Technology Grants

Student Tech Grant referrals will be submitted on a rolling basis.

Completed applications will be approved for an October or March disbursement.

Any referrals received after the stated deadlines will be considered for review during the next grant cycle.

IF INTERESTED, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES CAREFULLY.

Purpose

Only DSP enrolled students with disabilities who have a financial need may apply for this DSP Student Technology Grant. The intent of the DSP Student Technology Grant is to recognize the unique needs of students with disabilities for assistive technology that improves access to instructional and research materials.  The DSP Student Technology Grant program is NOT a legally mandated accommodation, it is a grant given to students in need for a particular purpose. Funds are limited, and applications will be approved based on need and available resources. 

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a DSP Student Grant, you must:

  • Be a currently registered and matriculating DSP enrolled student with all fees paid who is eligible for Student Financial Aid, has filed a FAFSA, and has financial need.

  • Have in your DSP letter of accommodation, an academic accommodation that would benefit from the technology being requested. Typical accommodations that may benefit from assistive technology are DSP alternative media and note-taking services.

  • Must not be graduating during the semester you are applying for the grant. Disbursements of grants might not be awarded until the end of the semester.

  • If they are available to you, students are encouraged to seek other available resources or services for technology support, such as the Department of Rehabilitation, a Social Security PASS Plan, Workers Compensation, or other special awards or grants. By doing so, you can extend this limited resource to other students with disabilities who do not have access to these other supports.

Terms and Conditions

  • Applicants are granted only one award per academic year.

  • Funds are limited and primary consideration will be given to students who have not received a grant award in a previous year.

  • A referral or completed grant application does not guarantee funding. Awards are subject to review and available funds. 

  • Based on need and availability of funds, DSP reserves the right to make modifications to the item(s) you are requesting. If you require additional items or funding that are outside of the scope of this grant, please Request a Standard Cost of Attendance Adjustment through Financial Aid. 

  • There is a maximum award amount of $1,000 (including applicable sales tax), per student, per academic year.

  • Requests for the items in the list appearing below are typically eligible for this award.

  • Items that can be obtained through Financial Aid’s Standard Cost of Attendance Adjustment will not be approved (CPU, iPads, tablets, monitor, peripherals).

  • If you are being billed for a Financial Aid refund, your grant may be delayed or postponed until the next grant cycle or once all fees are paid.

  • No approvals will be made to hire personnel to assemble or construct an item.

  • The application must be accompanied by a referral from your DSP Specialist or an Auxiliary Services Staff (Alternative Media, Note-Taking, CART Captioning), explaining and verifying your need for the technology requested.

  • Your application must also contain a personal statement describing how the need for this technology grant relates to your disability and will improve access. Your statement cannot be more than 2000 characters. It is recommended that you write your statement in a word document then cut and paste it into your application.

  • To determine the best possible purchase price, please shop several potential sources and submit TWO price quotes, each from two different retailers with your application. In some cases, DSP may have unique source prices (educational discounts) and base the amount of your award on best available prices that are less than your estimates.

  • ITEMS MUST NOT BE PURCHASED BEFORE THE AWARD IS POSTED TO YOUR FINANCIAL AID ACCOUNT. Applicants will not be reimbursed for any expenditure incurred before their grant application is approved. Grants are not retroactive. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE.

  • If approved, the Financial Aid Office will deposit awards into the applicant's SIS account.

  • Grant recipients will be required to submit receipts showing that the approved item was purchased and used for the approved purpose, within 30 days of receipt of the Grant. Failure to provide receipts may result in the Financial Aid office invoking a charge to your SIS account.

  • At the end of the academic year, you may be asked to evaluate the effectiveness of the item.

Eligible Items

This grant is only for the acquisition of, and appropriate training on, software and hardware which assists the students with their DSP-approved accommodations. Typically, these assistive technology items include (but are not limited to):

  • Magnifiers/Magnifying Software

  • Speech Output Software 

  • Assistive Technology Scanning Devices
  • Dragon premium
  • Dragon Legal
  • Dragon Medical
  • Text-to-Speech Software
  • Assistive Listening Device
  • Bookstand
  • Switches

Steps to Complete Your Application and Our Review Process

The referral process is open year-round and applications are sent in October (Fall) and March (Spring). If you submit your completed application after the date listed, your application will be reviewed during the next grant cycle. The following steps must be completed in full to be eligible for the DSP Tech Grant.

  1. Receive a Tech Grant referral from your DSP Specialist or an Auxiliary Services Supervisor describing your need for the technology requested.

  2. Once complete and all criteria are met, you will receive a follow-up email with the Tech Grant Application form that must be completed, printed, and signed.

  3. You must also provide two price quotes per item as an attachment with the Tech Grant Acknowledgement Agreement form.

  4. Your signed application and two price quotes must be sent to dsp-business@berkekey.edu before the deadline.

  5. You will be notified via email if your technology grant is approved, modified, or denied.

NOTE: Delays will occur if you do not complete steps 1-5 in order.

If your grant award is approved, you will be notified by DSP in an email sent to your official berkeley.edu email address. If you need assistance completing the application process, please let your Specialist know so we can help you complete the required steps, or you have the option to contact dsp-business@berkeley.edu for assistance.