Advice needed/new uni student/TV licence

janthemum

Hello!

My first time posting on this student board and Im hoping you lovely students can help me

My son hopefully will be starting Uni In Sept (if he gets the grades...) He is first in family to go so all pretty new to us.

He will be in Halls of residence on the Uni site for the first year. I reminded him he will have to take his portable TV and he said he didnt know if he would as he read every single student has to get btheir own TV licence :eek::eek::eek:

Do all of you guys get your own TV licence? Your advice would be appreciated.:)

wssla00

Hello yes he will need his own TV licence, even if he is watching online TV from his computer. He can pay monthly by direct debit if it helps him and the TV licensing can help him with that.

GemJar_2

They tend to pick on students as they know that a lot of them won't bother with a tv licence. However you can get a refund for the 3 out of term months that he is not in his halls. Info here http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/LifeAtUniversityOrCollege/DG_065788

Absinthe_Fairy

He will need his own TV licence only if he is watching LIVE TV (whether on a computer or an actual TV).

He will be able to use catch-up sites like BBC iPlayer or 4OD without needing one - that's what I do.

atypical

The above 3 posts make it seem that your son will definitely need a TV licence, this isn't the case. You said he will be taking a portable TV; provided it is powered solely by its own internal batteries and is not connected to an aerial or plugged into the mains he will be covered by your TV licence (assuming you have one) and will not need to buy one for himself.

The bit I've italicised above is a murky area. It is TV Licensing's interpretation of the word 'installed' - the law says that as long as a portable TV is not installed there is no need for another TV licence. You may not think that plugging something into a socket can be considered an installation but you probably would be be best sticking to TV Licensing's interpretation.

Lokolo

I didn't bother getting a TV licence in first year in halls. I just watch Catchup Stuff.

Saves £120 during the year.

Second year if you are in a house etc you can split it so its a bit better.

MrsManda

Lokolo wrote: »

I didn't bother getting a TV licence in first year in halls. I just watch Catchup Stuff.

It's unlikely that he'll want to watch live TV anyway as he'll be studying or out with his friends Take a computer and a pile of DVDs and he'll be fine.

Lokolo

mrsmanda wrote: »

it's unlikely that he'll want to watch live tv anyway as he'll be studying or out with his friends take a computer and a pile of dvds and he'll be fine.

hahahahahahahahahah

Danstar_2

I took mine, didn't bother with a tv license. Everyone in my hall got s letter saying they were being investigated, most people didn't have a tv. Everyone took no notice of it, nothing happened. If it's a big university and he's in a big halls of residence I wouldn't bother. I'd just ignore the letters they send, there's 2 letters. He will be fine. Not advocating breaking the law but it's rediculous.

devildog

For the first three months no licence was purchased but for peace of mind they all decided to chip in for one(6 students in the flat-in Halls) so just over £20 each! One less thing for them to worry about.

mark_dumpleton

Another small thing worth noting - AFAIK if his door will have an individual key lock then he will need his own TV license, but if it's basically a house where there's only a key lock on the front door then one license will cover the whole house.

I know a lot of people who didn't have a TV license in halls and they all 'got away with it' - put it this way, the only way they can get you is if they physically see you watching the TV - otherwise, it could just be being used for an Xbox or something!