Students, Apprentices and Youth Trainees

Students

If you’re a student in further or higher education, you may be able to get a discount on your council tax.

Your course must:

be at a prescribed educational establishment, anywhere within the EU, whose sole or main purpose is to provide further or higher education
last for at least one academic or calendar year
require you to attend for at least 24 weeks of the year
require you to study for at least 21 hours per week during term time (this includes studying at home, and time spent at work placements which are part of your course)

Or you must be:

under 20 years old
on a course which lasts for more than three months, and involves more than 12 hours of study per week
on a course which leads to a qualification up to (but not above) A-Level standard or equivalent

Student nurses

You may get a discount on your council tax if you’re a student nurse. You must be taking a course which:

is at a college of nursing and midwifery or a college of health
leads to a registration under the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979

Student housing and accommodation

If everyone else who lives with you is also student, your home may be completely exempt from council tax:
Halls of residence and other student-only accommodation is also exempt
And your property is exempt if it’s unoccupied because you live somewhere else while you study

Apprentices

If you’re an apprentice, you may get a discount on your council tax. You must be:

employed to learn a trade, business, profession, office or employment
training to gain a qualification recognised by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications
earning no more than £195 a week, and earning less than you would be if you had already achieved the qualification

Apply for an Apprentice discount, Student discount or exemption

Youth trainees

If you’re on a youth training course, you may get a discount on your council tax.

You must be:

undertaking training according to an individual training plan under the Employment and Training Act 1973, which is funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency
under 25 years old

Non-British spouses of students

You may be able to get a discount on your council tax if you are the wife, husband or civil partner of a full-time student who supports you financially because your visa prevents you from:

taking paid employment in the UK
claiming benefits in the UK

Contact us for more information. You’ll need to provide your spouse’s student certificate, your visa and both of your passports.

Tell us if your circumstances change

Your discount will start on the day your course or programme begins, and end on the day you complete the course. If you leave the course early, or if your circumstances change and this may affect your eligibility for a discount, you must tell us straight away.

Tell us something has changed