Federal Aid Verification
What is Verification?
Verification is a process to confirm that the information you or your parents provided on your FAFSA is accurate. The U.S. Department of Education randomly selects about 30% of FAFSAs to be verified. The PBSC Office of Financial Aid may also select your FAFSA for Verification to clarify potential discrepancies.
If you have been selected for Verification, the Office of Financial Aid will request documentation to verify the information provided on the FAFSA. Documentation needed to complete Verification may include a Verification Worksheet, Federal Tax Returns, and other forms that verify information on the FAFSA. Documentation needed for Verification may be different for each student.
Applicable for students attending Fall 2022, Spring 2023, and Summer 2023
All forms and documentation will be submitted through your Workday student portal.
General documentation requirements are:
- 2022-2023 Verification worksheet
- 2020 Federal income tax information which can be provided via:
- Transferring tax information directly to the FAFSA by using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool
- Providing a copy of your 2020 IRS Tax Return Transcript which can be ordered from the IRS website | Watch video tutorial
- Providing a signed and dated copy of your 2020 income tax return (1040 form) with all appropriate schedules
- For individuals who were not required to file taxes, a 2020 IRS non-filing statement will be required for parent(s) and independent students which can be ordered from their website.
** Please note **
On July 13, 2021, the Department of Education announced temporary changes to the Federal Aid Verification process for the 2021-2022 award year.
These changes apply only to household and income verification elements. Students selected for Identity and Educational Purpose Verification must still comply with verification requirements. Please refer to “What is the Statement of Educational Purpose?” section below for more information.
The Office of Financial Aid could request additional information in the event of conflicting information.
A small number of financial aid applicants will be required to complete the Statement of Educational Purpose Form. The US Department of Education selects which students must complete the statement and colleges and universities cannot disburse aid until the statement is received.
The Statement of Educational Purpose certifies your identity and attests that you will only use federal student aid for educational purposes. You will see an action item in your Workday student portal if asked to complete the Statement of Educational Purpose, along with instructions on how to complete the form. The form must then be either completed in-person at the Financial Aid Office or notarized. You must present a valid, unexpired, government-issued photo identification such as a passport or driver's license.
You (or your parents) may elect to make a correction to your processed FAFSA to link to the IRS instead of requesting an IRS Tax Return Transcript. Individuals that choose this option should notify the FAO to ensure the correct FAFSA transaction is reviewed. To link to the IRS, log into www.fafsa.gov and "Make a correction to a processed FAFSA." Under the income sections for students and parents there are questions that enable the use of the IRS DRT.
Watch a video on how to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.
The deadline to submit verification documents is dependent on the type of federal student aid you are eligible to receive. If the deadline is not met, you become ineligible for that aid program. This cannot be appealed and is a federal requirement. (Click here for federal verification deadlines)
