Every New York student has the right to a free public education
Sudents between the ages of 5 and 21 have the right to a free public-school education. Your immigration status does not matter. You must live in a school district to attend its schools for free. Schools may ask you to submit documents proving where you live, but they must accept many different kinds of proof, such as:
- letter or affidavit from your landlord
- letter or affidavit from a social worker, teacher, lawyer, religious leader, or other person with personal knowledge of your address
- pay stub that shows your address
- Income-tax form
- bill for a utility or other service, such as cell phone, that shows your address
- membership documents based on residency, such as library cards (these do not have to show your address)
- voter registration card
- driver’s license, learner’s permit, or non-driver ID
- identification, issued by New York state or another government body, that shows your address
- documents issued by a federal, state, or local government agency, such as a local social services agency or the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement
- custody or guardianship papers
- other proofs of residency you present
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