Disability Advisory Service
Student Services
International Students’ Disability Fund (ISDF)
Application guidance and information
This leaflet can be provided in alternative formats, such as large print,
Braille, audio and on disk, on request to the Disability Advisory Service (see
page 10)
The International Students’ Disability Fund (ISDF) is available for International and EU
students studying at King’s College London who are disabled and on a part-time, fulltime, undergraduate, postgraduate or exchange basis.
‘Disability’ is a term widely used to cover some of the following conditions:
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Specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Autistic Spectrum Conditions such as Asperger’s Syndrome
Physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy
Sensory disabilities such as hearing loss or visual impairment
Mental health conditions such as depression or schizophrenia
Long term health conditions such as HIV or chronic fatigue syndrome
Unseen health conditions such as epilepsy or multiple sclerosis
The sections which follow describe who is eligible to receive support from the ISDF.
This information and ISDF application forms also are available via the King’s College
web pages at:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/campuslife/services/disability/howwecanhelp/disabilityfunding.a
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1. What is the ISDF?
King’s College London has established a fund to support disabled International and EU
students. The Fund aims to help eligible students to meet some of the extra costs that
arise from studying at the University as a disabled student. The expectation is that
students will come prepared for study in the United Kingdom. As entry into the UK
involves proving that you have enough funding to sustain yourself without recourse to
Public Funds, only very specific disability-related extra costs may be considered for ISDF
support.
All students will be expected to have their own laptops and other devices upon which
they have depended in their home countries. The ISDF cannot be used to fund such
equipment, even on a loan-basis.
Payment from the Fund is calculated on a needs basis according to the adjustments
you require as a disabled student on your chosen course at King’s.
2. What is meant by ‘International or EU student’?
Students who are nationals of a country within the European Economic Area (EEA) have
EU student status.
You will have International student status if your country of domicile is outside of the
EEA.
You are a home-domiciled or British national student if you are classified as having:
 the right to live without restriction in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands and Isle of
Man) and;
 exercised that right for three years immediately before the start of your degree
course at King’s.
If you have been granted refugee status or indefinite leave to remain and you are
disabled, you should be eligible for home-domiciled student benefits, including the
Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) (see section 3).
3. Who is able to apply to the ISDF?
Disabled International and EU students who are studying at King’s on a full-time, parttime (at least 25% of full-time), undergraduate or postgraduate, exchange or ‘visiting’
basis are eligible to apply for ISDF. Please note that you should check first with your
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home country to see if you are eligible for any disability funding. Disabled students
from Finland, for example, have been able to get a DSA-equivalent funding from home.
Applications to the Fund will be assessed for eligibility according to:
a) Student status (country of domicile) and;
b) Disability status
If you are a home-domiciled disabled student, you may be eligible for Disabled
Students’ Allowances (DSA) from your funding body. More information about DSA is
available at:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/campuslife/services/disability/howwecanhelp/disabilityfunding.a
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If you have completed or studied towards a degree previously this does not affect your
eligibility to apply to the ISDF. The Fund has no age limit and applications to other
University hardship funds (see section 17) are not taken into account when assessing
your disability-related needs. This follows the model of Disabled Students’ Allowances
available to home-domiciled students.
4. Exchange, visiting and part-time students
If you are a student studying at King’s as part of your course based in an institution
overseas, you are eligible to apply for the ISDF. Your home institution may have a
responsibility to meet your support needs for the duration of your course and details
will be requested if you make an application for funding. The Disability Advisory Service
may need to liaise with your home institution in order to make sure any support you
receive is continued during your time at King’s.
If you are a part-time student (minimum of 25% of full-time), you also are eligible to
apply to the ISDF. The maximum amount of funding you may receive will be calculated
according to the percentage of period of study compared to a full-time degree. For
example, if you are studying a one year course, and it will take four years to complete,
you are entitled to 25 per cent of the full-time equivalent funding from ISDF each year.
The University, however, will attempt to address any reasonable support needs you
have because of studying with a disability or health condition.
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5. Support funded by the ISDF
The ISDF is needs-based and can help meet the extra costs that arise from accessing
your chosen course at King’s. Items of equipment purchased are provided on a loanbasis and must be returned at the end of your course at King’s (see section 12).
