How to save money on the cost of asthma at university

Disabled Students Allowances

Disabled Students' Allowances (DSA) can provide you with extra financial help if you have a disability, an ongoing health condition like asthma, mental health condition or a specific learning difficulty like dyslexia and you want to go to university.

You do not need to pay it back and the amount you get does not depend on your income, it depends on the help you need. A lot of people with asthma do not realise that they may be eligible to apply for this and it is well worth looking into. It varies across the UK so:

• For England click here - Directgov website
• For Northern Ireland click here - Student Finance Northern Ireland
• For Scotland click here - Student Award Agency for Scotland
• For Wales click here - Student Finance Wales

Save money on prescription charges (England only)

If you are at university in England, you will need to pay for your prescriptions. Those at university in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and registered with a doctor there, do not have to.

The cost of an item on prescription is £7.65 (correct April 2012) in England. Here are some things that may help you save some money on them:

Low Income Scheme - HC1 forms

Some students may be able to get help with NHS costs and prescriptions through the NHS Low Income Scheme. This means you may get a large discount on your prescriptions or you may even get them free! For this you will need to complete NHS HC1 claim form. You can request a form by calling 0845 850 1166 or order online on the NHS Business Services Authority website.

Pre-payment certificates (PPC)

Try taking advantage of the pre-payment certificate which is like a season ticket, saving you money if you need regular prescriptions. A Pre-payment certificate in England is:

• £29.10 for three months (worthwhile if you need more than three items during this period).
• £104 for 12 months (worthwhile if you need more than 14 items during this period).

Check out our factfile on prescriptions for more information or visit the NHS Business Service Authority website .

Another way to save is to have more than one preventer inhaler at a time. Some GPs will allow this but it will depend entirely on local policies so ask you GP. It can work well for some people as this way you will only pay for one prescription.

Other financial help available to you:

• There are educational grants out there to support students in education. See if any are of relevance to you. Visit the Turn 2 Us website for more information
• Speak to your Student Welfare and Support office as they may be able to help you. Also sometimes universities have their own grant or loan schemes in place.
• Check out the financial assistance section of the Asthma UK website. It lists all financial help available to people with asthma.