Frequently asked questions

There is no limit to the number of times you can apply for a grant, but we will not normally award more than three grants to the same individual. 

Disabilities supported by the Snowdon Trust disability-related study cost grant scheme (based on UCAS 2023 categories): 

A learning difference (e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia, or AD(H)D)  

A visual impairment uncorrected by glasses (e.g. blindness or partial sight)  

A hearing impairment (e.g. D/deafness or partial hearing) 

A physical impairment or challenges with mobility (e.g. climbing stairs or uneven surfaces), or dexterity (e.g. using a keyboard or laboratory equipment)  

A social, behavioural or communication impairment (e.g. an autistic spectrum condition or Tourette’s Syndrome)  

A long-term illness or health condition which may involve pain or cause fatigue, loss of concentration or breathing difficulties – including any effects from taking associated medication.  

Please note that we cannot provide an exhaustive list of all disabilities, specific health conditions or impairments, and may not be able to answer queries regarding the eligibility of a specific disability. We provide the above list as a reference point and will require evidence from your Doctor or health care provider of your diagnosed disability. Please note again that mental health conditions, challenges or disorders (e.g. anxiety or depression) are not eligible for this grant scheme unless you also have a diagnosis of one or more of the health conditions or impairments listed above. If you believe you meet the eligibility criteria as stated here, you are are welcome to apply for a grant. 

Yes, we will ask you to provide official confirmation of your disability, such as a report from your Doctor or health care provider. 

This is explained in detail within the guidance on how to complete your application. The section concerning panel “H – Supporting documents” will explain what documents you will need to provide us with. 

Most applicants will need to provide:

• Confirmation of your study place
• An academic reference
• Confirmation of your disability, health condition or impairment
• Your DSA needs assessment (if applicable)
• Invoices or quotations for the equipment or support you are requesting the grant to pay for

Yes, home students from The United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) are eligible to apply.  

International students studying at a registered institution anywhere in the UK may also apply. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the appropriate student or other relevant visa in place for the duration of your studies. 

Courses in further education (see link), and higher education (undergraduate and postgraduate study) are eligible.  

You can apply for a grant at any point during your course.   

Yes. If you have a course offer and will need accessibility arrangements to be put in place for the start of your course, you are eligible to apply before the start of your course. 

Yes, your course can be taught in person, online or as a hybrid. However, your course must be taught by a university or institution registered in The United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), and you must be living in the UK.  

Yes, your course can be taught part time or full time. However, your course must be taught by a university or institution registered in The United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and you must be living in the UK. 

The Snowdon Trust welcomes applicants from across all subject areas. 

You must be 16 years or older. There is no upper age limit, but please note that grants are more likely to be awarded where you can provide evidence of the future plans your studies will help you achieve. 

Yes, international students can apply. You must already be studying, or have received an offer to study at a UK registered university or institution. If you are an international student, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have the appropriate student or other relevant visa in place for the duration of your studies. 

We award grants for specialist equipment and the cost of accessibility arrangements which directly relate to your studies, and by contributing to these disability-related study costs we hope you are able to fully participate in your studies alongside non-disabled peers. 

The grant can help with the cost of assistive technology and software, mobility equipment, the additional cost of accessible accommodation, the cost of carer’s accommodation, sign language interpreters, note takers and other vital human support. You may have mobility equipment requirements which are not covered by the NHS wheelchair service but are essential for you in accessing your place of study. You may have a financial shortfall after being awarded Disabled Students Allowance (DSA), or not be eligible to apply for DSA at all. This list is not exhaustive, but your cost needs to be related to your studies – not general cost of living or financial hardship – and something that you must pay for to overcome disability-related barriers.  

We do not normally fund costs that are applicable to all students and not specifically disability-related. Tuition fees fall into this category. It is only in exceptional circumstances that a grant could be provided to help with the cost of course tuition fees. To apply for help with fees you must be able to provide evidence that this request is directly related to your experience of disability e.g. you may have recently become disabled, or your condition or impairment has worsened and as a result you need to retrain for a new career path. If you are not sure about your eligibility for a fee award, we recommend you talk to us before completing an application.  

No, our position follows that of the DSA. We cannot award a grant for the first £200 towards the cost of a DSA funded laptop.   

Typically no, we will not award grants to upgrade DSA-awarded equipment, unless you provide clear evidence that your studies will be impeded without it. Personal preference is not sufficient grounds for an application.  

No, the disability-related study cost grant is intended only for the purpose of alleviating disability-related costs associated with your studies.  

No, the disability-related study cost grant is intended only for the purpose of alleviating disability-related costs related to your studies. This does not include general costs related to your medical treatment (including therapy), assessments or travel to medical appointments.  

No, you cannot apply for general costs related to the care of your dependents/relatives, such as medical treatment, assessments, travel to medical appointments, daycare or nursery fees etc.    

