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.
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: