Council Tax - exemptions and discounts (occupied properties)

If you or someone in your home is a full‑time student, you may be able to reduce your Council Tax bill. The discount you receive depends on how many adults live in the property and whether they qualify for a discount.

What you can get

You may be able to receive:

• 25% discount if all but one adult in your home are eligible students
• 50% discount if everyone else qualifies for another discount category
• 100% exemption if only eligible students live in the property

Who counts as an eligible student

You are normally considered an eligible student if:

• you are under 20, studying for more than three months, for at least 12 hours a week on a course up to 'A' level or Higher Scottish Certificate of Education or equivalent
• you are on a further‑education course lasting at least 24 weeks within each academic year, with an average of 21 hours of study, tuition or work experience each week
• you are a foreign language assistant at a school or other educational establishment, registered with the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges

Please contact us as soon as your course ends so we can update your bill.

Students living away from home

If you are a student and responsible for Council Tax at a property that is unoccupied, you may be able to reduce your bill. You can find more information on our Student unoccupied property exemption page.

How to apply

University of the West of Scotland students

If you have given UWS permission to share your information, you do not need to upload proof. If not, please contact the university to give permission or request a student certificate.

Student certificates

If you do not attend UWS or have not agreed to information sharing, you must provide a student certificate. It must show:

• your name and date of birth
• course name and qualification details
• start and end dates
• current year of study
• weekly study or placement hours
• course duration within the academic year

If you have not been given one, you can submit our student discount or exemption certificate for your college or university to complete.

Only a student certificate, as mentioned above, will be accepted as proof. Student cards, general acceptance letters and student loan or bursary letters will not be accepted as proof.

Non-British spouses and dependants of students

If you are an eligible student and live with a spouse or dependant who is not a British citizen and cannot work or claim benefits, you may qualify for a 25%, 50% or 100% reduction. You will need to provide their immigration status share code. If you cannot provide this, you must provide their current passport, residence permit or other documentation that confirms their immigration status and restrictions.

School and college leavers

Student leisure concession card

If you’re a student, you may be able to get a leisure concession card that gives you up to 50% off activities such as swimming, fitness classes, gym sessions, racquet sports, golf, and more with South Lanarkshire Leisure.

You can find full details on the South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture website.