You can begin an application by clicking on the link to our application portal where you will be asked to create an account. Please make sure you read all the guidance before starting your application. 

Click on the link below for detailed application guidance.

If you are not able to access the application form or any of the guidance on our website, please contact us on [email protected]. We will do our best to provide accessible material and submissions.  

We will do our best to accommodate alternative methods of communication for accessibility purposes. Please let us know if you cannot communicate with us via email. 

You can ask someone else, e.g. a carer, family member or support worker to make an application on your behalf. The application should be made out in the name of the student applying for the grant, but at the end of the form, there is a section called Contact preferences where they can insert their own contact details if you prefer that we contact them directly about your application. 

We are not able to provide advice about your answers to specific questions on the application form, unless these are technical questions. This ensures we can provide fair and equal support to all applicants.  

We welcome constructive feedback on ways we could improve the support we offer. 

If there is an accessibility issue which means you are not able to use our online application portal, please contact us on [email protected] or call 01403 732899 to discuss alternative solutions. We will accommodate alternative submissions as far as possible. 

We aim to reply to you within five working days. Please be patient, and do not send us a follow up email until five working days have passed. This will only create a larger volume of emails for us to deal with. Thank you for your understanding. 

We will always inform you of the outcome of your application. However, due to the high number of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to provide individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants. 

Applications are open year round.

Eligible applications are assessed by the Selection Panel, made up of experts in the field of disability, former grant awardees, and those with lived experience of disability, who will make decisions about your application and offer advice and guidance where appropriate.

Update Autumn 2023: Though we would like to support as many eligible applications as possible, we have limited resources and at the moment, demand for our grants massively exceeds the budget we have available.

As a result, we may not be able to hold our March 2024 Selection Panel meeting as we had planned. We will provide further updates when we can and we know that this will be disappointing news.

The Selection Panel meet three times per year, to coincide with the three terms of the academic year. These are the key dates for 2023-24:

Completed applications submitted before 5pm on Friday 2 June 2023 will be assessed at the July 2023 Selection Panel meeting, allowing for arrangements to be in place for the start of term in September.

Completed applications submitted before 5pm on Friday 8 September 2023 will be assessed at the October 2023 Selection Panel meeting.

Completed applications submitted before 5pm on Friday 26 January 2024 will be assessed at the March 2024 Selection Panel meeting. We will update this page before Christmas to confirm if we can hold a March panel meeting.

Please note that most submitted applications require additional information to be provided after submission. To give yourself the best possible chance of having all the information submitted in time for the panel meeting, it is recommended that you submit your application as early as possible before the stated deadlines above.

Typically we receive more applications than we can fund.  

Eligible applications will be assessed by our Selection Panel made up of experts in the field of disability, former grant awardees, and those with lived experience of disability, who will make decisions about your application and offer advice and guidance where appropriate. Following the Selection Panel meeting, all applicants will be informed of the outcome. Whilst we aim to support as many eligible applications as possible, we have limited resources. If we are unable to help you, where possible, we will signpost you to alternative sources of  support and advice.  

No, you do not need to re-pay any of the grant The Snowdon Trust gives you.  

As part of our grant terms and conditions, grant recipients are required to submit a report at the end of their award year to let us know what difference their grant has made and how their academic year has been improved (or not) as a result. We use this information to keep finders and policy makers informed.

We also encourage our grant recipients to be part of the Snowdon Trust community and join online and in-person events.

Snowdon Trust disability-related study cost grants typically contribute towards study costs that cause additional cost to Disabled Students, where these have not been covered by statutory funding. The maximum grant you can apply for is £5,000. The applicant must provide evidence of their additional study-related costs, and proof that they have not been able to source the funding from elsewhere. This is a grant to alleviate the impact of additional disability-related expenses.  We aim to fund as many eligible applicants as possible.

The Snowdon Trust Master’s Scholarship has been designed to identify and accelerate exceptional Disabled Students through higher education, championing the influencers of the future. Successful recipients receive a scholarship of up to £30,000. This is made up of a fee contribution of up to £15,000 and an allowance /maintenance stipend  of £15,000 payable in equally termly instalments (of £5,000 for a one-year course, or £2,500 for a two-year course). This is a highly competitive award scheme and only a very small proportion of applicants will be successful. 

Please note the Snowdon Trust Master’s Scholarship is currently closed and will reopen in January 2024 for applications for Master’s studies in the academic year 2024-25. Please check our scholarship page for updated information nearer the time.

There is no reason why you can’t apply for a Scholarship and a grant if you meet the eligibility criteria for both programmes. An applicant will not normally be awarded more than three disability-related study cost grants. Previous Master’s Scholarship winners are not eligible to reapply for another Master’s Scholarship award.  The Master’s Scholarship programme is currently closed and will reopen for applications for 2024/25 in January 2024.