Am I exempt from paying Council Tax?
If you are studying on a course that lasts at least 6 months and are a full-time student, then we can provide you with exemption evidence.
If you are a part-time student studying over 90 credits in an academic year, you may also be exempt from paying Council Tax, but our administrative team will need to review your record before we can provide you with evidence.
Council Tax is charged to individual properties, so who you live with will determine whether you can get a full exemption or a discount for your property.
| Household | Exemption Status |
| I only live with other students who are exempt. | Your household will be exempt from paying Council Tax whilst everyone is studying - every student will need to provide their own evidence to the council. |
| I live with other people who are not full-time students (e.g. my parents) |
You may be eligible for an exemption or discount. Contact your council to discuss exemption and follow the steps below if they require evidence. |
How do I access my Council Tax exemption evidence?
| Student Type | Where to access your evidence |
| I am a consortium college student. | Request your exemption directly from your college. |
| I am a current HIC student. | Request your exemption from HIC. |
| I am a Doctoral College/Part-Time/Online/Distance Learning student living in the UK. |
Contact the Ask Herts team using the button at the bottom of the page. Include:
|
| Full-time University of Hertfordshire student. | Proceed to step 1. |
1. Register
You must be a fully registered student to request a Council Tax exemption.
New students, you must have registered on your course.
Returning students, you must have re-enrolled.
2. Request evidence of your exemption
Please note that you will only be able to access your evidence during the dates indicated on your Student Record for your current year of study.
- Request your exemption evidence through the Student Letters portal (now updated for the 2025/26 academic year).
- Wait (up to 20 minutes) for your exemption evidence to be emailed to you.
If you cannot request a certificate using the link above, please complete the form below. We will issue you with an exemption certificate that you will need to send to your local council. We might be able to share your details with your council directly, however, to comply with the UK GDPR regulations, we require your consent before we can share this information:
Council Tax request and consent form
Please make sure that your address details are correct and up to date. If you do not provide consent we will not be able to issue you with any form of council tax exemption evidence. If you require exemption for more than one property, please send as separate requests.
3. Receive your Council Tax exemption evidence via email
The link to download your Council Tax exemption evidence will be emailed to the personal address on your Student Record. If there are any problems processing your manual Council Tax exemption request we will email you.
4. Submit your Council Tax exemption evidence to your council.
Refer to your local council website for instructions on how to submit your evidence to them. This may be via an online portal, or via email.
Not sure which council you fall under? Use this checker to find the link to your council website.
Common queries
You can find answers here to some common Council Tax related questions.