This exemption applies if each person living in the property is: 

1. a full-time student, or 
2. a school or college leaver, or 
3. a non-British spouse, partner or dependant of a student who is prevented, under the terms of their leave to enter or remain in the UK, from taking paid employment or claiming benefits 

Apply if you are a full-time student 

To apply for this exemption, you need to get a Council Tax student certificate from the administration office at your school, college or university. 

Please email the certificate to revenues@surreyheath.gov.uk (link sends email).

Full-time student definition

A full-time student is: 

• someone who is doing a full-time course of further or higher education at a university or any other college 
• someone who is under the age of 20 years and who is doing a course, which: 
• is not full time 
• lasts at least 3 months 
• mainly provides tuition other than through correspondence 
• requires at least 12 hours a week of supervised study, exercise, experiment, project or practical work, normally carried out between 8am and 5.30pm 
• leads to a qualification up to A level, ONC or OND standard (not higher education) 
• someone who is who is working as a foreign language assistant at a school or other educational institute in Great Britain and who is registered with the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges as a foreign language assistant 

Full-time course definition 

A full-time course: 

• lasts at least one academic or calendar year, and 
• normally requires an average of at least 21 hours a week of study, tuition or work experience (whether at university or college or somewhere else) for at least 24 weeks in each academic or calendar year  
• if you are doing a full-time course of further or higher education at a university or any other college in any member state of the European Union and your only or main home is in England or Wales, you may qualify as a student for council tax purposes. 

Apply if you are a school or college leaver 

To apply for this exemption, you need to get a certificate or letter from the administration office at your school or college confirming your attendance there. 

You will need to provide: 

• a copy of your passport 
• a copy of your entry visa, showing the restrictions on your stay in the UK 
• a council tax student certificate (original, not a copy) 
• documentary evidence of your relationship to the student (original, not a copy) 

Please email the above to revenues@surreyheath.gov.uk (link sends email).

School or college leaver definition 

A school or college leaver is: 

• an 18 or 19-year-old who has left school or college but still claims child benefit. This usually applies to a young people who left school or sixth form college in the summer, with the intention of going on to further or higher education later in the year 
• apply if you are a non-British spouse, partner or dependant of a student