NYS Residency Required Documentation
Proof of a New York State (NYS) permanent domicile is demonstrated by documents that support an applicant’s contention that their permanent home is located in New York State for purposes other than education.
Submitted Document Requirements
Any document submitted for NYS residency:
- Must have the student's full name, issue/effective date and NYS address legible on all documents.
- Must show all pages attached (e.g., if the document has a page counter such as "Page 1/4," all four pages must be submitted).
- Can have personally identifiable information redacted (social security number, bank account number, etc.). However, documents must have the student's name, issue/effective date and NYS address visible for NYS residency.
- Must support the claim to have resided in New York State for at least 12 consecutive months before the start of the application term and must be issued at least 12 months before the semester start date (e.g., if admitted in the spring or fall of 2024, documents must be issued on or before Jan. 31, 2023, or Aug. 31, 2023, respectively).
- Must have a marriage certificate attached if the student's maiden name is shown in the document. Both the document and marriage certificate will only count as one document for NYS residency.
Options For Meeting Document Requirements
Option #1: New York State High School Transcript or GED
- Non-resident students who attended a New York State high school for two or more years, graduated and applied for admission to the university within five years of receiving a New York State high school diploma can submit their transcript.
- An applicable GED is also accepted.
Option #2: Three Documents from the Following List
- Ownership of a house must be in the student’s name with the effective date 12 months prior to the semester start date.
- If the deed is in the spouse’s name, the student must also submit a marriage certificate.
- Must be signed and dated by both landlord and tenant (student).
- If the lease is in the spouse’s name, student must also submit a marriage certificate.
- The NYS property address must be listed on the lease.
- Must include term or effective dates, or state “month to month” rent.
- If expired prior to the semester start date, the student must also provide the renewal lease to demonstrate intent to stay in NYS. Both expired and renewal lease count as one document.
Permanent Housing Examples
- UB-leased apartments on university property are considered permanent housing (e.g., Creekside Village, Hadley Village, South Lake Village, Flint Village, and Flickinger Court).
- Campus residence halls are not considered permanent housing.
- Hotels, motels and PO boxes are not considered fixed, permanent housing.
- Must list student’s permanent housing New York State address.
- Must be valid and issued at least 12 months prior to the semester start date.
- Must be an image or scanned copy of a physical license/ID card; paper interim copies are not accepted.
Permanent Housing Examples
- UB-leased apartments on university property are considered permanent housing (e.g., Creekside Village, Hadley Village, South Lake Village, Flint Village, and Flickinger Court).
- Campus residence halls are not considered permanent housing.
- Hotels, motels and PO boxes are not considered fixed, permanent housing.
- Cannot be screenshots of mobile apps; document must be a regular printed statement.
- Cannot be any UB-related service statements, such as campus housing or student loans issued by UB.
- Must be from different companies when submitting more than one service/utility statement.
- Examples include but are not limited to:
- Bank - Credit/debit/loan statements.
- Utility - Gas/electric/water/phone.
- Insurance - Homeowners/renters/automobile.
- Must be in the student’s name and NYS address.
- Must be issued at least 12 months prior to the semester start date.
Residents: NYS IT-201 State Tax Return
- Must be the most recent completed tax year.
- If the student is claimed as a dependent, the student’s name must be on the dependent section on Box H.
- Must be signed and dated at the bottom right corner on Page 4 in the section “Taxpayer(s) must sign here,” even if a preparer has signed it.
Non-Residents or Part-Year Residents: NYS IT-203 Tax Return Form
- Must be the most recent completed tax year.
- Box 1G must have the date moved to New York to determine if it is 12 months prior to the semester start date.
Must be dated within one year of enrollment.
Must have a receipt of public assistance from New York State or a city, county or municipal agency in New York State (ex., Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) certification).
Documents Not Accepted
The following documents are not accepted for New York State residency:
- Department of the Treasury (DT) Form 1040.
- Multiple service/utility statements with different statement dates from the same company.
- IT-203 with Box 1H checked as “No.”
- Pay stubs or bank checks.
- U.S. Passport or Passport Card.
- Birth Certificate.
- W-2 tax form.
- “Contract Statements” showing utilities, letters from the rental/leasing company, and letters from the landlord (stating that utilities are included in an agreement).
- Documents related to the university, such as loan statements or billing statements.
Service Members, Veterans and Dependents May Qualify for Residency
Active/reserve, veterans and dependents of service members may complete the Residency Application for New York State Tuition Purposes - Military form.
More information regarding policy and eligibility requirements for active duty military, veterans and dependents can be found on the Student Accounts website.