Verification

The U.S. Department of Education automatically selects approximately one-third of all applications for Federal Student Aid for a review process called Verification. Also, the College may select an application for Verification if additional information is needed to accurately determine financial aid eligibility. Verification is the process of reconciling data reported on the FAFSA with documentation such as income tax records.

If an application is selected for Verification, the College is required by law to obtain copies of the Federal Tax Return Transcript and W-2 Wage and Tax Statements for the applicant and the applicant’s spouse, if applicable. Failure to submit the requested documents will prevent an applicant from receiving disbursements of institutional and federal financial aid awards.

The Verification process must be completed within sixty (60) days of notification. If the Verification process is not completed in this time frame, the applicant will be considered ineligible for federal or institutional financial aid, including federal student loans. As a result of the Verification process, the data reported on the FAFSA may need to be adjusted. In this case, the Office of Financial Aid will electronically submit corrections to the FAFSA. If financial aid eligibility changes as a result of the Verification process, the Office of Financial Aid will notify the applicant.