Snowdon Survey Success
As a direct result of issues highlighted by The Snowdon Award Scheme, the Government has announced substantial increases in statutory funding allowances for disabled students in Higher Education from 2008/9.
In November 2006, as part of the Scheme’s 25th anniversary activity, we published the findings of The Snowdon Survey 2006. This looked into the reasons why so many disabled students are still being failed by “the system” and highlighted the biggest gaps in statutory funding provision.
Amongst other things, the Survey made the following points:
- Disabled Students Allowances (DSA) for undergraduates in higher education are often insufficient for those needing expensive human support.
- Disabled Postgraduate students are far more likely to be inadequately funded since the postgraduate DSA is set at a much lower level.
- Disabled students need far better information and more guidance and support through the application and assessment process.
The report was circulated to a number of other organisations and many of these, including RNIB, RNID, Scope and NUS disabled students were happy to support our findings and give their full backing to the report’s recommendations.
Shortly after its publication, Lord Morris of Manchester helped to raise the profile of the report by asking a parliamentary question in the House of Lords and subsequently, the scheme’s chief executive and our researcher were invited to meetings with the DfES (now DIUS – Department for Innovation Universities and Skills) to discuss the issues it raised.
On 5th July 2007 DIUS formally announced that from 2008/9
- The DSA non-medical helpers allowance for undergraduates would be increased from £12,420 to £20,000 a year
- The Postgraduate DSA would be increased from £5,915 to £10,000 a year
In his letter advising these increases, Bill Rammell MP wrote that the decision to make them was taken following consideration of the 2006 Snowdon Survey, as being the areas that would have most positive impact on Disabled Students.
Whilst, of course, we would prefer to see no artificial monetary “cap” at all on the amount of support provided to give equal opportunities to disabled students; these very substantial increases are nevertheless, a huge step in the right direction and we are delighted with this extremely positive response to our Survey.
But the Survey’s influence does not stop there. In June, a Government strategy document quoted the report’s evidence on the lack of expertise available to help disabled students navigate the higher education application process and link this with identifying the right care and support packages. It recognised this is an area that must be addressed.
We have provided input to a DIUS discussion paper on the provision of information, advice and guidance and we will continue to work with other organisations to ensure the issues faced by disabled students are properly recognised.