How can we help?

The support available in higher education will vary from one university or college to another, but all must, under the Equality Act 2010, make reasonable adjustments to ensure those with physical or mental health conditions, or learning differences are not disadvantaged.

Academic support may include flexibility with deadlines, alternative assessment methods, or specialist equipment. Other adjustments may relate to your wider lifestyle, such as accommodation, travel, or mental health and wellbeing services.

Many universities and colleges have disability and/or mental health advisers – trained professionals who work with you to decide the best way to support your individual needs – who can help with issues such as:

• study and assessment arrangements (e.g. extra time or an alternative location for examinations)
• specialist equipment and technology (always check with an adviser before investing in a new laptop for your studies)
• information about a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)
• work placements or offsite learning
• career planning

We recommend you contact the student support team, disability adviser or mental health adviser to discuss your needs as early as possible so support can be discussed and arranged for the start of your course. This is especially important if you have complex support needs. Read an article from the National Association of Disability Practitioners (NADP) which explains how a disability adviser can support you through your journey to higher education.

In addition to your student finance loans and grants, you may also be eligible for a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) to cover any study-related costs you incur due to your impairment or condition. Read more about DSA.

In very rare instances, the university or college may be unable to meet an individual’s needs. In the unlikely event of this happening, you will be able to add another choice through UCAS at no extra cost.

Wherever possible, the university or college will try to meet a student’s individual support needs – the information you give on your application will help them do this. The earlier you tell them about a condition or impairment, the sooner they will be able to make the arrangements, ready for your arrival.  

Some universities and colleges use this information to assist you during the application process (e.g. to access interviews, auditions, entrance exams). Contact the disability adviser, mental health adviser, or student support team to discuss any adjustments or support you may need.

UK universities and colleges have a legal responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to support students with physical or mental health conditions, learning differences, and long-term illnesses to access higher education. By telling the university or college about your circumstances, you are taking a positive step towards being an independent and successful student. Remember that support is provided to ensure you have a fair chance to do well in your studies.

No information about an impairment or condition will be used to make a decision about your application – in fact, it would be unlawful to do so, under the Equality Act 2010. Find out more about the Equality Act 2010 from Disability Rights UK.

When you share a condition or impairment in the UCAS application, it will be shared securely with the university or college – only those who are responsible for organising your support will be able to access this information.

The university or college may contact you for further information, and to talk about the support they can offer – they can also let you know more about their support services.  We recommend contacting them before you apply to check what support they can offer, and again after you accept an offer to discuss the next steps.

For a better idea of how your information is shared after you submit your application, read this case study blog article.

UK universities and colleges have a legal responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to support students with physical or mental health conditions, learning differences, and long-term illnesses to access higher education. By sharing this information with your university or college, you are taking a positive step towards becoming an independent and successful student. Remember: all support is provided to ensure students have a fair chance to do well in their studies, regardless of their personal circumstances, health conditions or impairments.

Your information may also be used (anonymously) for monitoring purposes. This helps the university or college ensure the support they provide is appropriate and make improvements for future students.

Any information you share with UCAS is kept in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. For more information about who your information is shared with, read UCAS’ privacy policy or UCAS’ personal data policy.

Yes. If you choose not to give this information in the UCAS application, you can contact your university or college directly at any time after you have submitted your application.

Please bear in mind, the sooner you tell the university or college, the sooner they can put the right support in place – this is especially important if you have complex support needs.

You’re not on your own. In fact, more students than ever share a mental health condition on their UCAS application because, by accessing support, their experience of higher education can be much more positive.

Student support teams offer confidential support and advice through student support services, and many have specialist mental health advisers. These are trained professionals who will be happy to talk to you and offer advice and support with any concerns or issues you may have – both during your studies and before you arrive. They will also be able to let you know about any services and resources (this can range from counselling, mentors, and support groups) available.

It is really important to know that you are completely in control of any support – if you choose not to use it, you don’t have to. However, having it in place means it’s ready if you change your mind or your circumstances change.

For further help, visit the UMHAN website for detailed information about this subject.  

You can also get information and advice from the Student Minds website – an organisation dedicated to helping students manage their mental health.

