSA-approved laptop defined by the code ‘WKH’ in the Student Loans Company (SLC) Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) specification matrix. While this matrix may be reviewed by students with additional needs, it’s mostly used by needs assessors who pass on codes from the matrix to computer suppliers so that they can supply an appropriate machine. 

The most recent SLC matrix requires eligible students to receive a 15.6″ screen, Intel i5 or Ryzen 5 processor, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, onboard graphics, and Windows 10 or higher. These specs are designed to support common DSA software without being overpowered or unnecessarily expensive.

Can I Upgrade My DSA Laptop to a Different Model?

If you’re successful in your application for a DSA laptop and receive an appropriate laptop for your needs, you may find you want to upgrade to another model. For instance, some people may prefer a DSA Macbook, especially if they’ve worked with these before. Macbooks have a specific layout that people with ADHD or OCD, for instance, may find harder to switch over from.   

Whatever your needs, preferences, or circumstances, your DSA computer supplier should be able to support your upgrade. And, of course, this will incur a cost that you would need to cover.

Do I Have to Contribute Towards the Cost of a DSA Laptop?

Yes. All students must contribute a minimum cost of £200 towards their DSA laptop. However, if total household income is lower than the annual threshold, you can claim to get a reimbursement of the £200. 

In summary, everyone must pay £200 towards the cost of their DSA laptop. Those with lower household incomes may be able to claim a reimbursement, though. And, in some cases, students may be able to apply for support from their University or Colleges financial support or Financial Assistance Fund.

What Software Can I Get Through the DSA?

A DSA laptop is only the start of getting the support you need to thrive at University or College. Most students also need specific types of software or Assistive Technology, like Caption.Ed, to support their studies and help them achieve their potential.  

Caption.Ed is inclusive software that can help students in the following areas: 

• Supports students with deafness or hearing loss
• Boosts comprehension for students with dyslexia
• Improves focus, helping students with ADHD or other neurodivergent traits
• Increases productivity through accurate transcriptions
• Customisable dictionary and transcriptions help with decoding complex terminology

Other types of software students can get through the DSA include:

• Task management and productivity software: Software like MyStudyLife, Todoist, and even Caption.Ed supports better productivity in Higher Education settings. 
• Mathematics software: Students may receive software like Photomath, which makes use of smartphone technology. 
• Mental Health Software: Mental health is also a serious concern for students and nearly 40% of students say their mental wellbeing has worsened since starting university.
• Mind mapping and study skills software: Such tools can support students to organise their thoughts, plan their study schedules, and encourage creative thinking. 
• Speech dictation software: TalkType is also recommended software for students with dyslexia or other neurodivergence that can boost productivity.