When is a student no longer a student?

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

Ds2 is taking his Finals this week, and has been told that, as soon as he has finished the last one, he is no longer a student of Edinburgh University, and will be liable for council tax - but this doesn't sound right to me.

I assumed that you are a student until you receive your degree (either when you are to,d you have passed and what class of degree you have, or at graduation or when your certificate is issued) - am I right or wrong?

Worst case it would be a month's council tax for ds2 and his two flatmates, so £100 apiece - but if they don't have to pay it, that would be good.

[dinosaursandtea]

Former edinburgh student here! Technically he's a graduand - no longer an undergrad but not a graduate. He could - though I'm sure he hasn't! - fail everything and have to resit. Who told him that? 98% it's nonsense.

[dinosaursandtea]

Former edinburgh student here! Technically he's a graduand - no longer an undergrad but not a graduate. He could - though I'm sure he hasn't! - fail everything and have to resit. Who told him that? 98% it's nonsense.

[NiceCardigan]

Dd1 had to pay council tax before she graduated and was still in her student house but I think it was from when the summer term officially ended

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

Thank you both! @dinosaursandtea - the graduand thing rings bells from 2015 when ds1 graduated - but he was in university accommodation his last year, so the council tax thing didn't come up.

I wonder who'd be best to ring, to check this - the university or the council? I'm not usually a helicopter mum - and ds2 has managed just fine with organising himself over the four years of his degree - but with three Finals exams this week, he has more important things to do than to sort this out, so I think a bit of hovering might be allowable.

[HeadShouldersYonisAndToes]

He should have an official end date - usually the end of term. He should be able to find out from his department or from the registry team.

[chemenger]

Edinburgh end of Semester date is 29th of May (from here: www.ed.ac.uk/semester-dates/201617

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

Thank you @chemenger.

[chemenger]

Googling Edinburgh students council tax throws out this page:
//www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20111/discounts_and_exemptions/533/reduction_for_students ,
which says that the exemption finishes at the end of the course and that "This will normally be before your graduation date."

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

Thank you again.

[IheartDodo]

They will probably have had to send the council a letter saying when they were registered as students, so look on there and there'll be an end date.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

Thanks all. It does look as if he is going to be liable for a month's council tax. Or, to be more accurate, the Bank of Mum and Dad will be liable for a month's council tax. Hey ho.

[smellylittleorange]

In England (may not be same in Scotland) the justification they give for this is that as soon as they complete study they are available for work. If they can't find work then it is justifiable to apply for jobseekers allowance which may lead to being able to apply for council tax benefit (which is different from Council tax student exemption)