Student Handbook - COUNCIL TAX
Key Information:
Academic Registry (Student Records)
Tel: 01243 816026/6025/6024, internal ext. 6026/6025/6024
Email: StuRecords@chi.ac.uk
See ***INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS*** section below
Useful Links:
Description:
UNIVERSITY CERTIFICATION OFFICER
The University’s Certification Officer is the Academic Registrar & University Data Protection Officer. All enquiries concerning Council Tax should be referred to Academic Registry (Student Records) in the first instance.
REGISTRATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Council Tax is a tax on property, not on individuals, and as such is paid by householders/house owners and not by individual residents. In this situation, the owner of the property is held liable for council tax, or if the property is leased by the owner to another individual, then they are liable as if they are the owner. You’ll usually have to pay Council Tax if you’re 18 or over and own or rent a home however exemptions apply for students. Please see below.
STUDENTS LIVING ON CAMPUS need not concern themselves with the Tax.
NON-RESIDENT STUDENTS EITHER LIVING AT HOME OR IN LODGINGS - may not need to be concerned with the Tax on that property since it is the responsibility of the registered owner of any property to ensure that it is taxed at the appropriate rate, with the local District Council. The University of Chichester has no jurisdiction over any District Council's arrangements for taxation.
Some properties may be eligible for a reduction in the Council Tax because of the number and status of students living there. In these cases, students will need confirmation of their student status* and this will be obtained from the ‘University Certification Officer’.
If all the occupiers of a property are full-time students and they have completed a student discount application form and provided a student certificate* then the property will be exempt for the period of their course(s).
***INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS ***
Please ensure you have registered or re-registered on your programme of study with your correct term time address and postcode. Students should update their address details via ChiView if they should change.
Note: For Council Tax purposes the end date of the programme of study is the end of taught studies i.e. normally the end of the second semester for students who joined their programme of study in September. Extensions to assessments are not included in your dates of study.
If you are a FULL TIME student and resident of ADUR, ARUN, BRIGHTON & HOVE, CHICHESTER, HORSHAM, MID SUSSEX or WORTHING:
• Complete the Council’s own form as soon as possible and register as a resident of the Council.
• The University will AUTOMATICALLY send a digital Certificate to these named councils in October.
If you are a FULL TIME student and live in the areas above and you change your term time address after the end of October:
• You will need to provide an Exemption Certificate as your Council will need this (See below* on how to produce).
If you are resident OUTSIDE of these areas:
• After successfully registering on your programme of study you will be able to print your own Exemption Certificate by logging into your ChiView account and following the link. This will either automatically generate an electronic certificate, or your request will be paused for approval. You will then need to send the Certificate to your local Council as soon as possible.
NOTE: Students should not be registered or recorded for Council Tax purposes at their home (or parents' address) unless they live there in semester-time.
NOTE: Degree Apprenticeship students are not eligible for council tax exemption, as they are in employment.
Please note that certificates are not available over the counter in Academic Registry.
DISTANCE LEARNING STUDENTS
Students who are undertaking a full-time course of education, whether by physically attending the educational establishment or by other means, such as correspondence or on-line, and who meet the relevant qualifying requirements are treated as full-time students for council tax purposes.
PROGRESSION FROM ONE UNIVERSITY OF CHICHESTER COURSE TO ANOTHER UNIVERSITY OF CHICHESTER COURSE SEQUENTIALLY
Students who require a letter from Academic Registry (Student Records), which confirms that progression from an identified University of Chichester Diploma or Foundation Degree programme to an applicable degree top-up programme, is a recognised progression route must complete a "Student Request Form for External Organisation Letter" (forms available from Academic Registry - email StuRecords@chi.ac.uk). PLEASE NOTE, however, that not all local authorities view courses with different qualification aims as one course, even though it may be recognised in this way by the institution. The University provides the information but the discretion to grant exemption or not rests with the local authority.
*qualifying programme of study equates to at least 24 weeks duration and at least 21 hours per week within an academic year.