Greg Clark, the universities and science minister, announcing that changes to non-medical help will be postponed until 2016-17.

David Willetts, the former universities and science minister who unveiled the proposed changes in April, was branded ¡°arrogant and out of touch¡± at the time by the National Union of Students over the ¡°unfair¡± cuts.

The changes, originally planned for 2015-16, were intended to make universities take greater responsibility for the costs of DSA.

DSA can pay for assistance including specialist equipment such as computer software; non-medical helpers, like a note-taker or reader; or extra travel costs. Mr Clark says that in 2011-12 DSA ¡°provided support of over ?144 million to 61,000 students, funded from the higher education budget¡±. Vice-chancellors have made clear to the government their unhappiness over the changes.

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Mr Clark says that ¡°concern was conveyed that some universities may not be able to meet their obligations in full by the beginning of the 2015-16 academic year, given their need to invest in additional support for their students¡±. ?

He adds: ¡°Accordingly we have agreed to give higher education institutions until the beginning of the 2016-17 academic year to develop appropriate mechanisms to fully deliver their statutory duty to provide reasonable adjustments, in particular non-medical help, and to improve the processes by which disabled students can appeal against a higher education institution¡¯s decision that an adjustment would not be reasonable.¡±

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Mr Clark says that for 2015-16 the government will continue to provide DSA ¡°to help with the additional cost of a computer and assistive software if needed solely because of the student¡¯s impairment¡±, but students will have to pay the first ?200 themselves.

On accommodation, he says:?¡°Funding will remain available towards the additional costs of specialised accommodation for disabled students, other than where the accommodation is provided by the institution or an agent of the institution.¡±

Mr Clark adds that all changes are subject to an on-going ¡°equality analysis¡± that BIS is bound to undertake following such proposals.

The minister said in a comment issued by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills press office: ¡°I am determined to ensure that a university education is open to everyone who can benefit, including disabled people. Where disabled students need support, they will have it ¨C whether from universities discharging their statutory duty or through the Disabled Students¡¯ Allowances, which I have decided to retain.¡±

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john.morgan@tesglobal.com