Verification Policy and Procedures - Financial Aid Guide

Any student may be selected for verification by the federal government or the Financial Aid Office. The verification process allows financial aid counselors to review the information reported on the FAFSA, checking for accuracy against documents provided by you.

If you are chosen for verification, you must submit a signed copy of your federal 1040 tax form as well as a completed Verification Worksheet (provided by the Financial Aid Office). If you are a dependent student, a signed copy of your parents’ federal 1040 tax form must also be submitted and your parents must complete the Verification Worksheet. If you are married, your spouse’s federal 1040 tax form must be submitted and your spouse must also complete the Verification Worksheet. All documents must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office.

If you are selected for verification, the documents required must be received before an actual financial aid award can be issued. Depending on the time of year, an estimated financial aid eligibility letter may be sent pending verification of your file. Any documents requested for verification must be submitted within the specified deadline or students considered “on-time” may lose their priority status and be awarded on a funds available basis instead.

Verification should be complete as soon after notification as possible, but must be complete prior to the last day a student is enrolled at least half-time, unless the student selected for verification is a Pell Grant recipient. For such students, the verification process must be completed no later than 60 days after the last day of at least half-time enrollment.

Last Modified: July 23, 2008