Financial Aid Verification

Verification is the process used by the institution to check the accuracy of the information a student and/or a student's parents have given when applying for federal financial aid.

Verification has been implemented to reduce error rates in applicant-reported data and to assure, to the maximum extent possible, that eligible recipients receive the correct amount of financial assistance. The Department of Education requires that a portion of the students who apply for financial aid at each school be verified, as selected by the Central Processing System.

Federal policy mandates that we verify certain items on your application before aid may be disbursed. The major items to be verified include:

• adjusted gross income
• federal income taxes paid
• number of family members
• number of family members who will attend college at least half time for a term during the aid year
• untaxed IRA distributions & pensions
• education credits
• IRS deductions
• tax exempt interest income
• income earned from work (for non-filers)

Important: Send only the documents requested by our office.

If you are requested to submit a IRS Tax Return Transcript, you have options:

• You can obtain an IRS Tax Return Transcript by using one of the following three options:
  • download and print your transcript immediately on the IRS's website.
  • Request your return from the IRS by calling 1-800-908-9946.
  • Submit a paper request using IRS Form 4506T-EZ

Note: Please note that an award offer cannot be made until certain requirements have been evaluated. An applicant selected for verification or certain other requirements must complete the process by the deadline date set by the Department of Education. This has been published in the Federal Register for the 2019-2020 financial aid year as September 21, 2020, or 120 days after the last day of the student’s enrollment, whichever is earlier.

If, at any time, you have any questions or concerns about verification or any other aspect of financial aid, we encourage you to contact our office.