Star 2 Program Requirements
Stella Kreuter
The School Tax Relief (STAR) and Enhanced School Tax Relief (E-STAR) benefits offer property tax relief to eligible New York homeowners. STAR and E-STAR can be issued as a credit by the State of New York, or, in some cases, as a tax exemption by the City of New York.
For 2024 benefits: $98,700 or less. The income limit applies to the combined income of all owners (residents and non-residents) and any spouse who resides at the property. Income is federal adjusted gross income minus the taxable amount of total distributions from individual retirement accounts (commonly known as IRAs). Income documents will be required to establish your eligibility for this program.
Homeowners not currently receiving the STAR or E-STAR property tax exemption who meet the program's eligibility requirements must apply for the STAR tax credit with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. If you qualify for the credit, it will be issued to you in the form of a check.
You can also register for the credit if you are currently receiving STAR or E-STAR as a property exemption. You may receive a larger benefit with the credit, as the amount will increase in the future, whereas the value of the exemption will not.
Applying by mail:
You can submit a Basic STAR or STAR to E-STAR paper application at any time, but please note that applications will be processed from September 15 to March 15. This means that if you submit a paper application in June, for example, you will receive a response shortly after September 15.
If you are not currently receiving the STAR or E-STAR property tax exemption, you can apply for the STAR tax credit with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. If you qualify for the credit, it will be issued to you in the form of a check.
To earn ENERGY STAR certification, a new home or apartment must meet strict energy efficiency requirements established by the ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction program. Program requirements are available for:
The ENERGY STAR Single Family New Homes (SFNH) program requirements apply to site-built and modular single family homes, duplexes and townhomes. Low-rise multifamily projects permitted prior to July 1, 2021, may also be certified through this program if they meet the eligibility requirements defined in the program requirements, below. For details, see the Program Requirements documents below.
To determine the applicable SFNH program requirements, including the minimum Version and Revision, see the SFNH Applicable Program Requirements, Versions, and Revisions by Location (PDF, 176 KB). For quick reference, find the minimum Version required for certification in each state on the map below.
Partners should be aware that the 45L tax credit may require a more rigorous version than the EPA requires for certification. To see the minimum eligible versions required for the tax credit, visit www.energystar.gov/45LTaxCredits.
Each home must meet certain minimum mandatory requirements, and these are verified in the field by a third-party Rater that is credentialed by an EPA-recognized Home Certification Organization (HCO). Visit the Single-Family New Construction Certification Process page to learn more.
Beginning in fall 2024, the North Star Promise (NSP) Scholarship program will create a tuition and fee-free pathway to higher education for eligible Minnesota residents at eligible institutions as a "last-dollar" program by covering the balance of tuition and fees remaining after other scholarships, grants, stipends and tuition waivers have been applied.
Independent students will have the AGI of the student considered for program eligibility. If the student is married, the student and spouse's combined AGI must be below $80,000 in order to be eligible for the North Star Promise Scholarship. You can review what makes a student either dependent or independent here.
The NSP+ award is calculated as a percentage of the Federal Pell grant the student received or will receive during the term. The 2024-25 NSP+ percentage Pell match is 15 percent. For example, a student who meets all NSP eligibility requirements, and has a Pell Grant of $2,000, will receive an NSP+ award of $300, in addition to any NSP base award. What can students use NSP+ funds for?
Students who receive NSP awards via the MN Dream Act are also eligible for NSP+ awards. The campus financial aid administrator will calculate the NSP+ amount based off information they find in MNAid. How do I know if I received NSP+ funds?
If a student is eligible for NSP+, the student will be notified via the financial aid offer from their college. The college will award a student with NSP+ at the same time as the North Star Promise Scholarship.
