Verification
FAFSA Verification Process
Many financial aid applicants will be required to verify the information that is reported on the FAFSA/Renewal FAFSA completed each year. Financial data, such as income, child support paid, and non-financial data, such as family size and dependency status, will be verified. If you are selected for Verification by the Federal government, you will have to submit the following to the Office of Financial Aid:
- Federal Verification worksheet
- Proof of Food Stamps – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (if applicable)
- Parent/Student tax filer income information either by the IRS Data Retrieval Process, IRS Federal Tax Transcript, or if you did not file, a signed statement saying so
- Parent/Student W-2(s), if no tax return was filed
To request an IRS Federal Tax Transcript, go to www.irs.gov and use Form 4506-T, or quickly request a transcript by using the "Tools" section on the website and then clicking on "Order a Transcript," or call 1-800-908-9946.
FAFSA applicants who are selected for Verification must complete this process in order to move their Federal financial aid towards their direct charges. The FAFSA Verification process takes a minimum of four to six weeks, so it is highly recommended that students file their FAFSA by January 31 and turn in all requested Verification paperwork by June 1.
Updating FAFSA Through The Mandated IRS Data Retrieval Process
All FAFSA on the web applicants, and the parents of dependent applicants, who indicate that they have filed their Federal tax returns prior to completing their FAFSA and who are otherwise eligible will be directed to use the FAFSA-IRS Data Retrieval process to complete their FAFSA more easily and accurately. Applicants who choose not to use this process, or who retrieve IRS data but subsequently change it on their FAFSA, will be informed that they will be subject to being selected for the FAFSA Verification process and will be required to support their reported FAFSA data with information obtained directly from the IRS. We strongly encourage families to file their initial FAFSA by January 31 using estimated income information. Once tax information is submitted to the IRS, families should wait three weeks and then access their online FAFSA to import Federal tax return data via the FAFSA-IRS Data Retrieval process.