The support that can be paid for via the ISDF falls into four categories. Examples of
some of the items that may be loaned to eligible students, based on assessed need, are
listed below:
Equipment
Recording devices for lectures
Specialist assistive software programs
Desk equipment
Non-Medical support
Study skills support for students with specific learning difficulties
Specialist Mentoring
Library support workers
Notetakers, exam support workers
General costs
Additional Photocopying
Some consumables for specialist products
Alternative format production
Travel costs
Reasonable travel costs over and above the ‘normal’ travel costs for students, i.e. the
costs arising from public transport will be deducted from any travel allowance.
There may be specific items that you need that are not listed here, or you may not
know the kinds of things that would be helpful for you. The Disability Advisory Service
can provide detailed advice about items that may be funded.
In addition, the Disability Advisory Service has some equipment that is available on a
short-term loan basis (maximum of six months, though at key times in the academic
year this may be shorter). This includes laptops and recording devices, as well as
ergonomic packs which allow you to study safely at your residence. Ergonomic packs
include wrist rests, document holders and laptop stands. For more information about
loan equipment, see section 14.
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6. How the funding is calculated
Each award made from the Fund is based on individual need. Course demands will
impact differently on students, and individuals with the same disability or health
condition may be affected in different ways.
Because the funding is calculated according to your individual needs at King’s, there is
no ‘set’ award.
7. Support not available from the ISDF
This Fund cannot be used to meet any disability-related costs that would arise if you
were not a student of the University. This means ISDF does not cover the costs of
medication, therapeutic support, alternative treatments, special diets or social
activities, for example.
Costs that are incurred by all students regardless of a disability also are not covered by
this Fund. For example financial assistance with tuition fees, your accommodation costs
or the general costs of living are not payable via the ISDF.
8. When to apply
Applications can be made at any stage of your course. Ideally, any support you need to
access a course at King's, because of your disability, will be set up as early as possible.
For this reason, applications can be made before your enrolment, as long as you have
accepted an unconditional or conditional offer of a place at King's as your 'Firm' choice.
Undergraduate applicants can accept their offer as 'Firm' via UCAS.
Postgraduate applicants should notify the University directly if they wish to accept an
offer of a place.
As mentioned in section 11, any funds that are used on your behalf will be calculated at
the needs assessment stage. The needs assessment can be completed after the
confirmation of offer (for example for undergraduates this will be when the results are
released in August). Funding or equipment from the ISDF will not be released until you
have enrolled as a student of the University in September or October.
9. How to apply
You will need to complete an ISDF application form and submit medical details of your
disability, long term health condition or specific learning difficulty with the form.
Information given by you will be treated as confidential and disclosed only with your
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consent in specific circumstances. Information to verify your disability or health
condition should be written by a medical professional or specialist in the relevant
professional field and should be as up to date as possible.
Doctor’s or specialist’s letters should be written on headed paper and must include the
qualifications of the professional who has written the letter, information on the nature
of your disability, details of medication (if relevant) and how the disability and
medication affect you in relation to studying and day-to-day life. If the original
evidence is not written in English you should provide a certified English language
version, to avoid delays. Information written by yourself or a relative will not be
accepted as medical evidence.
If you need support because you have a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, you
will need to submit a report by a suitably qualified assessor. ‘Suitably qualified’ means
a Chartered Educational, Clinical or Occupational Psychologist or registered Specialist
Teacher. The following details must be included:
 The report must be up-to-date (the assessment conducted within the last 8 years
and when you were 16 years or older).
 Evidence of difficulties in reading, spelling and/or numeracy.
 Evidence of a significant difference between general intellectual ability (IQ) and
reading, writing and spelling skills.
 Evidence of difficulties in memory, processing speed and/or visual perception.
The Disability Advisory Service may request more up-to-date or detailed information
from you if necessary.
Getting more up-to-date information may delay your application. You therefore
should make sure any documentation is arranged before you arrive at the University.
Applications will not be processed without up-to-date supporting information about
your disability.
Application forms are available from the Disability Advisory Service and our webpages
at:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/campuslife/services/disability/howwecanhelp/disabilityfunding.a
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Completed application forms and supporting information should be sent to the
Disability Advisory Service using the contact details shown on the last page of this
document.
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10.The application process
After you have submitted your application form and medical details, your student
status will be checked on the University’s student database. As mentioned in section 3,
your eligibility will be checked according to your student status and your disability. You
then will be contacted with one of the following outcomes:
 More information about your disability or health condition is requested.