UMHAN and Student Minds have also written blog articles about sharing a mental health condition in the UCAS application.

Definitely not.

Admissions teams make their decisions based on an applicant’s ability to meet the entry requirements, their enthusiasm for the subject area, and potential to succeed on the course. It is unlawful, under the Equality Act 2010, to refuse a student a place or treat them less favourably because of an impairment or health condition. Find out more about the Equality Act 2010 from Disability Rights UK.

Remember, it is optional to give details on your UCAS application, and you can contact the university or college to share this information after you have received an offer if you feel more comfortable. However, please remember it is important to do this as early as possible.

Read the Student Minds blog articles about sharing a mental health condition on the UCAS application.

Disability Rights UK discuss this issue and offer insight about being open about disabilities in their guide Into Higher Education.  

Some professional courses require students to meet fitness to practise requirements or competence standards. These are designed to ensure students are clear about the demands and expectations of the course and can carry out their duties safely. This is usually assessed through a questionnaire about your health, and an occupational health assessment is sometimes required.

A physical or mental health condition, learning difference or long-term illness is unlikely to affect your ability to meet these standards or requirements. Reasonable adjustments will be made to ensure all students have an equal chance of meeting them, regardless of an impairment or health condition. However, the standards or requirements themselves cannot be adjusted.

Giving information about an impairment or condition in your UCAS application will not affect the competency standards or fitness to practise requirements. Universities and colleges only use this information to ensure you receive the right level of support during your course.

Your university or college will be able to give you more details about the fitness to practise requirements on your chosen course and discuss how this will be assessed.

Read more information about ‘fitness to practise’ requirements on the Scope website.

You do not have to have received a diagnosis to share a mental health difficulty. Universities and colleges are keen to ensure that students have the right support to make a smooth transition and succeed in their ongoing studies.

As well as stating you have a mental health condition, you can use the free text box to give more information, if you wish. Alternatively, you can contact student support services at the university or college to discuss your needs and they will be able to tell you about the support services available – many have a dedicated mental health adviser.

You can contact the student support team at any point to get help or ask for more information. Even if you never need to use the support, it’s good to have it ready just in case you need it later on – you are totally in control in how you use the support.

Student Minds is a charity dedicated to helping students manage their mental health – visit their website. Their Know Before You Go resources are a great way to prepare for the transition to higher education.

This is entirely your decision but we recommend you do.

If you have not studied at higher education level before, you may not be fully aware of the support you will need. Letting the university or college know of your potential needs means that support can be organised quickly should you require it – even if you never need to use it. 

If you choose not to share a condition through UCAS, you can tell the university or college directly at any point. It is also a good idea to familiarise yourself with how and where to access help to support your mental health and wellbeing when you arrive, in case you find it useful another time.

You can also use the free text box to give more information about your circumstances, if you wish.

Telling the university or college about your circumstances is a positive step towards becoming an independent and successful student – a huge range of support is provided to students with all sorts of individual needs to ensure they have a fair chance to do well, so you are not alone. 

Although the university or college will aim to remove any barriers to learning for you, the method of support may be different to that for a UK student, so it is even more important that you give this information early – you can do so using the UCAS application.  

Please note that the university or college will require supporting evidence, such as a letter from your doctor (translated into English) or information providing an assessment of your needs. If you are unsure what evidence is needed, contact the university or college directly to check – disability advisers may be able to help with this. 

You can find out more about applying to UK universities or colleges with a physical or mental health condition, learning difference or long-term illness on the British Council website. 

Information for international agents 

If you are an agent completing the application on behalf of an international student, we recommend you make them aware that the university or college may be able to offer support, and the application allows them to share this information early. 

Try not to assume that a student has no physical or mental health condition or learning difference if they have not told you directly – they may feel uncomfortable sharing sensitive information with you. If they prefer, they may contact the university or college directly to discuss their support needs, but they should do so as early as possible.

This is entirely your decision but we recommend you do.

If you have not studied at higher education level before, you may not be fully aware of the support you will need. Letting the university or college know of your potential needs means support can be organised quickly should you require it – even if you never need to use it. You can also use the free text box to give more information about your circumstances, if you wish.

