University help for SA
 

SA is treated as a disabilty, and so if you have SA you should be entitled to Disabled Students' Allowances (DSA) at University. These are for UK disabled students in Higher Education. The DSA helps to pay for extra costs that you may have to pay, when attending your course, as a direct result of your disability. The allowance can help with costs of a non-medical helper and other costs.

Here's direct.gov info on how to access the funding.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum.../dg_194349.pdf
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Disabled...on/DG_10035904
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Disabled...on/DG_10034900

Feel free to PM me for more info. :)

Re: University help for SA
 

Hi Azi,

Thanks for posting this. I hope I'm allowed to reply in this thread, otherwise I'll send a PM if not. I'm just wondering, when it says "the extra costs you have had to pay as a result of your disability", in terms of social anxiety what sort of costs would these involve?

One of the only things I can think of is that you may be unable to work due to having social anxiety, so less money to support yourself, but not sure if this is what they were referring to.

Thanks for any advice

Re: University help for SA
 

Hiya,

Yep, don't worry - I left the thread open because it's useful to read other people's questions. :)

With SA the biggest or most obvious one would be paying for a non-medical helper - someone who can act as your advocate, your notetaker, and your support while you're at uni. It also covers the cost of the stationery for the non-medical helper. Every case is different of course, but it might also be that the SA leads to difficulty with using public transport. In that case (I think) they would be entitled to the cost of taxi fares.

They assess your level of need and allocate support based on that assessment. It wouldn't cover being unable to work, but I think some people have successfully claimed DLA (disability living allowance) and incapacity benefit for SA, though I'm not sure what the current situation is with these benefits. Best people to speak to about other support would be the Citizens' Advice Bureau.

Hope that helps! :)

Re: University help for SA
 

Thanks Azi, thats great. I'm pretty sure I won't be eligible for the funding but just thought I'd find out about it anyway :)

Re: University help for SA
 

I can tell you what i get and they give some awesome support.
Mentor i see weekly
Recorder and recording program to organise notes
Program to read my readings
Program to help organise my notes via spider grams and so forth
Printer and scanner
£250 pounds for extra costs
Computer (if i needed it!)

This would be a massive help with my concentration levels, anxiety, periods of self doubt (again focus issue), have some assist me when having a difficult period.
My friend also gets the same type of support who also has a mental health condition.

Re: University help for SA
 

Wow. I wish I knew all this before I dropped out.

Re: University help for SA
 

Your not the only one, some one from my anxiety group also wishes she seeked support, she really struggled through uni cause of it. I did the same at college trying to ignore it!

Re: University help for SA
 

I take it only applies to university students and not students going to college and/or doing an open university degree at home if I got my wiring correct about this?

Re: University help for SA
 

It has to be higher education - so not college, but yes to OU courses. :)

Ideal! Good to know people are accessing the support, and that it's useful! :thumbpur:

Re: University help for SA
 

Just seen this and not sure what to think really. I don't feel like I'm 'disabled' as such and I think if I did get this I'd feel slightly guilty but then again I do struggle at times and even now with exams coming up and an important essay in I really find it difficult to concentrate, my mind just wonders all over the place with worries every day, after about 15 minutes of work I find myself browsing the net and then at the end of every day beat myself up about not getting enough work done which then means I can't sleep either. Though of course even if I do qualify for any help, I need to pluck up the courage to seek it, which never happens :headshake

Re: University help for SA
 

I don't like the 'disabled' label either tbh. That's why I put off getting help for so long, and it's had some really dire consequences on my degree. It took me failing a (final year) module to seek help. Please don't let your situation get to that!

Re: University help for SA
 

Wish I'd known about this before I dropped out.

Re: University help for SA
 

How long does the process take to start getting this stuff? Been diagnosed for something else and will be applying.

Re: University help for SA
 

I'm exactly the same, I'd feel a bit guilty as I don't feel that I have anxiety as bad as some others, however for some reason I've lost a lot of motivation for my course over the past few weeks and have struggled doing any work, find I'm so easily distracted by the Internet etc. I've only got about 5 months of my course yet but its going to be the hardest part by far, so I may give it a go and see what help I can get.

Re: University help for SA
 

Shame didn't know anything about this when I first tried to go to uni, but don't think it'd help me now. As can't see what grounds I'd have for it, as I ain't struggling (usually getting one of the highest marks on the course in most things) and my problems only show in specific situations like presentations is just about the only example due the improvements I've made in them years. Plus avoiding the 'disabled' label is always something.

That said those that are really struggling like I did the first time, good post to inform them and I'd suggest to get any help you can as my biggest mistake was not getting any help or even trying to.

