As a student, a TV Licence gives you a front-row seat to hundreds of channels and BBC iPlayer and costs 46p a day.
Whether you're in your first year of university or fourth, find out all you need to know about the TV Licence for students.
Including where and when you need a licence and what it covers you to watch. You can watch our video: All about the TV Licence for Students too.
Discover budget hacks to help you pay and see what the TV Licence pays for. And we’ve got checklists and a family quiz to help you prepare for uni life.
Your TV Licence lets you enjoy a huge range of TV. It covers you for:
This includes recording and downloading. On any device.
Watch our short video.
Advice for Students - English (PDF 883 Kb opens in a new window)
Advice for Students - Welsh (PDF 881 Kb opens in a new window)
Pay in one go
You’ll make a single payment of £169.50 every 12 months.
Pay every three months
You’ll make four payments of £43.62 (includes a £1.25 charge) over the year.
Pay monthly
You’ll spread the cost of your first TV Licence by paying £28.25 a month for six months. After that, you’ll pay £14.12 a month.
You can pay by Direct Debit, credit or debit card
It’s easy to set up a Direct Debit. You’ll need your account number and sort code to hand.
While there's no student discount available, however you pay for your TV Licence, you could get a part-refund if you live in university accommodation for less than 12 months.
Do students need a TV Licence? Yes if you live in:
Student halls - you’ll need to be covered by a licence to watch TV in your room.
House or flat share with separate tenancy agreement – you’ll need to be covered by your own licence.
Property with joint tenancy – you’ll need one licence to cover the whole place.
You may already be covered by a licence at another address if, as a student, you only watch on devices (such as a laptop, phone or tablet) that aren’t plugged into the mains and you have a licence at your out-of-term address.
If you commute to university and are a student from the home of family, friends or guardians, the property must be covered by a TV Licence.
National and regional TV channels
On BBC One and other BBC TV channels, you’ll help fund brilliant shows like Man Like Mobeen, Glow Up, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and more.
BBC iPlayer
The place for streaming BBC channels and watching on-demand box sets and reality shows like What We Do in the Shadows and The Rap Game UK, plus exclusive content. Find out more about BBC iPlayer and the TV Licence.
Radio and BBC Sounds
Playing feel-good tunes and fresh new music on national and local stations like Radio 1. Plus, playlists, podcasts and live radio shows on BBC Sounds.
BBC News and Sport
Delivering trusted international, national and local news and sport straight to your phone or tablet, 24 hours a day.
Want to know more? See what else the licence funds.
Let us know if you think you don’t need a licence. But before you do, double-check when you need a TV Licence as a student.
Busy navigating university? Save time with our checklists for various stages of student life, including when you’re starting uni. From must-have supplies to unexpected home comforts, our handy checklist can help you remember the necessities.
Get your uni checklist:
Your uni checklist in English.
Moving out of student halls?
Keep on top of everything with our moving out of halls checklist, created by students who’ve already been there, done that. From deciding on a laundry rota to a household bill keeper, this checklist can save you time and stress. It even has a list of budget hacks to cut costs.
Now that you’ve got a place at uni, take our quiz for students to find out if you’re ready for the realities of student life. Like if you need a TV Licence in halls. Or how much it costs to do your laundry.
Discover how ready you are for university by answering these questions with your family or friends.
No, there are no discounts for students available when you purchase a TV Licence.
However, you can claim a refund on any months you didn't use your TV Licence if you live in your student accommodation for less than 12 months.
Anyone caught watching or recording TV live on any channel or service, or BBC iPlayer – without a licence – could be fined (up to £1,000* plus costs). There’s also a risk of receiving a criminal conviction.
If you are a student and need a TV Licence you can buy a licence today.*The maximum fine in Guernsey is £2,000.
If you are a student watching a TV programme live on YouTube, you need to be covered by a TV Licence. A licence is not required to view user generated content, clips and videos on YouTube. This includes live streamed content that is not part of a television broadcast. Or being broadcast at the same time by other means. Discover more about what you can watch without a TV Licence.
If you’re watching away from your parents' address on a device powered solely by its own internal batteries (i.e. it is not connected to an aerial or plugged into the mains) you will be covered by their TV Licence.
If you ever plug your device (e.g. laptop, phone, tablet) into the mains while watching TV you will need to buy your own TV Licence.
Your licence won’t automatically move with you. Once you know where you’re moving to, and when, update your details to stay covered.
More help and advice about moving house or moving from student halls to a shared house.
Our collection of resources for halls managers includes imagery in handy formats to print and display in communal areas or for use in your emails, websites or social media.
We offer detailed information and advice for residential landlords.