Community College FAQ

Q. Which colleges require a Certificate of Residence?: A. Only New York State community colleges participate in the COR program.
Click here to see which schools utilize the Certificate of Residency.

Q. Why do I need a Certificate of Residence?: A. Because without it, you will be billed as an out-of state resident, which means a higher tuition rate (double in some cases) than if you had a COR on file with your school.

Q. How do I get a St. Lawrence County Certificate of Residency?: A. Certificates can only be obtained by submitting a completed and notarized affidavit, along with the proper proof of residency and photo id, to this office. Applications can be either mailed in (approximately 10-day turnaround)

Q. Do I need to send anything else other than the affidavit?: A Yes. The Treasurer will not issue a Certificate of Residency without copies of both a photo id and proof of residence of the student.

Q. What are considered acceptable forms of photo ID and proof of residence?

A. Photo ID can be any of the following:

Drivers License or Learners Permit *

School Issued Photo ID

Passport

Proof of residence can be any of the following:

Bank Statement

Drivers License or Learners Permit *

Utility Bill (cell phone, electric, cable etc.)

Credit Card Bill

Income Tax Return (current year only, if none filed can use parents)

Library Card

Anything with New York State letterhead (TAP award paperwork etc.)

* Drivers License or Learners Permit can be used as either Photo ID or Proof of Residence, but not both simultaneously.

Q. My school says I need to get a new COR each semester. Is this true?: A. No. Once activated a certificate is valid for 12-months from the date it is issued.
(For example: if you receive a COR on 8-15-10 and attend the 2010 Fall term, it will still be valid for the 2011 Summer term) ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY WILL NOT ISSUE A CERTIFICATE OF RESIDENCY TO A STUDENT WITH A VALID CERTIFICATE ON FILE UNLESS IT IS WITHIN 60-DAYS OF EXPIRATION.title 2

Q. How do I activate a COR?: A. Register for class within 60-days of the issue date of the COR, and attend the class. This activates the certificate. If a COR is not used within the sixty-day parameter, the certificate becomes stale and invalid. At this point, a new COR must be obtained.Accordion title 2

Q. I have a COR for the community college I attend during the day, and I want to take an online course with another college at night. Do I need a to get another COR: A. Yes. CORs are school-specific, you will need to obtain one for each school you attend.

Q. Can I get a COR for a class I took last semester?: A. No. St. Lawrence County will not honor certificates retroactively. The deadline is 30 days after commencement of classes.

Q. Where can I get a blank COR application form?: A. Forms can be downloaded here, you can walk in to our office and pick one up, or you can get one from your school. Most schools will be able to provide you with the St. Lawence County version of the affidavit. Forms other than the one we provide are acceptable for the most part, however, to be on the safe side, we recommend that you use the St. Lawrence County version.

Q. When is the deadline to apply for a COR?: A. Students can apply for a COR no more than 60 days prior to commencement of classes and no later than 30 days after commencement of classes.