Calling all MN High School Seniors: If you're considering college, but worried about cost, the North Star Promise program may cover the FULL COST of your tuition & fees. Students must attend a public college in MN & have an annual income of
Are you currently a student at @MinnStateEdu, @UMNews, or Tribal College? Starting in fall 2024, the North Star Promise may cover the FULL COST of your tuition and fees. This new scholarship is available to students w/an annual income of
Are you a Minnesotan who wants to go back to college and finish your degree? Starting in fall 2024, North Star Promise may cover the FULL COST of your tuition and fees. This new scholarship is available to students w/an annual income of
Does your family earn less than $80K annually? Earn your certificate, diploma or degree and we'll pick up the cost of your tuition and fees. The new North Star Promise Scholarship makes college dreams attainable for more Minnesotans. Learn more: www.ohe.state.mn.us/northstarpromise
Use the 1920 x 1080 px graphic to share information about the North Star Promise program on your college campus or high school tv monitors. To download to image, right click on the graphic and select "Save Image As." Presentation Resources
Neighborhood STAR funds are awarded through a competitive application process once per year. When funding is available, the STAR Year-Round Program provides funding opportunities for initiatives which have a particular urgency and cannot meet the general program cycle. For details, please review the STAR website.
Up to twenty percent (20%) of STAR funds may be used for reasonable costs which are necessary to carry out the construction and completion of a capital project, including: acquisition, environmental testing, legal fees, building permits, licensing and inspection fees, or project management fees that are directly related to the STAR activity.
A STAR workshop will be held at the beginning of each annual funding cycle to provide program information to prospective applicants. Please check the STAR website to confirm specific workshop and application dates for each cycle.
The Neighborhood STAR Board serves as the formal review body for proposals requesting Neighborhood STAR funds. Saint Paul citizens from all areas of the city who were recommended by the Mayor and approved by City Council comprise the Neighborhood STAR Board.
Proposals will be screened for eligibility by STAR program staff. The Neighborhood STAR Board will then review each eligible proposal against the following set of criteria. Each project may earn a maximum of 50 points. It is unlikely that any one project will score all 50 points.
* as set forth in the Saint Paul Climate Action and Resilience Plan
** defined as ensuring that opportunities in education, employment, housing, health, and safety are equitably distributed; that all residents have timely and relevant access to services, resources, support, and opportunity, and that race, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, ethnicity, national origin, disability status, age, or zip code should neither determine nor deny or limit any person the opportunity to achieve their full potential
Matching funds must be directly related to the applicant's proposal. Although Federal, State, or County funds may be used, priority will be given to projects matched with private funds. Applicants are encouraged to finance direct project management expenses with outside private resources (i.e., foundation grants, cash donations) and identify these funds as part of the match.
Upon selection by the Mayor and City Council, the STAR applicant will be notified in writing of their funding commitment. City staff will hold a post-award meeting to provide a general review of city regulations applicable to all Neighborhood STAR activities. Proposals are selected based upon the information contained in the application and may not be significantly changed during project implementation. STAR recipients are cautioned not to make any financial commitments until the compliance and funding requirements are fully understood and agreed to by all parties.
Prior to entering into a formal agreement with the City of Saint Paul, an individual pre- construction compliance meeting will be held with the STAR recipient, their contractor and key city staff to review project-specific compliance issues which may include Affirmative Action; Business Subsidy; Sustainability Policy; Two-Bid Policy; Labor Standards; Living Wage; Section 3; and the Vendor Outreach Program. Relevant requirements will then be included in the formal agreement. Items contained in the Neighborhood STAR grant agreement include:
Individualized STAR forms will be generated by city staff for each project after the execution of a contract. These forms will then be used for disbursing funds throughout the project. STAR funds can be disbursed for eligible activities that:
Review and ranking of Neighborhood STAR Year-Round proposals is performed by the Neighborhood STAR Board with input (upon request) from neighborhood organizations, PED staff, Planning Commission, CIB Committee and City Departments as appropriate. STAR Board funding recommendations and rankings are submitted to the Mayor and City Council for final approval. Please contact STAR staff or your local Ward office if you are interested in applying for Year-Round STAR funding.
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