 You are eligible in principle for support from the Fund and a needs assessment
should be booked.
 You will be given the reasons why you are not eligible for ISDF.
11.The needs assessment
If you are eligible for ISDF you will be asked to have a needs assessment, with a
member of the Disability Advisory Service.
A needs assessment can take approximately 1-2 hours and a report is written to detail
all your specific needs. Items of equipment and other support are listed, along with
costs and recommended suppliers.
The assessment is done on a face-to-face basis if possible. If you are abroad at the time
of applying, the needs assessment can be arranged as a telephone or Skype
appointment. The needs assessment is essential in deciding what specific support you
need in relation to your course.
12.Purchasing items or support
The items or support recommended for you, as listed in your needs assessment report,
will be purchased directly by the Disability Advisory Service on your behalf. If you are
claiming the costs of specific consumables (if these are recommended in your needs
assessment report), or non-medical support (see section 5) these will be paid by the
Service on receipt of proof of purchase (invoices, receipts etc).
Any items purchased on your behalf ultimately will be the property of King’s College
London. You will be asked to sign a form which states that you agree to return the
equipment to the University at the end of your course.
Items which have to be adapted to suit your particular needs may remain in your
possession, for example large print keyboard labels. This does not include items such
as PCs, portable devices or digital recorders.
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13.Insuring Equipment
As you will be responsible for any equipment loaned to you, the Service asks that this is
insured, for your protection, against damage or theft.
It is important to check that any insurance cover you have has the following elements:
 Single item cover suitable for specialist equipment item.
 Coverage for items taken away from your residence, into University.
 Coverage overseas, if you plan to travel with your loaned equipment out of the
UK during holiday or research periods.
14.Equipment available for loan
The Service can provide items of equipment on short-term loan to students. You are
asked to produce proof of insurance before any items can be borrowed.
The equipment available includes:
 Digital recording devices for taking lecture notes
 Ergonomic equipment and ‘packs’ such as alternative mice, keyboards, etc.
 Assistive software trial copies
 Document holders and writing slopes (also available for exams and within each
Library).
Please be aware that this is a limited resource and therefore equipment, especially
laptops, can be unavailable at the time you contact the Service. Although we may
not automatically be able to meet your needs, you should contact us with questions
or requests about any specific, individual needs that you may have.
The loan service may be useful if:
 You are having difficulty with your studies owing to a disability and are awaiting
the outcome of funding agreements.
 You have recently been diagnosed with a disability/health condition/dyslexia and
this is affecting your studies.
 Any item of equipment you have is broken or undergoing repair.
To borrow an item, please contact the Disability Advisory Service using the details at
the end of this factsheet.
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15.Confidentiality
Details about your disability or health condition will be treated sensitively and in
confidence when you apply to the ISDF. This is in line with our responsibilities under
the Data Protection Act 1998.
When you register with the Disability Advisory Service, you will be asked to read
through a copy of the Disability Advisory Service Confidentiality Policy and sign a
Disclosure agreement. These documents state that information about your disability
will only be passed on in order to provide support services and facilities to you.
Information will not be passed on to any other parties without your explicit consent.
16.Returning equipment
As mentioned in section 12, any equipment that may be loaned to you through the
ISDF is the property of the University.
During the needs assessment process you will have signed a form which states that you
agree to return any equipment which is deemed to be the property of the University. If
you do not return any specified equipment, or you do not spend the funds in
accordance with the recommendations made in your needs assessment, the Academic
Registry will be notified of a debt to the University and appropriate action will be taken
to recover the funds or equipment. This may result in the withholding of examination
results until the debt is recovered in full, as highlighted in the Academic Regulations.
17.Other sources of financial support
The University has an established fund to support International Students who are in
extreme financial hardship. This is called the International Hardship Fund. More details
are available from the Student Funding Office:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/fees-and-funding/studentfunding/hardship-funds/international-hardship-fund.aspx :
In addition, the University has a Student Advice and International Student Support
team who are able to provide dedicated information and advice about money matters
to international students.
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18.Further information
If you have any further questions about applying for the ISDF, eligibility or how the
Fund may be able to help you, please contact the Disability Advisory Service at:
King’s College London
Student Services
Disability Advisory Service
Floor -1, Macadam building
Strand Campus
London
WC2R 2LS
Tel: +44 (0)20 7848 7018
Email: [email protected]
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