Students, Apprentices and School Leavers
Full-time student
You are not counted for Council Tax if you are a full-time student. Depending on who else lives with you, you may get a discount or exemption on your bill. An exemption will be awarded if:
- You are a full-time student and the only adult living in your home or;
- The property is occupied only by full time students
You may be awarded a 25% discount if other adults live with a full-time student and only one person is counted for Council Tax.
Student in higher education
To qualify as a full-time student in higher education the student must be:
- At college, university or similar on a higher education course which
- Lasts at least 24 weeks
- Involves at least 21 hours a week of study, tuition or work experience or,
- A student nurse
To apply for this reduction, each student must complete the Council Tax discount form and select Student discount from the drop-down list. Unless you attend Sunderland University you will also need to provide a college or university student certificate. After you have applied, you must continue to pay the amount shown on your Council Tax bill until you hear from us.
Student in further education
To qualify as a full-time student in further education you must be:
- At school or college
- Under 20 years of age
- On a course that lasts at least three consecutive calendar months
- Study least 12 hours a week and,
- The course must be carried out between 8am and 5.30pm
To apply for this reduction, each student must complete the Council Tax discount form and select Student discount from the drop-down list. After you have applied, you must continue to pay the amount shown on your Council Tax bill until you hear from us.
You may also not be counted for Council Tax if you are:
- A foreign language assistant registered with the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges
- A non-British spouse or dependant of a student and you are prevented by the terms of your UK entry from taking paid employment or claiming benefits
Unoccupied property left empty by a full-time student
If you are a full-time student living away and you have left your sole or main home unoccupied, your home may be exempt from Council Tax if all of the following circumstances are met:
- You were the last person to occupy your home
- No one else lives in your home
- You have become a full-time student within six weeks of your home becoming unoccupied
This exemption continues as long as you remain a full-time student, and your home remains unoccupied. If someone else moves into your home who is not a full-time student, you would not qualify for the exemption once they moved out. You will need to tell us:
- The date the property became unoccupied
- The address the student moved to
- A copy of the full-time student certificate
Apprentices, Youth Trainees and School Leavers
If you or someone who lives with you is an apprentice or youth trainee, you may get a 25% discount. If only apprentices or trainees live at the property you will get a 50% discount.
To qualify as an Apprentice, someone must be:
- Employed to learn a trade, business or profession
- In training leading to a recognised qualification
- Earn no more than £195 gross a week; and
- Expect to earn substantially more once qualified
You will need to provide either 5 weekly or 2 monthly payslips or a letter from your employer as proof of your pay.
To apply for this reduction, each apprentice must fill in the Council Tax discount form and select Apprentice discount from the drop-down list. After you have applied, you must continue to pay the amount shown on your Council Tax bill until you hear from us.
To qualify as a Youth Trainee, someone must be:
- Under 25 years old; and
- Training under an individual training plan funded by the Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency
To apply for this reduction, each apprentice must fill in the Council Tax discount form and select Youth Trainee discount from the drop-down list. After you have applied, you must continue to pay the amount shown on your Council Tax bill until you hear from us.
To qualify as a School or College Leaver, someone must be:
- 18 or 19 years old and left full time education after 30 April. They wont be counted for Council Tax until 1 November of the same year
- Over 18 years old and someone is receiving child benefit for them
To apply for this reduction, each apprentice must fill in the Council Tax discount form and select School/College leaver discount from the drop-down list. After you have applied, you must continue to pay the amount shown on your Council Tax bill until you hear from us.
You need to let us know immediately when you are no longer a student. If you don't inform us, you may receive a fine. If you no longer require this discount, please complete the Cancel a discount form.
