Council tax and television licences

Council tax

What is council tax?

Council tax is a charge that is used to pay for local services such as rubbish collection, street cleaning, police and schools. It is collected by the local authority.

In almost all cases, full-time students (as defined by the council tax regulations) don't have to pay council tax. See the UK government's advice to full time students.

If you receive a council tax bill, even though your household is exempt, you can apply for an exemption.

You will find useful information on council tax on the NUS website.

Television licence

If you have a TV in your accommodation

If you have a television in your accommodation, you will have to have a TV licence. 

If you watch TV programmes on your laptop

If you do not have a TV but watch TV programmes on your laptop, you also need to obtain a TV licence. The cost is the same as above.

Further information

If you watch your TV without a licence you could risk prosecution and a fine up to £1000. You can pay your TV licence online or at Paypoint shops (i.e. the student shop on Campus, and most Co-op shops).

For more information about TV licensing, please check these websites: