Council Tax reductions and exemptions for students 

Who is eligible 

You may be eligible for a reduction or exemption if you are student. You are counted as a student for Council Tax purposes if you are:

• on a full-time course at a UK college or university, including those in the ERASMUS programme within the European Union
  
• under 20 years old and in part-time or full-time education
  
• a foreign language assistant registered with the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and working at a school or other educational establishment.

What is a full-time course?

A full-time course is one that:

• lasts at least one (academic or calendar) year
  
• normally requires your attendance for at least 24 weeks in each (academic or calendar) year
  
• involves at least 21 hours of study, tuition, work experience (or a combination of these) a week

Who is not eligible

Part-time study, such as evening classes or distance learning, doesn’t make you a student for Council Tax purposes.

Rules on students living with non-students

The rules for Council Tax vary depending on the mix of students and other adults living in a property:

• Properties occupied only by full-time students: These properties are exempt from Council Tax. All residents must confirm their student status to us.
• Properties with one full-time student and one other adult: If you are a student living with one non-student, we will reduce your Council Tax bill by 25 per cent.
• Properties with one or more full-time students and two or more other adults: If you are a student living with two or more non-students, there is no Council Tax reduction. The non-students will be named on the Council Tax bill.

Exempt properties

The following properties are exempt from Council Tax:

• houses and flats where only full-time students live
• halls of residence and off-campus properties owned or rented by the university or college for their students
• properties where a student's foreign spouse or dependent lives, as long as their visa prevents them from working or claiming benefits.

How to apply

You can apply for a reduction or exemption using the link below.

To verify that you are a student, you'll need to upload a student certificate from your university, college, school, or hospital (if you're a student nurse) confirming your enrolment and course details.

Apply for a student discount