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Certificate of Residence

Certificate of Residence Applications are processed ONLINE ONLY at   https://treasurerforms.oswegocounty.com/Forms/college.  We do not accept paper applications.

Please wait until after July 4th to apply for the Fall semester.

Please wait until after Thanksgiving to apply for the Spring semester.

Applications received 60 days prior to the start of class date or 30 days after the start of class will be rejected.  

Rejected applications require the student to resubmit with appropriate documentation or in the appropriate time frame. We can not pull a rejected application back up and make changes. 

Please email us at COR@OswegoCounty.com with any questions.

NYS DMV requires a "resident" to change their driver's license within 10 (TEN) days of relocation. If you have a license that does not have an Oswego County address or is not a New York State license, you may experience a delay in getting or being eligible for a Certificate of Residence. We strongly recommend you have your license changed to an Oswego County address as soon as you relocate. If you change your address online with MYDMV, we recommend you print out the screen information as typically this print will have the date the change as made on the bottom right hand side. We do not accept the stickers on the back as proof of the "date" the address changed.

If the address on your driver's license/permit does not match the address you list on your application, please utilize the multiple address option and add the places you have lived from the address listed on your license/permit to the current address you list on your application.  

Most communications regarding Certificate of Residence are via email including the transmission of a processed Certificate of Residence. Please check the email address provided for a response. Authorized Certificate of Residences are automatically emailed to multiple colleges which are provided on the response email. If your college is not on the response email, it is your responsibility to get the approved Certificate of Residence to the college.   

If you just changed your license or if your license is less than one year old, attach a copy your current license with a copy of your prior license for proof of address and one year of residency in NYS.  

The Community College program in the State of New York was intended to permit students who are residents to pay a reduced tuition rate. Each community college has a local sponsor, generally a county, which provides a share of the costs allocable to the resident students. A student who attends a community college outside their county of residence must obtain the certificate of residence in order to be eligible for the lower in-state tuition rate. The local sponsor (county) then reimburses its share of the costs of the student’s tuition to the community college. A Certificate of Residence verifies that you have been a New York State resident for one year prior to registration or the start of classes and a resident of Oswego County for six (6) months prior to the start of classes. The Oswego County Treasurer issues these certificates to qualified residents living within the County of Oswego. Residency of less than six months will be prorated.


Minimum Qualifications


  • Resident of New York State for at least one (1) full year immediately preceding the date the application/affidavit.
  • Resident of Oswego 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) year immediately preceding the date of the application/affidavit.
  • Students in the military (or those recently discharged) are eligible to obtain a certificate of residency if they show proof of current county residency immediately prior to entering active duty. Military discharge or other military documents can be used as proof.

INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS- ONLY the Oswego County Treasurer’s Office can issue an approved Certificate of Residence (COR). Please allow adequate time for processing. Eligible Certificate of Residence will only be issued 60 days before start of class date and 30 days after start of class date.  At least three years of applicant residence must be listed on application. The application is a legal document and the affidavit is made for the purposes of determining eligibility for a Certificate of Residence. 

Your completion of this form does not guarantee eligibility. There is no fee for a Certificate of Residence Application. Fraudulent applications will be prosecuted.

Application must be completed using the applicant's full legal name, no nicknames. ONE APPLICATION MUST BE COMPLETED FOR EACH COMMUNITY COLLEGE ATTENDING. Four Year SUNY Colleges or private colleges are not eligible. One Certificate of Residence will be issued for each approved college.

Parent/Guardian license attachment and authorization will be required for students under 18 years of age. 

Please ensure you have a digital copy of your driver’s license, class schedule, and any other documentation you may need as you will NOT be able to save this form and restart it later. All fields with a " * " next to them are required. Please verify your application before submitting. Oswego County is not responsible for misspellings or inaccurate email addresses. Approved applications print information from what the student has entered into the system.   

INFORMATION:

THE ONLINE APPLICATION IS NOT A CERTIFICATE OF RESIDENCE. It is an Affidavit and APPLICATION for Certificate of RESIDENCE pursuant to Section 6305 of Education Law in connection with attendance at a NYS Community College. Submittal of the APPLICATION does not guarantee receipt of a Certificate of Residence. Oswego County will only accept the Oswego County Certificate of Residence Application. Only a formal Certificate of Residence issued by Oswego County will be eligible for consideration for Community College Chargeback. 

