The TV licence is an annual fee of £180 for watching live TV or using BBC iPlayer. Most students do not need one.
You only need a licence if you watch live TV or use BBC iPlayer — Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube videos don't count. In halls, the licence your accommodation holds only covers communal areas like the common room: watching live TV or iPlayer in your own room needs its own licence, unless you watch on a battery-powered device covered by your parents' UK home licence. In a shared house on one joint tenancy, a single licence covers everyone.
If you do not need a licence, declare this at tvlicensing.co.uk to stop receiving letters.
TV Licensing sends official-looking letters that can feel threatening. They are not fines — they are reminders. If you are exempt, simply declare online and the letters stop.