answer text |
<p>Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) are available to help pay the extra essential
costs they may have whilst studying on an HE course as a direct result of their disability.
The Government recently announced reforms to DSAs to ensure that the limited public
funding available for DSAs is targeted in the best way and to achieve value for money,
whilst ensuring those disabled students most in need continue to get the help they
require. The changes also aim to ensure that Higher Education providers all properly
adhere to their Equalities Act 2010 duties, for the benefit of all disabled students.</p><p>All
disabled higher education students who are eligible for DSAs are referred to an independent
assessment centre so as to identify the type and level of support they require.</p><p>Information
in Table 1 sets out the number of study needs assessments carried out by independent
assessment centres in England and Wales for English domiciled undergraduate and postgraduate
higher education students applying for Student Finance England administered DSAs.
Information for numbers of assessments carried out by each assessment centre is not
held centrally. Information is not available at individual assessor level. Information
for the period prior to 1 April 2011 is not held centrally.</p><p>Table 2 sets out
the average award of DSAs in each financial year. A list of currently accredited assessment
centres is below.</p><p>Government does not contract with assessment centres. Assessment
centres who wish to work in this area are accredited through the DSA Quality Assurance
Group, a not-for-profit membership organisation.</p><p><strong>Table 1 -</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Timeframe</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number
of assessments</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 April 2013 – 31 March 2014</p></td><td><p>34,355</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1
April 2012 – 31 March 2013</p></td><td><p>32,410</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 April 2011
– 31 March 2012</p></td><td><p>35,073</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source:
DSA Quality Assurance Group management information. Information for the period 1 April
2014 – 31 March 2015 will be available in April 2016.</p><p><strong>Table 2 -</strong></p><p><strong>Average
DSA payments to full-time English domiciled students</strong></p><p>Academic years
2009/10 to 2013/14</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Academic year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average
payment (£)<br> <br> </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009/10</p></td><td><p>2,110</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>2,300</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>2,350</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>2,250</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>2,230</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Source:
SLC, Student Support for Higher Education in England</p><p>Note: 2013/14 final figures
are the latest available</p><p> </p><p><strong>List of assessment centres in England
and Wales</strong></p><p>AbilityNet DSA Assessment Centre</p><p>Access 1<sup>st</sup>
Assessment Centre</p><p>Access Birmingham Assessment Centre</p><p>Access Bristol Assessment
Centre</p><p>Access Central Ltd</p><p>Access Centre Coventry</p><p>Access Centre Ealing</p><p>Access
Centre Hereford</p><p>Access Independence Ltd</p><p>Access South West</p><p>Access
SUMMIT</p><p>Access West of England</p><p>Access@SW15</p><p>Action for Blind People
Pan Disability Assessment Centre</p><p>Aim Assessments</p><p>Anglia Access Centre</p><p>Assessment
Centre Cardiff</p><p>Assessment Centre Cardiff Metropolitan University</p><p>Assessment
Centre on Teesside</p><p>ATOP Chester</p><p>Bangor Access Centre</p><p>Bradford Assessment
Centre</p><p>Bridgend Assessment Centre</p><p>Broadbent & Co</p><p>Cambridge Access
Centre</p><p>Carmarthenshire Access Centre</p><p>Central London Assessment Services</p><p>Cheltenham
Assessment Centre</p><p>Durham University Assessment Centre</p><p>Exeter Access Centre</p><p>Glyndwr
University Assessment Centre</p><p>Hertfordshire Access Centre</p><p>Higher York Access
Centre</p><p>Hull Assessment Centre</p><p>IONA – Kent and SE Assessment Centre</p><p>Kent
Assessors</p><p>Kingston Assessment Services</p><p>Lancaster University Assessment
Centre</p><p>Leeds Assessment Centre</p><p>Leeds Metropolitan Disability Assessment
Centre</p><p>Leicester Assessment Centre</p><p>Lincoln Assessment Centre</p><p>Lincoln
University Assessment Centre</p><p>Loughborough Regional Assessment Centre</p><p>Maritime
Assessment Centre</p><p>Midlands Assessment Centre</p><p>Needs Assessment Centre</p><p>Newport
Assessment Centre</p><p>North East Regional Assessment Centre</p><p>North London Regional
Assessment Centre</p><p>Nottingham Trent University Access Centre</p><p>Nottingham
University Access Centre</p><p>Open University Access Centre</p><p>Oxford Access Centre</p><p>Oxford
University Assessment Centre</p><p>Pennine Lancashire Access Centre</p><p>Plymouth
Assessment Centre</p><p>Portsmouth Assessment Centre</p><p>Reading Assessment Centre</p><p>Regional
Access Centre East London</p><p>Sheffield Regional Assessment Centre</p><p>South London
Access Centre</p><p>Southampton Assessment and Study Services</p><p>Staffordshire
Regional Access Centre</p><p>Surrey Assessment Centre</p><p>Sussex Regional Access
Centre</p><p>Swansea Assessment and Training Centre</p><p>Taunton Assessment Centre</p><p>Technical
Assessment and Support Centre</p><p>University Centre for Assessments Newcastle</p><p>University
of Derby Assessment Centre</p><p>Wessex Needs Assessment Centre</p><p>West London
Assessment Centre</p><p>Wolverhampton Assessment Centre</p>
|
|