Help in higher education

Introduction

Migraine shouldn’t be a barrier to undertaking a higher education degree. You can get support from your higher institution to help you achieve your academic ambition. The Migraine Trust has produced a resource material for university students to manage their migraine in education. The document provides information on your rights in education, migraine as a disability, coping with your migraine in education and getting support. This document will guide you to advocate for yourself when things go wrong. For more information download our ‘Help in higher education’ document below.

How can I get support from my university?

Sometimes migraine may impact on your ability to study, undertake certain features of your course or your attendance. To help minimise the impact of migraine on your education you should approach your Disability Support Officer in your institution. You can make a request in writing from your university for an adjustment to be put in place for you due to your health condition. If your condition meets the definition of “disability” under the Equality Act 2010 then your education provider could have the obligation to make changes for you. More information about the Equality Act 2010 and reasonable adjustments is available in our ‘Help in higher education’ document above. You can download The Migraine Trust’s reasonable adjustment agreement template to support your request for support from your institution.

When problems occur, what should I do?

It is always best to try to deal with a problem informally first. You should speak to your Disability Support Officer, tutor or relevant department depending on the nature of the issue. If the problem cannot be resolved informally you should follow your institution’s internal complaints procedure to raise a formal written complaint. Your health professional may be able to write a letter of support to your institution. Make sure that you familiarise yourself with the relevant policies and procedures for your institution. More information is available in our ‘Help in higher education’ document above. You can download our grievance letter template to help you prepare a written complaint.

Support for students in placement or training

The Equality Act 2010 is the applicable instrument of law that protects your rights if you are undergoing a placement or training. Your placement provider has similar obligations as an employer would have under the Act. Your university institution has a duty to protect you from unfair treatment when they are processing your placement or training. More information is available in our ‘Help in higher education’ document above.