Certificate of Residency Requirements
WHAT IS THE NEW YORK STATE RESDIENCY REQUIREMENT AND WHY DO YOU NEED IT?
The Community College program in the State of New York was intended to permit students who are residents of New York State to pay a reduced tuition rate. NYS residents are required to provide a Certificate of Residence from their home county to receive the reduced rate of tuition. You must have lived in New York State for 12 months prior to the start of classes. Residency is verified by the county(ies) in which you have lived for the six months prior to attending college. If you have lived in more than one state county during those six months, a Certificate of Residence will be required from each of those counties. The deadline to complete Residency is no later than 30 days after the start of classes. This deadline is imposed by the Counties and enforced under the Education Law Sections 6301 and 6305.
Residents from Franklin and Essex County NY, only need to complete the electronic Residency Verification Form. There will be a tab on the form to upload proof of residency. All other county residents need to obtain a Certificate of Residence from their county. This is an annual requirement.
Where Do You Get a Certificate of Residence?
You can obtain a Certificate of Residence from the county where you permanently reside. You must apply to your county. You need to complete the Application for a Certificate of Residency. Click on your county at the bottom of the page for instructions and the application to obtain a Certificate of Residence for your county.
When Is Your Residency Due?
RESIDENCY DEADLINES: No sooner than 60 days prior to the first day of registration, and no later than 30 days after the start of classes. *Failure to comply results in the Out of State Tuition Rate being added to your bill. NY State Counties are only required to issue and honor Certificates of Residence dated within this time frame. After the first 30 days of classes, most counties will no longer issue Certificates of Residence, and payment for the Out of State charge then becomes the student’s responsibility.
What if my County Denies me a Certificate of Residency?
If a SUNY community college student is denied a certificate of residence from their home county, such student may appeal to SUNY System Administration for reversal. Such appeal communication should contain the student’s contact information and details about the denial from the county.
Please note that denials can only be reversed if either the county or the college made an error or did not follow relevant legal requirements.
Students can submit appeals by email to CCLegalLiaison@suny.edu or by physical mail to Johanna Duncan-Poitier, Senior Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges and the Education Pipeline, SUNY H. Carl McCall Building, 353 Broadway, Albany, NY 12246.
Where Do I Submit My Certificate of Residency?
Once you receive the official Certificate of Residence from your county, you can submit it to the Business Office. (Make sure you keep a copy for yourself.) Franklin and Essex County do not submit a Certificate of Residency. Follow directions
You may:
- Drop it off in person (Hodson Hall Room 155)
- Fax (518) 891-6562
- Email businessoffice@nccc.edu
- Mail to:
NCCC Business Office
23 Santanoni Ave
Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Certificates with a raised seal need to be mailed to the Business Office as we are required to keep the original on file.
Links to New York State County online resources/applications for a certificate of residence: