Application Guidelines

The community college program in the State of New York was intended to permit students who are State residents to pay a reduced tuition rate. Each community college has a local sponsor, generally a county, that provides a share of the costs allocable to resident students. A student who attends a community college outside their county of residence must obtain a Certificate of Residence In order to be eligible for the lower in-state tuition rate. The local sponsor then reimburses its share of the costs of the students tuition to the community college.

Qualifications:

• Resident of New York State for at least one (1) full year Immediately preceding the date the application/affidavit.
• Resident of Nassau County for at least six (6) months immediately preceding the date of the application/affidavit.
• US Citizen or Permanent Resident Alien for at least one (1) full year Immediately preceding the date of the application/affidavit or a valid visa holder (see FAQ tab for list of eligible visa types).

Timeline Requirements:

• Submit application/affidavit no earlier than sixty (60) days before the official start date of the semester and submit your approved Certificate of Residence to your school no later than thirty (30) days after the first day of class.
• Once activated, by attending and completing the school term, the Certificate is then valid for one full year from the date it was issued.
• The Certificate must still be valid on the official start date of any future semesters to be able to use it for that semester.
• Certificates are based on your 6-months of Residence immediately preceding the date of application. Students who have moved from one county to another within that 6-month period will receive a partial Certificate for the number of months (rounded up) you resided in Nassau County. In that case you may also need a Certificate from your other county of residence to cover the remainder of the time you lived there.

PROOF #1 New York State Residence:

In order to prove that you have been a resident of New York State for at least one (1) year, you must submit one of the following suggested forms of documentation with an issue-date that is at least one (1) year prior to the date of your application, but not older than two (2) years prior:

• Drivers license
• Learners permit
• Auto registration
• Selective service card
• Voter registration ID card
• High school report card or official transcript
• New York State income tax return (IT-150 or IT-201 - first page only)**
• Any of the documents listed under PROOF #2 if dated 12-24 months prior to application.

** Federal 1040 income tax returns are only acceptable when using parents return listing student as a dependent. A copy of the parents NYS return must also accompany their 1040 when being used in this manner.

PROOF #2 Nassau County Residence:

In order to prove that you are a current resident of Nassau County, you must submit one of the following suggested forms of documentation with an issue-date that is within six (6) months of the date of your application:

• Bank Statement
• Student loan
• Credit card statement
• Cell phone bill
• Utility bill
• W-2 form (only accepted for this purpose January through June)
• TAP award or any financial aid
• Any of the documents listed under PROOF#1 if dated within the past 6 months.

WE DO NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING FROM ANY COLLEGE AS PROOF OF RESIDENCE

ALL PERSONAL ACCOUNT INFORMATION OTHER THAN NAME, ADDRESS AND DATES MAY BE REDACTED PRIOR TO SUBMITTING