It is the responsibility of the student, not the County or college, to prove residency. The legal residence of a college student is presumed to be the residence of the parent, guardian, or any other permanent residence PRIOR to the student's enrollment at the College. Residency, is not gained or lost by attending college and such attendance does NOT change the student's legal residence.

State Education Law, Sections 6301 and 6305 requires the applicant to submit a Certificate of Residence to the NYS community college of your choice. If the applicant fails to submit the approved Certificate of Residence the applicant may be charged nonresident tuition. It is the STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY to submit the APPLICATION for the Certificate of Residence with the Oswego County Treasurer's Office on or before the deadline. The student is responsible for providing the approved Certificate of Residence to the authorized college within thirty (30) days of class start date

All college billing must be submitted to Oswego County within 45 days of student start of class date to be considered for reimbursement.

If the applicant's name changes or if the applicant's billing address on the community college bill is different than what the Certificate of Residence was issued for, the applicant may be personally liable for the full community college amount

The Oswego County Treasurer reserves the right to: verify and request documentation to substantiate information provided in this application or as per the community college billing and/or to contact SUNY at any time regarding any application. By submitting an online application, the applicant affirms that: they are the individual who is the applicant on the form; that they are now and have been for at least one year immediately prior to the date of this affidavit, a legal resident of the State of New York; and for at least six (6) months immediately prior to the date of this affidavit, been a legal resident of Oswego County. 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICANTS:

RESIDENCE Information: Applicant must provide documentation substantiating Residency in NYS for the last twelve months and in Oswego County for the last six months. Documentation provided must be applicant’s name (except for students under 18 where parent/guardian information is required.)

UPLOAD #1: Valid NYS Driver’s License, Military ID, Learner’s Permit, or School Tool Profile (active high school students only). Image must reflect full document. Cut off images may result in a delay or denial. Out of State ID's will result in an immediate denial.

UPLOAD #2: Your official printed class Schedule which MUST show start and end dates of class that you have registered for and the college that you specified on your application. (do not load tuition bill). High school student’s class schedules must reflect which college the classes are credited for (CCC, JCC, OCC) or a letter signed by your school's principal or superintendent stating that you are going to the college mentioned on your application.

UPLOAD #3: Other supporting documentation: If your license was issued less than one year, has a PO Box, the address is not in Oswego County: you must submit other supporting documentation, such as prior driver's license or pistol permit with an address, a  copy of the prior year NYS (not Federal) Tax Return page 1 – please black out wages and social security numbers, legal government mail that is dated. We do NOT accept General Mail as proof. 

UPLOAD #4:  If you are under 18 years of age, you must upload a Valid Driver’s License from one parent/guardian. Licenses from out of NYS will result in denial of your application. Interim licenses must be accompanied by your prior license prior to interim.

Types of Supporting Documentation allowed:

  • NYS Driver's License - must be issued at least one year prior to applying
  • Prior Year NYS (not Federal) Tax Return (prior year only, not two years ago) - attachment must include first page and signature page. Please black out earnings and social security numbers.
  • Voter Registration Card
  • Vehicle Title (within last year) or Vehicle Insurance Card
  • Water/Sewer Bill
  • Landfill Permit
  • Pistol Permit
  • Prior Year NYS High School Diploma
  • Prior Year NYS Property Tax Bill – Town/County/City/Village/School
  • Dated HUD Housing Letter
  • Dated NYS Unemployment Letter
  • Dated IRS Letter
  • Dated NYS TAP/HEAP/HES Information

 Supporting Documentation NOT allowed:

  • Leases or Landlord Letters
  • Passports
  • Social Security Cards
  • Driver’s Licenses with stickers on back for address change (as sticker is not dated)
  • Birth Certificates
  • Electric Bills
  • Cell Phone Bills
  • Bank Statements
  • General Mail

NON-US CITIZENS - PROOF OF LEGAL ENTRY TO USA (At least one year old) - must provide copy of both sides of document *Permanent Resident A lien/Green Card. Foreign students on visas which prohibit them from establishing a USA residence do not qualify for Certificates for Residence. An Undocumented alien is eligible for a Certificate of Residence if the student received a GED or graduated from a NYS high school (after attending at least two years) and applies for admission to a New York State (SUNY) school within five years of receiving the NYS diploma.  

Inappropriate language or images on an application will result in an immediate denial.

If my application is denied for any reason, can I appeal? You can write and file an appeal within ten days of denial to the "Chancellor of Community Colleges, State University of New York, State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246"

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