Re: University help for SA
 

exactly how I feel. I hate feeling like a charity case (though this really shouldn't discourage others) or feeling in debt. Never been diagnosed with anxiety issues as such, though with bi polar disorder I think I was diagnosed type II bi polar with anxiety issues or something and when I'm offered support I usually reject when really I'm fully entitled to it.

Re: University help for SA
 

Interesting article about just this here:

http://www.thepsychologist.org.uk/ar...ArticleID=2069

Sounds like more research is needed, but at least it shows an awareness from academics.

Re: University help for SA
 

I don't really agree with getting free stuff and money because of social anxiety, with online shopping nowadays having social anxiety is no excuse for not being able to buy something you need for your degree. I know a lot of people without social anxiety at university who don't have jobs, the fact that I don't go clubbing is a reason I can just about survive on my loan, some people spend most of their wages on alcohol and clubbing from what I have experienced.

Re: University help for SA
 

What if someone is too socially anxious to get a job and can't afford to buy these things that they need for class, when they are using their university loans for other things like a place to live or food?

Re: University help for SA
 

You get assessed by qualified people who decide to what extent your SA (and/or other issues) affect you and how the university can equalise things, giving people with disabilities an equal shot at education. That might include 'free stuff', or rather free things which enable you to complete your studies, but not necessarily so.

It also doesn't provide an income; is an allowance which enables you to access things like notetakers.

Re: University help for SA
 

That's what I used my loan for and I got by ok, it paid for a laptop and other things I needed. I still have £400 left from my last instalment and my maintenance was one of the smaller amounts.

Re: University help for SA
 

That's your situation though, not everybody is in the same situation. Which is why the extra help is there if people need it. :)

I was offered the chance to apply for extra funds but declined because I don't need it. However I can understand how others might. :)

Re: University help for SA
 

I am in the process of applying to uni now. I wonder if there is the facility for someone to attend lectures on your behalf on those days where leaving the house is just too much? Also, if there is no alternative to presentations there is almost no point in me applying, as I will end up quitting :(

Re: University help for SA
 

With presentations, as far as I am aware you will be allowed to just do it in front of your tutor if you arrange to do so.

What I have done when missing lectures/seminars when I haven't felt up to it(which has been quite a lot this past year) is get in touch with my assigned tutor. Just keeping in contact, gathering as much information from them as possible. They usually upload information onto something called Moodle for those that miss lectures. Seminars are a bit trickier because it's all about students putting across their own ideas and discussing them. It gives you a chance to build on your idea process and thus help you on your critiquing when you come to writing essays. However I am basing this wholly on the course I have been doing.

Re: University help for SA
 

I saw this the other day but was unable to reply as my account hadn't been approved.... I got the form online and i'm going to complete it this week and see if my doctor will do a letter to accompany it. I'm interested to know from anyone who has done this, did you fill the form in yourself or ask someone to help? I guess that doesnt matter as it says you are invited to an assesment of some kind anyway? I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's done this either on here or a pm thanks :)

Re: University help for SA
 

Thanks for your reply Moonin. I've studied two years previously (gone onto a different course) but never applied for this or really told my tutors much which didnt help. I did request an extension one time with a doctors note. It's a bit annoying as i've tried to call the student support but it's an answering machine (i hate leaving messages) unless i can bring myself to go to that room and try to ask for advice if i'm feeling brave sometime soon. My short term memory is terrible and my concentration can be awful, i'll post back here when i've got further with this for others :)

Re: University help for SA
 

i tried to ask for help at uni and got absolutely no where basically in the end of it i got told that i shouldn't have been on the course that i was on as it wasn't suitable for some one with social anxiety. what a ****ing joke. nearly sent me completely nuts . i had to make a formal complaint and in the end all they would offer me was to refund some of my second year course fees and gave me £1200 quid cash i should have taken it further but it was affecting me so much that i had to accept their offer. i would never consider going back to do anything involving the education system again.

i went through every channel while on my course notified every one and tried to do everything the proper way and they all failed me completely.

Re: University help for SA
 

That's really awful :( My last tutors were not much use the little info I did tell them. I expect they thought i was just being lazy when i couldn't attend etc. Infact it was one of the tutors comments that made me develop a associated anxiety with even going near the place ;( (well even more than usual that is) Basically this is my last chance to try to complete a course with my age and funding so i'm gonna see how i get on but already trying to think of how to tell my new tutor my *issues* in an email so they are put in the picture a bit more than the last time. Sorry to hear you had a bad time :/

Re: University help for SA
 

^make sure you notify them of everything and keep copies of every single email you send to the uni. and if it's from a uni email account forward it to your own private account.

cheeky ****ers kicked me off the course deleted all my uni online account and i couldn't access any of the emails i'd sent to members of staff, took me ages to get my account reinstated so i could retrieve evidence.

Re: University help for SA
 

cheers for that, i'll be sure to send emails from my own account that way they are definitely kept in my sent stuff.