Full-time student Council Tax exemption and discount

A full-time student is defined in Council Tax law as a person undertaking a course of education at a prescribed educational establishment for at least 1 academic or calendar year. They must undertake at least 21 hours of study, tuition or work experience per week.

A full-time student also includes:

• 18 and 19-year-olds studying up to A level or the equivalent
• student nurses
• foreign language assistants
• foreign spouses of students who are prevented from working or claiming benefit

A person ceases to be a full-time student when their course ends (as shown on their student certificate), if their college closes, or if they abandon or are dismissed from the course.

These definitions of full-time student may be different from that used by your college or by other bodies.

Student liability for Council Tax

A student can be liable for Council Tax if they are the owner or tenant of a dwelling and a non-student, who is not a joint owner or joint tenant, also lives there.

However, if a student and a non-student are joint owners or joint tenants, only the non-student is liable for Council Tax.

Student discounts

Full-time students are disregarded for Council Tax discount purposes. This means that they are not included when counting the number of adults resident in a dwelling.

For example, if a single parent has 1 or more adult children who are full-time students they will still receive a 25% discount.

Student exemptions

Dwellings occupied only by full-time students are exempt from paying Council Tax. This exemption ceases as soon as one of the residents stops being a full-time student.

Apply for a discount or exemption

Provide a copy of your student certificate issued by your college, either by post or by scanning and emailing to:

Croydon Council Tax team
Email: croyctax@croydon.gov.uk
Address: Council Tax team, Croydon Council, Bernard Weatherill House 8 Mint Walk, Croydon CR0 1EA

You must also confirm the names of any other adults who live at the property. If they are students we must see their certificates.

If you stop being a student

Write to or email using the details below, giving the date when you stopped being a student. Include your name, address and the council tax account number.

After you apply

If you have a discount, exemption or Council Tax benefit we will automatically apply this on your council tax bill for next year. You will not need to re-apply.

Any deductions will show on your Council Tax bill and detail how much has been deducted and what period it covers.