What support is a disabled student entitled to at university?
Reasonable adjustments under equality law, plus dedicated funding for study-related support — and the crucial difference from school is that the process is student-initiated, with nobody automatically transferring arrangements on your behalf.
What changes from school. At school, an EHCP or SEN support follows the pupil and the school arranges everything. At university, none of that transfers. You must disclose, register with disability services and provide evidence yourself, and support that was automatic becomes something you apply for — which is the most common reason students arrive without the arrangements they had at 18.
What universities must do. As service providers, they have a duty to make reasonable adjustments, anticipating needs rather than only reacting.
What that looks like in practice: extra time and separate rooms in exams; alternative assessment formats; lecture recordings and materials in advance; note-taking support; extensions and flexibility on deadlines; accessible accommodation; assistive technology; specialist study skills tutoring; and mentoring.
Disabled Students' Allowance, which is the funding most students do not know about:
It is not means-tested, and does not have to be repaid.
It funds specialist equipment, software, non-medical helpers, travel and consumables.
It requires a needs assessment, conducted by an assessment centre, after evidence is provided.
It takes months to arrange, which is why applying before starting — as soon as you have a place, or even before — is the single most useful piece of practical advice.
What counts as a disability is broader than people assume: physical and sensory impairments, long-term health conditions, mental health conditions, autism, ADHD, and specific learning differences including dyslexia and dyspraxia all fall within the definition where the effect is substantial and long-term.
Evidence requirements vary, and a diagnostic assessment may be needed — which can be a significant obstacle, since waiting lists are long and some universities help fund assessments.
Practical points: disclose early, since retrospective adjustments to a failed assessment are much harder; ask for a written support plan shared with departments; know that disclosure to disability services does not mean disclosure to everyone; and use the complaints route and then the sector ombudsman if adjustments are not delivered.
General information, not legal advice.