Higher Education: Supporting Students with SEND

Nicola Turner from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) examines how we can help young people with SEND view higher education as aviable option for them.

In2021, 604,000 people in the UK applied to universitythrough UCAS, and83,000(14 per cent)ofthoseshared adisabilityormental healthcondition. Over the last ten years, the number ofapplicants sharing this informationhas morethandoubled, yet young people with disabilities remain under-represented in highereducation and they arealmosthalfaslikely to hold an undergraduatedegreethan theirpeers

We were keen to understand if there were hidden barriers for students with disabilities.

So, in collaboration with Pearson, UCAS released the report, Next Steps: What is the experience of students with disabilities in education? (https://bit.ly/3iKryvQ) in July 2022. Here, we researched the preferences and application behaviours of students with disabilities and asked them about their experiences at school or college, how they felt when applying through UCAS, and their expectations for university.

We found theywerelooking forward to theirnextsteps, particularlythe social opportunities, but hadexperienced several challenges along their application journey. UCAS believes thejourney for students with disabilities canbeeasier, and ourreport sets outsomeofthe ways in which we think that can happen.

Three key challenges for students with disabilities

THEY CAN’T ALWAYS TAKE THEIR NEXT STEPS WHEN THEY WANT TO.

We found applicants with disabilities are up to 28 per cent more likely to defer the start of their studies, predominantly because the support they needed at university was delayed or unavailable. Through no fault of their own, some students are unable to take their next steps at the same time as their non-disabled peers, and we don’t think this is fair.

Challengeswiththe Transitionfrom Secondarytohighereducation

THOSE WITH HIDDEN DISABILITIES ARE HAVING ALESSPOSITIVE EXPERIENCE.

When we broke down the findings by disability type, it became very apparent that those with non-visible impairments were experiencing more challenges; they often had aless positive experience at school or college, felt less confident in sharing their support needs with the university and had lower expectation for higher education. We’d like to find away to help these students feel more included and supported in their journey to university.

THEY DO NOT ALWAYS GET THE RIGHT INFORMATION ABOUT SUPPORT IN HIGHER EDUCATION.

Although more than half had researched the support available for students with disabilities before applying, some reported that it was difficult to find the information they needed to make an informed choice. We think details about support need to be more prominent, and young people need more guidance around talking to the disability adviser at university.

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Differences in the terminology usedcreate an additional point of confusion for applicants (and those supporting them) when trying to research support. In secondaryeducation, we tend to usethe term‘SEND’ butinhigher educationweswitch to the term ‘disability’tocover physical difficulties, mentalhealthconditions, learning differencesand neurodivergencesas well as long-termhealthconditions. Consequently,those who have never considered themselves to be ‘disabled’ may miss vital informationabout support, such as Students with Disabilities Allowances (DSAs),and feel less certain aboutsharing theirindividual needs in the UCAS application. Another risk is that notall young people are fully aware of the mechanisms in place to support them at school, so they may not realise they needtoask forsupporttohelpthem succeed in theiruniversitystudies In other instances,somemay have expectations thatexceedthe level or type of support they canaccess in HE Finally, it’s worthbearinginmind that the UCAS or careersadvisermay notbe aware of an applicant’sneedsorcondition,and the applicant maynot feel comfortableraisingthis with someone they don’tknow well, especially fornon-visible disabilities. Again, we runthe risk that the right informationdoesn’t reach the people whoneeditmost.

Ucas Resources For Students With Disabilities

Applyingtouniversitywithadisability or mental healthcondition

Information aboutStudents with disabilities’ Allowances

Preparing foropendays andvisits

Adviceonspeakingtothe disability or mental healthadviser at university

Read our individual needs toolkit for more step-by-step ideas to supportstudents.

When an applicant shares this information, it kickstarts the support process. The information is only shared with those who are responsible for arranging support; it is never used to make ajudgement on the application.

Four ways SENCOs can help

My experience hastaught me that SENCOsare lynchpins inschools, and their relationships withpupils mean they areatrusted sourceof guidance. However,weappreciatethattimeisata premium,sohereare some practical, non-resource-intensive ways you can supportyoung people as they start to consider their future options.

1 TALK TO PUPILS (AND THEIR PARENTS/ CARERS) EARLIER ABOUT THEIR OPTIONS

Our research shows that early engagement is critical. Some young people will already have decided that university is not for them before they even get as far as post-16 education. Universities have changed dramatically in the last 30 years, becoming diverse and inclusive spaces, offering support for awide range of needs. For students with disabilities, the journey may be more complex, so helping them to sign up to the UCAS Hub to start their research earlier can be useful.

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Encourage Applicants To Share Their

NEEDS OR CONDITION

When an applicant shares this information, it kickstarts the support process. The information is only shared with those who are responsible for arranging support; it is never used to make ajudgement on the application, although many students worrythatthisisthe case. UCAS does not ask for evidence nor require adiagnosis to share support needs.

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ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO APPLY FOR THE DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES (DSAS)

DSAs are non-repayable funds that students can apply for, alongside student finance, to help with some of the extra study-related costs incurred due to adisability or mental health condition. Evidence is required, and students may find it useful to have some help to complete the DSA application.

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Help Prepare Young People To Talk To The Disability Adviser

Most student services teams will have adisability adviser; they are the best source of information about the support the university can offer –both throughout the application journey,and during their studies. They can also advise about events such as orientation days for students with autism. However,young people may find the idea of talking to astranger challenging, especially if this is the first time they have spoken to someone about their support needs. Use your knowledge of their individual needs to prepare them for that call (or email), so they know what questions to ask.