Student TV Licence
TV Licence For Students
If there’s one thing that students love, it’s TV. Unfortunately, this doesn’t come for free. It doesn’t matter where you’re watching TV or what you’re watching it on, you’re going to have to pay that TV licence.
The TV licence can be paid at once by debit or credit card, by monthly direct debit, or by cash payment card.
There are all sorts of urban myths surrounding students and whether you need to pay for a TV licence and whether you can get any discounts. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about staying on the right side of the TV Licencing Company.
You’re going to need a TV licence if…
Let’s clear the biggest myths up first – you’re going to need a TV licence if:
- You’re watching or recording live television programmes. This includes on your laptop, if you live in student halls, and if you live in a shared student house
- You're watching BBC services online eg. BBC iPlayer
- If you live in a shared house. You’ll only need one licence unless your accommodation is self-contained, meaning you have your own entrance and washing facilities and a separate tenancy agreement to your housemates
It doesn’t matter which device you use – your TV, laptop, PC, mobile phone, and games console all require you to have a TV licence.
You don’t need a TV licence if…
- You don’t watch or record live TV at all
- You don't watch BBC iPlayer
- If your out-of-term address (home address) is covered, the equipment you use to watch TV is powered by its own batteries, AND you don’t plug it into the mains or an aerial
You can get a discount if…
- You can get a partial refund on your TV licence over the summer if it is still valid for more than three months and you won’t need the licence again before it expires
