Financial Aid: Verification

Verification is a review process in which the Office of Financial Aid determines the accuracy of the information provided on the student's financial aid application. During the verification process the student and family/spouse will be required to submit documentation for the amounts listed (or not listed) on the FAFSA. Such documentation may include copies of the most recent federal tax transcript for you, your spouse (if any) and your parents, proof of citizenship, proof of registration with Selective Service, and W2 and 1099 forms, among other things.

If any discrepancies are uncovered during verification, the Office of Financial Aid may require additional information for clarification. Such discrepancies may cause your final financial aid package to be different from the initial package described on the award letter you received from the school. If you are selected for verification, your award is considered an estimate until verification is complete.

If we do not receive the required documentation, you may no longer be eligible for federal, state, and most institutional aid. Verification concerns applicants for most Federal Student Aid programs but is not required if the student will only receive a Parent or Graduate PLUS loan or an unsubsidized Stafford loan because these loans are not based on need. However, a student cannot choose to avoid verification by choosing to borrow an unsubsidized Stafford loan if he or she is eligible for a subsidized Stafford loan.

The Office of Financial Aid will inform you of what forms and documents are required. Please submit only what is requested of you.

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