If you choose not to share a condition through UCAS, you can tell the university or college directly at any point. Telling the university or college about your circumstances is a positive step towards becoming an independent and successful student – a huge range of support is provided to students with all sorts of individual needs to ensure they have a fair chance to do well, so you are not alone. 

Each university and college has different processes in place – some may contact you with more information, others may wait for you to get in touch. We recommend that you contact student support services after accepting an offer to discuss any support you might need.

Remember that universities and colleges will be supporting a high volume of students at the start of the academic year, so doing this ahead of the start of term will mean everything is ready for your arrival.

We recommend you contact the university or college immediately so they can make any necessary adjustments and discuss the support with you.

Firstly, select the most appropriate option(s) from the list, then use the free text box below to give more information.  

We strongly recommend you contact the university or college before you apply to make sure they can meet your requirements, and again after you have accepted an offer to discuss the details of how this will look.

The details of student support services, and the disability adviser and/or mental health adviser will be available on their website. 

In very rare instances, the university or college may be unable to meet an individual’s needs. In the unlikely event of this happening, you will be able to add another choice through UCAS at no extra cost. 

If you have been receiving support (e.g. extra time or use of a laptop in examinations), you can give this information on the application using the free text box – even if you have not received a formal diagnosis. 

Please be aware, the level of support you will receive may differ significantly from that received in school or college, and your support needs may change in a new learning environment. Although this information will not guarantee the same (or equivalent support), the university or college will work with you to understand how they can remove any barriers to your learning. 

This is entirely your decision.

The personal statement and interviews are good opportunities to talk about your impairment or condition in a positive way. You might want to explain how you have developed skills, qualities, and motivation that have contributed to your achievements, and you could link these experiences to the course or subject area you’re interested in. Consider how whether you have gained insight, or developed aspects of your character which make you stand out from other applicants.  

However, sharing information about your disability in this way is entirely your choice, and you are not expected to talk about it if you don't want to. 

• Find out more about applying to higher education if you are a disabled student, or if you have a physical or mental health condition, learning difference or long-term illness.
• NADP is the National Association of Disability Practitioners – you can find out more about your rights and the support available.
• Lead Scotland can provide advice and information for Scottish students.    
• The National Autistic Society (NAS) can provide help and information for students with autistic spectrum conditions, including Asperger’s syndrome.  
• Student Minds is the student mental health charity. Their Know Before You Go and Transitions guides will help you make a successful start in higher education.
• UMHAN is the University Mental Health Advisers Network – students can find information about their rights and the support on their website. 
• Disability Rights UK has a lot of information and guidance for students, including a helpline. You can also read their blog. 
• Find out more about applying for Disabled Students’ Allowance.

Before you decide, read these articles on the UCAS blog:

• The benefits of disclosing a mental health difficulty – Student Minds and UMHAN.
• Disclosing a mental health difficulty on your UCAS application – Student Minds and UMHAN.
• Disclosing a mental health difficulty: your rights – Student Minds and UMHAN.
• The National Association of Disability Practitioners (NADP) article explains who to contact at your university or college, and how a disability adviser can support you through your journey to higher education.
• A blog article from Diversity and Ability about sharing your needs on the UCAS application.

Use this space to tell the university or college about any facilities, adjustments or support you may need, such as adapted accommodation, extra equipment, readers or interpreters, or extra time in examinations.

You can let the university or college know of any support needs you may need to access visits, open days, interviews, auditions, etc. so they can ensure you have a fair chance to access these opportunities.

If you require assistance to evacuate a building in an emergency, it is helpful to let the university or college know in advance so they can create a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) with you in advance of your arrival. This is a personalised plan for individuals who may require help to reach safety in the event of an emergency (e.g. a fire).

If you have received support in the past which you have found helpful (e.g. at school or college, or in the workplace), you do not need to give lots of detail at this stage - the university or college will want to discuss this with you themselves.

Please be aware the level of support you will receive in higher education may differ significantly from that received in school or college, and your support needs may change in a new learning environment. Although this information will not guarantee the same (or equivalent support), the university or college will work with you to understand how they can remove any barriers to your learning.

It is important to remember that even if you decide you don’t want or need to use the adjustments or support, having them in place for the future will ensure you are supported if your circumstances change, or if you change your mind.