(2) what the average length of time was between application and receipt of disabled students’ allowance funding in the latest year for which figures are available.
Applications for disabled students’ allowances (DSA) are dealt with by local authorities and the Student Loans Company (SLC); information about the number of people who applied is not held centrally. Available data on English domiciled higher education students in receipt of DSA1 are given in the table.
1 Data relate to Student Support Scheme students and include full-time, part-time, and postgraduate DSA.
Academic year Number of HE students in receipt of DSAs1 2001/02 18,600 2002/03 24,600 2003/042 n/a 2004/05 32,400 2005/06 35,500 1 Numbers rounded to the nearest 100 students. 2 Due to a change in reporting arrangements, data are not centrally available for 2003/04. Source: Student Loans Company (SLC)
The target turnaround for all applications for student support is six weeks. Applications for DSA tend to take longer because they involve a specialist assessment to determine course related needs. We do not set and monitor specific DSA processing times, but we have given advice to local authorities and the SLC to prioritise DSA applications with the aim of achieving payment of DSA in advance of the start of term for those who need it.