FAFSA verification

Paying for College
1

I was looking at my SAR & just noticed that my FAFSA has been selected for verification:

“Your FAFSA has been selected for a review process called verification. Your school has the authority to request copies of certain financial documents from you and your parent(s).”

I understand what this means, but I’m curious as to why. Is this random or is there always a specific reason for verification? I haven’t been contacted by the gov. nor my school regarding this yet…Is this normal? Also, if they do contact me asking for stuff, any tips as to how to make the process as smooth as possible? Thanks.

2

It is totally normal. School that receive federal funds are required to verify a certain percentage of students. At some schools it is a totally random process, while other schools verify every candidate. The school will contact you and let you know what is needed. Just supply them with the documentation that they require and you will be fine

3

You may want to expedite the verification process by using IRS DRT to submit your IRS Income tax information to your school

4

@Lilliana330 Are you getting a Pell grant? If so, maybe that’s why you are getting verified.

5

This is our 3rd year doing FAFSA and we have had to verify every year.

6

One of my kids was verified all four years. That kid didn’t get a nickel of need based aid. We sent the school all that they requested…every year.

Some verifications are random. Others are because something doesn’t align in the financial and application. Often students with $0 income are verified. Sometimes you are verified because your tax filing status isn’t correct (or doesn’t seem to be). Sometimes it’s an inconsistency on your form…maybe parent listed as married, but no financials from a second spouse.

It varies.

Regardless…the school will tell you what they would like you to send them. Just do it…and do it quickly!

7

My older daughter was verified every year; our income was relatively low and she got a lot of need-based aid.

8

Thanks for all the responses. I guess all I can do is comply w/instructions as quickly as possible. Yep, I should get Pell next year. Hope that they don’t take it away -all our info = accurate. :confused:

9

Sounds like you aren’t sure if your FAFSA is correct. What are the amounts of AGI and assets for you and parents?

10

If everything is accurate, it’s just a matter of submitting documents. It’s not that big a deal - LOTS of people get selected, and most don’t have any issues as a result of verification.

11

@Madison85 Pretty sure it is…

AGI = ~ $49k
Untaxed income = ~$19k
Total = ~68k
No other source of income
Info should be the same for this tax year.

Our AGI allows us to get reduced lunch, which in turn lets us skip the assets questions.

2 kids in college next year

Seems too simple to mess up :confused:

12

That is a lot of untaxed income - what is it from?

13

@kelsmom Clergy housing stipend

14

IRC Section 107 - housing allowance exclusion. But how does FAFSA treat it?

15

FAFSA requires it to be reported as untaxed income. It drives up the EFC. If OP reported it on the FAFSA in untaxed income, it has been taken into account already. There should be no issues with verification, as long as everything was reported.

16

@kelsmom Yep, it was reported, always is.

Since all the info is in our tax returns, will using the IRS retrieval tool after filing be enough proof? :confused:

17

@Madison85 FAFSA adds it to the AGI, using the total income to calculate the EFC. EFC is the same it’d be if all income were taxed.

18

Well, almost, because EFC factors in federal and state tax liabilities.

19

If you receive a FAFSA verification notice from a school to which you have yet to be admitted does it mean that you will be admitted, or can it be seen as a sign that admission decision might be a yes?

20

It might mean they are trying to put a FA package together.