Verification
Update as of 8/1/2023
Verification is the process of confirming the accuracy of the information reported on the FAFSA. Students selected for verification are required to submit supporting documentation to enable the financial aid office to complete the review. If you are selected, you will be contacted, through a combination of both e-mail and regular mail, to let you know what documents are required to complete the verification process and finalize your financial aid file. Students who do not have their financial aid file completed prior to the start of the semester will be responsible for any late charges/fees that may be added to their student account.
Verification documents may include verification worksheets, tax transcripts or any other supporting materials. Be sure that all documents are signed, all required sections of forms are completed, and that any relevant tax or alternative documents are submitted. Copies are acceptable and a signature on a copy is as valid as an original signature (i.e., a handwritten or “wet” signature). If a copy of the tax return is used, the filer (or at least one of the filers of a joint return) must sign it or the tax preparer must provide his name and SSN, EIN, or PTIN.
Please Note: All documentation must be submitted in, or translated into, English. We cannot accept documentation written in another language without accompanying English translation.
Students and their parents are encouraged to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA if they are able to do so. If an applicant is selected for verification and the student and/or parent has successfully used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool they will not be required to submit tax transcripts. If tax transcripts or verification of non-filing letters are required the Office of Financial Aid will notify you. Download the IRS Tax Transcript Request Process (pdf) document for information on how to request your transcripts.
If you have been a victim of identity theft, you cannot obtain an IRS Tax Return Transcript until the issue has been resolved by the IRS. Since resolution can take a significant amount of time, please provide a copy of the Transcript Database View (TRDBV) tax transcript to our office along with a signed and dated statement by the tax filer indicating you were a victim of IRS tax-related identity theft and the IRS has been made aware of the tax-related identity theft. You may obtain a copy of the TRDBV from the IRS by calling 1(800) 908-4490.
Please note that if a student’s application is selected for verification, they must complete the verification process or forfeit their federal and state student aid eligibility. Financial aid administrators will ask for documentation that is necessary to complete verification. In addition, the Department of Education requires that a student have a valid EFC on their FAFSA prior to the end of the semester. If your documentation is submitted too close to the end of the semester, and changes your aid eligibility, the school cannot disburse any federal or state aid for you. For this reason, all documentation must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the last day of the semester.