Yes. Disabled Students' Allowance funds assistive technology, including a computer and specialist software, once a DSA needs assessment recommends it. You pay the first £200 of a computer; DSA covers the rest (2025/26). DSA is the government grant that replaces the kit your school used to provide, and it is not means-tested, so your household income does not come into it.
The eligibility rule
You can claim DSA if you live in England, are eligible for student finance, and have a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty that affects how you study. Autism, ADHD and dyslexia all count. The assistive technology you might get covers the things you may already rely on: a laptop, a screen reader, dictation, and mind-mapping or text-to-speech software. DSA can also fund up to £27,783 of support across the year for 2025/26, which includes equipment, software and human support such as a mentor or tutor.
The catch: you need an assessment, and evidence
Qualifying for DSA and being given the equipment are not the same thing. Two conditions trip students up. First, you need evidence of your disability, meaning a medical letter or a diagnostic assessment report that shows how your condition affects your study. You do not need a specific label, but you do need proof. Second, the technology is only released after a DSA needs assessment recommends it. You must not buy any equipment before that assessment, because you will not be reimbursed for it. For the wider list of what is covered, see what DSA pays for.
The route, step by step
- Apply to Student Finance England, online through your student finance account or with a DSA application form.
- Attend your DSA needs assessment, which recommends the specific software, computer and support you need.
- A recommended supplier then provides the assistive technology and trains you on how to use it. You pay the first £200 toward any computer; DSA covers the rest.
One thing the official pages rarely spell out: there is no continuation of the EHCP into higher education. At school an EHCP delivered your support automatically; at university nothing is automatic. DSA equipment plus the reasonable adjustments your university must make under the Equality Act 2010 replace the EHCP, but only if you apply for DSA and tell the university disability service what you need. See what happens to your EHCP at university for how that handover works.
Where the law comes from
Related
This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.