Verification Process

When you submit the FAFSA on the Web, you may be randomly selected by the Federal processor for a process called “verification.” This means the Department of Education requires our office to determine the accuracy of the information provided on your FAFSA on the Web application. If you receive this notification, please complete the following steps in compliance with Federal guidelines.

Verification Steps:

1. Complete the IRS Data Retrieval through FAFSA on the Web (See our IRS Data Retrieval Guide.)
2. Submit the appropriate verification forms to the Financial Aid Office as requested: (Log in to your MyRecords account and review your missing requirements)
3. Submit all requested documents to the Financial Aid Office by May 1st for priority awarding.

What is the IRS Data Retrieval?

The IRS Data Retrieval is a feature of FAFSA on the web, which links your FAFSA with your already filed federal tax information through the IRS (available late in February). You may update your FAFSA by linking to your federal taxes and pulling your tax data directly from the IRS ‘auto-filling’ the tax portion of your FAFSA. Taxes submitted electronically require 2 weeks before they can be requested. If they were submitted by paper, they will require up to 8 weeks. If you do not wish to complete the IRS Data retrieval and are required for verification, you must contact the IRS to request a copy of student and/or parent’s IRS tax transcript to provide to The Office of Financial Aid. (See below, “Requesting an IRS transcript”.)

How to use the IRS Data Retrieval:

See our IRS Data Retrieval Step by Step Guide

NOTE: The student and parent must go to the IRS separately. Please ensure that you have a valid Social Security Number and have already filed taxes for the previous year.

What if I Cannot Complete the IRS Data Retrieval?

If you cannot complete Step 1 (above), you may request an IRS transcript and submit it to the Financial Aid Office. (See our guide on How to Request an IRS Tax Transcript.) You must request an IRS transcript if:

• You (or your parent) did not use the IRS Data Retrieval Process either at initial FAFSA filing or through subsequent corrections.
• You changed information after using the IRS Data retrieval process.
• Your tax status is ‘Married, filing separately.’
• Your parents are unmarried, living together, and filed separate tax returns.
• You (or your parent) had a change in marital status after the end of the tax year on December 31.
• You (or your parent) filed an amended tax return.
• You filed taxes outside the U.S.

How to Request an IRS Transcript:

1. Go to the IRS website (See our guide on How to Request an IRS Tax Transcript).
2. Either choose "ONLINE" to print immediately (will require you to answer a series of questions from your financial history) or "MAIL" to request a transcript by mail (this option will take a minimum 2 to 3 weeks, longer during the April 15th tax filing deadline.)
3. For either option, once you print/receive your transcript, submit it to the Office of Financial Aid for verification.
4. Call 1-800-908-9946 or request a transcript by using the IRS form 4506T-EZ.)