§ 6301. Definitions. As used in this article, unless the context shall otherwise require, the following terms shall mean:

1. "State university trustees." Board of trustees of the state university.

2. "Community colleges." Colleges established and operated pursuant to the provisions of this article, either individually or jointly, by counties, cities, intermediate school districts, school districts approved by the state university trustees, or individually by community college regions approved by the state university trustees, and providing two-year post secondary programs pursuant to regulations prescribed by the state university trustees and receiving financial assistance from the state therefor.

3. "Local sponsor." Any city, county, intermediate school district, school district approved by the state university trustees, or community college region approved by the state university trustees, sponsoring or participating in the establishment or operation of a community college.

4. "Community college region." A community college local sponsor composed of two or more contiguous counties, cities or school districts, or any combination thereof, which are eligible to appoint members to a community college regional board of trustees.

5. "Resident." A person who has resided in the state for a period of at least one year and in the county, city, town, intermediate school district, school district or community college region, as the case may be, for a period of at least six months, both immediately preceding the date of such person's registration in a community college or, for the purposes of section sixty-three hundred five of this article, his or her application for a certificate of residence; provided, however, that this term shall include any student who is not a resident of New York state, other than a non-immigrant noncitizen within the meaning of paragraph (15) of subsection (a) of Section 1101 of Title 8 of the United States Code, if such student:

(i) attended an approved New York high school for two or more years, graduated from an approved New York high school and applied for attendance at an institution or educational unit of the state university within five years of receiving a New York state high school diploma; or

(ii) attended an approved New York state program for general equivalency diploma exam preparation, received a general equivalency diploma issued within New York state and applied for attendance at an institution or educational unit of the state university within five years of receiving a general equivalency diploma issued within New York state; or

(iii) was enrolled in an institution or educational unit of the state university in the fall semester or quarter of the two thousand one–two thousand two academic year and was authorized by such institution or educational unit to pay tuition at the rate or charge imposed for students who are residents of the state.

Provided, further, that a student without lawful immigration status shall also be required to file an affidavit with such institution or educational unit stating that the student has filed an application to legalize his or her immigration status, or will file such an application as soon as he or she is eligible to do so.

In the event that a person qualified as above for state residence, but has been a resident of two or more counties in the state during the six months immediately preceding his application for a certificate of residence pursuant to section sixty-three hundred five of this chapter, the charges to the counties of residence shall be allocated among the several counties proportional to the number of months, or major fraction thereof, of residence in each county.

6. "Certificate of residence form". A standard form as developed by the chancellor of the state university of New York, in conjunction with the chancellor of the city university of New York.