The Student Room Group

DSA - laptop reimbursement

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Makes sense
Answer is no
Original post by NJones
Students are expected to have their own laptop and DSA will only fund such equipment if the student requires a higher spec machine related to their needs, e.g. a mobility impaired student who can't get to their course to use specialist software. Allegedly the DSA equipment fund is being cut from £50 million to £2.5 million. It's been in all the press.


Well, to be fair it was getting a bit ridiculous. Every other student has to pay for their own laptop, we're not at the point any more where you can do without one unless you have, say, dyslexia that means you can't take handwritten lecture notes fast enough. I knew someone who had her own laptop and was still issued one by the DSA, which then sat in its box for three months until she broke her own one because she left it open on the sofa and it fell off. Didn't think that was a good use of taxpayers' money tbh. And on the same note, I didn't get why DSA provided a laptop bag and a lap desk thing, again, every other student has to buy their own of those things.
Uninformed ignorant bigotry.
Original post by balotelli12
Makes sense
Answer is no


Do you know why? If I phone them when I get confirmation?
also I don't already have a laptop. I turned down quite a Few other bits of equipment that she suggested - smartpen, portable scanner, weird laptop stand thing, reader for exams, because I don't want to feel like I'm wasting tax payers money. My parents have always paid tax, and none of us have ever been on benefits, so it's not like I've ever scrounged off the state in the past..
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by RibenaRockstar
Well, to be fair it was getting a bit ridiculous. Every other student has to pay for their own laptop, we're not at the point any more where you can do without one unless you have, say, dyslexia that means you can't take handwritten lecture notes fast enough.


But some people need more expensive laptops. Mine cost me £700 (out of my own money) because I need one with a larger screen. And some of us need laptops fast enough that will run the software we need.

Christy - I was told it gets rather complicated if you buy your own laptop. Something about the warranty.
Reply 25
Original post by Christyjanexx
I had my DSA assessment last week, the lady was lovely and she's putting forward lots of recommendations in my report, including a laptop. The only problem is that currently it's taking 6-8 weeks for students to get the equipment, and my course starts in 4. I need a laptop from the beginning, so do you think they'd reimburse me if I bought one now? Obviously only the cost of the laptop they provide, but I was going to upgrade to a mac anyway...

Sorry if this doesn't make much sense!


Technically yes, but it's a bit complicated. The suppliers should provide the equipment within 10 days I believe from when you play the order. Don't panic for another 2 weeks; you should hopefully get your approval letter in that timescale.
Thanks guys, I'll leave it for a bit then :smile:


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Original post by RibenaRockstar
Well, to be fair it was getting a bit ridiculous. Every other student has to pay for their own laptop, we're not at the point any more where you can do without one unless you have, say, dyslexia that means you can't take handwritten lecture notes fast enough. I knew someone who had her own laptop and was still issued one by the DSA, which then sat in its box for three months until she broke her own one because she left it open on the sofa and it fell off. Didn't think that was a good use of taxpayers' money tbh. And on the same note, I didn't get why DSA provided a laptop bag and a lap desk thing, again, every other student has to buy their own of those things.


Disgusting. Some of us actually need the equipment how can you make such assumptions. Shame on you.:angry::eek:
Original post by MelaMelaMela
Disgusting. Some of us actually need the equipment how can you make such assumptions. Shame on you.:angry::eek:


My point was only that everyone else also needs a laptop and has to buy it themselves along with all the associated kit. If instead of DSA funding the whole laptop, laptop backpacks, and lap cushions, they simply provided top-up vouchers to get people from entry-level to super light/ bigger screen laptops, they'd be able to help more people.
Reply 29
Original post by MelaMelaMela
Disgusting. Some of us actually need the equipment how can you make such assumptions. Shame on you.:angry::eek:


MelaMelaMela - grow up
I do think DSA give too much. I get a laptop because I'm dyspraxic and cannot physically write down lecture notes fast enough. Why they allow me to claim back on Internet costs I'm not sure though...

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Original post by NJones
MelaMelaMela - grow up


What's your problem. She was slating everyone on dsa based on one person. Not everyone is going to abuse the system. So no I won't grow up.
Reply 32
Original post by MelaMelaMela
What's your problem. She was slating everyone on dsa based on one person. Not everyone is going to abuse the system. So no I won't grow up.


You are acting like a petulant child. As a DSA assessor I'm aware everyones DSA case is different and with changes to the regulations lots of people are unsure what changes will happen. My problem is, having seen you childish posts in other threads, you have no grounds to judge anyone.
Ok that's great for you. I was just saying that not everyone sponges off the governments money. Nobody has a right to judge anyone but people do it all the time. Which is what your doing right now. I'm sick and tired of seeing people make bad comments about dsa which I have seen time and time again. And if that means like acting like a petculant child to you than so be it.
Original post by RibenaRockstar
My point was only that everyone else also needs a laptop and has to buy it themselves along with all the associated kit. If instead of DSA funding the whole laptop, laptop backpacks, and lap cushions, they simply provided top-up vouchers to get people from entry-level to super light/ bigger screen laptops, they'd be able to help more people.


I now understand what you mean. In your previous comment it felt like you were saying that, everyone sponged off the government. When that's not the case.
Original post by MelaMelaMela
I now understand what you mean. In your previous comment it felt like you were saying that, everyone sponged off the government. When that's not the case.


Oh no, of course not! The system is there for a really important reason, it's just that the way it's set up isn't ideal.
Me thinks someone is just bitter. You don't get a laptop just because you have a disability. In my case, my computer wasn't fast enough to run the software I require.
Original post by OU Student
Me thinks someone is just bitter. You don't get a laptop just because you have a disability. In my case, my computer wasn't fast enough to run the software I require.


I'm not bitter at all. In your case, I would have expected your computer to be upgraded to run the software you need. Obviously, you need that software, so you need a way to run it, that's what DSA is for. The DSA structure seems to have been established, however, when having a laptop or your own computer wasn't necessary for everyone but people with a disability did need one. Now, however, pretty much everyone will take a computer of their own with them to uni, so it seems to me that DSA should focus more on upgrades rather than on providing the whole kit - so, in my friend's case, she was given a laptop backpack, which every other student needs just as much. If they supplied fewer of those extras, they could help more students and provide, say, more hours of one-to-one mentoring and so on.
Original post by RibenaRockstar
The DSA structure seems to have been established, however, when having a laptop or your own computer wasn't necessary for everyone but people with a disability did need one. Now, however, pretty much everyone will take a computer of their own with them to uni, so it seems to me that DSA should focus more on upgrades rather than on providing the whole kit ... If they supplied fewer of those extras, they could help more students and provide, say, more hours of one-to-one mentoring and so on.


That is precisely what the changes due to be implemented in 2015 are designed to do, and with that aspect, I agree.

Unfortunately, the government have also taken the view that it would be an equally good idea to make it much harder to access the so-called 'non-medical helper' allowance you refer to, particularly when it comes to funding note-takers. They take the view that Universities should be responsible for changing the way courses are delivered, by providing electronic notes and the such like.

Some universities, such as my own, do already provide electronic copies of lecture notes on a VLE system. Of course, those of us actually studying at the moment can guess how well people that would normally be assessed by a professional as needing additional support such as a note-taker will fare once forced to rely on those notes as the full and final record of that actually discussed in the lecture.
I start University in a couple of days and have to wait 6 to 8 weeks for a laptop, not a serious problem but what if i bought a laptop before and showed them the receipt etc? would i be re reimbursed? 6 to 8 weeks is nearly two months so that is quite a bit and the nature of my course is heavily reliant on editing and film.

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