In ASK we hear from lots of students every year who don't know how to prove their student status or are being
pursued by the council for Council Tax they don't owe.
Council Tax Quick Guide
- Full-time students are normally exempt
- Don't ignore letters from the council
- Contact the council if you receive a bill you think is wrong
- Download a student status letter from eVision if needed
Do full-time students have to pay Council Tax?
Full-time students are exempt from paying Council Tax, including during the holidays. To count as full time, your
course must last at least a year and involve at least 21 hours of study per week.
As long as you are still registered on a full-time course, you will still count as full time in these situations:
- Students on placement as part of a full-time course
- Students on a modular repeat, attending only some modules
- Students completing reassessments without attendance
- Students on a Leave of Absence
If everyone in your property is a full-time student the whole household will be exempt.
If you are sharing with someone who is not a full-time student, the household will not be exempt and any non-student
would be liable. However, if only one of you isn't a full-time student, that person would be counted as a
'single person occupant' and get a 25% reduction.
How do I prove I'm a full-time student?
The University sends a list of full-time students to the local councils of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent
and Cheshire East. However, we still advise contacting your local council to tell them your name is
on the list and to make sure they don't send you a bill.
If you're living in another council area or if there are any problems with the list you can send them a student
status letter - you can find this by logging into eVision, clicking on the 'Common Actions' button on the
home page, then selecting the 'My Status Letter' button. If you have any problems you can get in touch with
Student Records.
Received a Council Tax bill?
Don't ignore it, even if you're exempt. The council will keep pursuing you until they've confirmed your student status.
You could still be liable for any costs the council has incurred, such as debt collectors and court fees.
Do part-time students have to pay Council Tax?
Unfortunately, part-time students are not exempt from paying Council Tax. The only exception is if you are officially
a full-time student but are repeating the year on a part-time basis.
I'm a research student on continuation status, do I have to pay Council Tax?
Full-time Postgraduate Research continuation students will still be exempt from Council Tax and their names will be
included on the list of full-time students sent to the local councils. If you're having any problems with the
council, please get in touch with ASK.
I recently graduated and have started a postgraduate degree - do I owe Council Tax for the time between
studying?
Yes, you will owe Council Tax from the date your last course finished until the start date of your new course.