Residents of Cattaraugus County who attend New York State community colleges may apply for a Certificate of Residence to obtain resident tuition rates. Please be sure to read and follow the instructions provided below, and contact the Cattaraugus County Treasurer's Office if you have further questions.
To obtain a Certificate of Residence a student must:
- Qualify as a resident of New York State and Cattaraugus County
- Provide proof that he/she is a resident of New York State and Cattaraugus County
- Complete and submit an Application and Affidavit for Certificate of Residence to the Cattaraugus County Treasurer's Office with copies of proof of residence. This must be a document showing current address within Cattaraugus County (P.O.Boxes are not acceptable) See acceptable forms of ID below.
To qualify as a resident of New York State and Cattaraugus County a student must be:
- A United States citizen, naturalized citizen, permanent resident alien or other eligible non-immigrant
- A New York State resident for one full year prior to the date of your application
- A Cattaraugus County resident for at least six (6) months immediately prior to the date of your application. For periods of residence less than 6 months you may receive a partial Certificate of Residence from Cattaraugus County and apply for a partial Certificate of Residence from another county or counties.
Please note, students do not meet the qualifications if:
- They are financially dependent and their custodial parent(s) live in a state other than New York
- They are a temporary resident of Cattaraugus County and are residing in Cattaraugus County to primarily attend college. Students should obtain a certificate of residence from their home county.
Students who believe they meet the qualifications as specified above, must provide satisfactory evidence of these qualifications to the Cattaraugus County Treasurer's Office. Certificates of Residence will not be issued if an application is not complete and does not include satisfactory proof of residence.
Proof of Residence for US Citizens
Different forms of evidence can be combined to identify the student, their residential street address (post office boxes are not acceptable), One of the forms of evidence must always be a picture ID. However, if the picture ID states a different address than that on the Affidavit, another form of ID should be submitted to verify the applicant is a resident of the address on the affidavit. Only the following forms of ID can be accepted.
- Valid NYS Driver's License with picture with current address. Note, PO Box does not prove residence.
OR
- Learner's Permit or NYS Non-Driver ID Card with picture with current address, Note, PO Box does not prove residence.
IF DRIVER'S LICENSE/PERMIT OR NON-DRIVER ID ADDRESS IS DIFFERENT FROM THE AFFIDAVIT, OR IF IT ONLY SHOWS A PO BOX, YOU MUST ALSO INCLUDE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PROOFS SHOWING CURRENT ADDRESS IS THE SAME AS THE AFFIDAVIT:
- Federal or State Tax Returns
- Auto registration, auto insurance policy for one year previous and current coverage
- Utility Bill or Telephone Bill
- School tuition/registration forms
Non-US Citizens should contact their school for more information regarding qualifying.
Download this form to apply for your Certificate of Residency either DOCX or PDF format.
To obtain Certificate:
If not yet notarized:
1. Student must bring Affidavit to Cattaraugus County Treasurer's Office to be notarized, along with acceptable proof of residence.
This is a legal document and must be sworn to by only the student. A parent or friend cannot do this for the student.
If already notarized:
2. Student or other representative may bring the Affidavit along with acceptable copy of proof of residence.
Or Affidavit can be mailed along with acceptable copy of proof of residence:
Mail or in person:
Cattaraugus County Treasurer's Office
1 Leo Moss Drive
Olean NY 14760
OR Cattaraugus County Treasurer's Office
303 Court St
Little Valley NY 14755
Questions: 716-701-3296 or 716-938-9111
PLEASE NOTE: AFFIDAVITS ARE A LEGAL DOCUMENT. THEY MUST BE ORIGINAL AND CANNOT BE FAXED. DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL PROOFS OF RESIDENCE. THEY WILL NOT BE RETURNED.