Each award year a percentage of financial aid applications are selected by the United States Department of Education for verification. If a student is selected for verification, the Financial Aid Office will verify the application information submitted on the student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and will adhere to the procedures explained below.
The verification process entails the review of tax documents and household information to ensure the accuracy of the FAFSA application. Most applications are selected upon a set of common edits developed by the U.S. Department of Education which check data for consistency and logic. Others applications are selected by the Financial Aid Office after the application was checked against prior year applications that students have submitted resulting in conflicting information.
Students selected for verification will be notified via email (if an email address is available) or by their campus representative. The notification will indicate the documents required for verification, the deadline for completing the process, and the consequences of missing the deadlines.
DOCUMENTATION NEEDED TO COMPLETE VERIFICATION
- Signed copies of federal tax returns, including all schedules, for the student applicant and his/her parent(s). Independent students need not submit parental information; however spousal information is required. * Please note that the tax information required is for the tax year preceding the academic year.
- Full completion of either a Dependent or Independent Verification Worksheet. A worksheet will also be sent via email with the notification letter. Be sure to follow all instructions on the form and make sure all signatures are present.
- Additional documentation may be requested at the discretion of the Financial Aid Office.
VERIFICATION WORKSHEETS:
2011-2012 DEPENDENT VERIFICATION WORKSHEET: The student and parent(s) should complete this verification form for tax year 2010 and submit it to the Financial Assistance Office.
2011-2012 INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION WORKSHEET: The student should complete this verification form for tax year 2010 and submit it to the Financial Assistance Office.
2012-2013 DEPENDENT/INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION WORKSHEET: The student should complete this verification form for tax year 2011 and submit it to the Financial Assistance Office.
LINKS TO REQUEST SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION:
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: Application to apply for a replacement Social Security Card.
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE: Request a transcript of your federal tax return.