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Verification

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About 30 percent of all FAFSA filers are selected for a process called verification. The U.S. Department of Education requires all colleges to collect certain information on income, family size, and number in college from the applicant and the parents of dependent students. This information is then compared to the FAFSA and any errors are corrected. The FAFSA is often resubmitted to the processor to permit a new and valid Student Aid Report (SAR) to be produced.

If a student is selected for verification, he or she must update the number of family members (household size) and number of college students in the household, unless those items changed as a result of a change in the student's marital status. If an applicant is not selected for verification, household size and number in postsecondary education cannot be updated.

When a student files a FAFSA, it creates a "snapshot" of the financial situation of the student's family as of the date the application was signed. However, errors may occur if a student files the wrong information on an application.

If a student's SAR or FAFSA data is incorrect, it must be corrected or updated. Such corrections can cause a FAFSA to be selected for verification after the University has already packaged and in some cases paid your aid.

If a student is awarded aid on the basis of a non-selected application, and then is later selected for verification but refuses to provide documentation, any Federal Pell Grant or campus-based aid (except Federal Work Study employment) already disbursed must be repaid by the student.

The student may not update income or asset information to reflect changes to his or her family's financial situation if those changes took place after the FAFSA was filed. For example, if the same student's family sold some stock after the student filed a FAFSA and spent the money on a on non-reported asset such as a car, the student may not update her information to show a change in the family's assets. However, a student must update dependency status if it changes after filing (unless it changed because of a change in the student's marital status). Dependency status must be updated regardless of whether the student was selected for verification.

Household size and number in college is update at the time of verification.

The Department of Education has published final regulations for the 2012-2013 verification requirements. Applicants who are selected for verification and do not or cannot use the IRS Data Retrieval option or who retrieve IRS data but change it will be required to provide an IRS Tax Return Transcript (obtained directly from the IRS) to the Office of Student Financial Assistance.

Do NOT submit personal copies of 2011 federal tax returns or copies of federal tax returns from tax preparers. They can no longer be accepted. As stated above, you will either need to use the IRS Data Retrieval Process at www.fafsa.gov or contact the IRS directly to request an IRS Tax Return Transcript.

Applicants who are selected for verification will still need to submit a Verification Worksheet. Applicants who are selected for verification and who reported that they receive food stamps will be required to submit documentation from the agency that issues the food stamps benefit. Other documents/requirements may be requested if there is conflicting information.

The USI Student Financial Assistance Office may ask for additional information or documentation. The Department of Education requires that we resolve any conflicting information. If our office is presented with conflicting information before, during or even after the review process we are required to resolve the conflict.

A comment on the SAR may also require that other information which is not on the income tax return be verified. For example, verification of selective service registration status may be required when it has been determined that there is conflicting information. Other items may require further documentation such as citizenship, proof of dependents, proof of independent status, prior defaults on student loans, and the student's name in the Social Security Administration database.

If an applicant fails to provide the requested documentation within a reasonable time period established by the University, the University may not disburse any federal or state student aid to the applicant. If a student is awarded aid on the basis of a non-selected application, and then is later selected for verification but refuses to provide documentation, any Federal Pell Grant or campus-based aid (except Federal Work Study employment) already disbursed must be repaid by the student.