With the high price of attending university, there is a belief that many services come attached. One of these are eye tests. In fact, many university campuses will have opticians on, or near it. In turn, this raises the question of whether university students have to pay for eye tests.
Unfortunately, all university students will have to pay for eye tests, assuming they are over 18, which most students are. Similarly, students will also have to pay for prescription glasses. However, there are some people who will be eligible for free eye care. This is if they are receiving certain benefits or are found to be at risk of certain illnesses, such as glaucoma.
In the rest of the article, we will be discussing whether you are eligible for free eye care, and other factors of receiving eye care. You should read on to find this out.
Are eye tests free for university students?
For a lot of university students, eye tests will not be free. Firstly, to receive free eye tests, the student must be under 18 and seeing as most students join university after their 18th birthday, this seems unlikely.
However, some more students can receive free eye tests if they meet certain requirements. This could be if their eyesight already has issues or are found to be at risk. According to the NHS, you are eligible for free eye tests if you are:
- Are registered as partially sighted or blind
- Have been diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma
- Are 40 or over and your mother, father, sibling, or child has been diagnosed with glaucoma
- Have been told by an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) that you are at risk of glaucoma
- Are a prisoner on leave from prison
- Are eligible for an NHS complex lens voucher – your optician can inform you about this
Similarly, there are a number of benefits that you, or your partner, or civil partner receive, allow you to be eligible for free eye care. Also, if you are under the age of 20, and are the dependant of someone receiving these benefits, you will also be eligible.
The benefits list is:
- Income Support
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Universal Credit – You must match the requirements. You can find these by clicking on this link from the NHS.
You can find all of this, by clicking on this link to the NHS’s website.
Finally, there is a scheme for those on low income, to receive support. You can find this by clicking on this NHS link.
Do university students get prescription glasses for free?
University students do not get prescription glasses for free. Similarly though, there are still ways to receive funding to help you pay for them, if you are eligible. Although you will have to pay the difference if your glasses cost more than you receive.
This funding is known as Optical Vouchers, and the NHS will give you them if you are:
- are under 16
- are 16, 17 or 18 and in full-time education
- are a prisoner on leave from prison
- are eligible for an NHS complex lens voucher – an optician can inform you about this
What you get as an Optical Voucher will depend on the strength of your lenses. You can find all this and more in the NHS links here and here.
Similarly, there are a number of benefits that you, or your partner, or civil partner receive, allow you to be eligible for free eye care. Also, if you are under the age of 20, and are the dependant of someone receiving these benefits, you will also be eligible.
The benefits list is:
- Income Support
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Universal Credit – You must match the requirements. You can find these by clicking on this link to the NHS website.
This is similar to the eye care, just that there are less options for some. Another similarity is that there is a scheme for those who are on a low income. You can find this by clicking on this NHS link.
Can you claim a refund for eye tests if you paid for it?
If you believe that you are eligible for free NHS eye care, but you have paid for it, you can apply for a refund. You must get a receipt from your optometrist and make the claim within 3 months of the payment date. You can find this by clicking on this link to the NHS website.
In this article we have discussed whether eye tests, and prescription glasses are free for university students, and how to claim refunds if you believe you should receive it for free. You should follow the links if you want more information. Thanks for reading.
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