<p>Does anyone know the criteria used to select FAFSAs for verification? </p>
<p>Is the selection made by the school or the government? </p>
<p>I have three kids in college. One college has verified me every years, the others, never. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I believe it’s random…if FAFSA makes the selection.</p>
<p>When a FAFSA is chosen for verification, does the school have any options of what information is requested or are all verification routines identical for every school? </p>
<p>For example, can a school choose to only request a tax return copy, or must they also request proof of dislocated worker status if that was chosen on the FAFSA? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>The school will tell you what they want you to send.</p>
<p>here is what baffles me-my FAFSA was chosen for Verification when it shows our family makes far too much for financial aid, according to them anyway. Why does that need to be verified? Are alot of poor people lying to avoid Pell Grants?</p>
<p>The selection for verification is made by the school, not the government/FAFSA. I’m fairly sure of this as I applied to 9 schools, all of which have received my FAFSA, yet I’ve only been selected for verification (or at least informed of my selection) by one school. This notice came directly from the university, not the FAFSA/government.</p>
<p>Dagny, see post #2…</p>
<p>In year’s past 1/3 of the FAFSAs were required to be verified by the colleges. It appeared that at that time you would have an asterisk next to your SAR number which meant you were randomly selected for verification. The schools could use those returns for verification or select 1/3 on their own (at least how I think it happened in years prior). I’ve filled out a total of 6 FAFSAs an was verified once. My oldest son had one year with an asterisk and no verification and one year without an asterisk and we were verified. Now with the data retrieval tool I’m not sure how forms are selected for verification. Perhaps someone with knowledge of what is happening this year will chime in. Regardless it’s really not a big deal unless you hedged/cheated/made errors on the FAFSA…it’s more of a hassle gathering up, copying and sending the information to the college and hopefully the data retrieval will “cure” some of that.</p>
<p>Hmmmm…I thought that when you submitted your FAFSA, a little asterick came up indicating that you had been flagged for verification. In the end…the schools actually decide which of those to actually verify.</p>
<p>Maybe I’m wrong about that.</p>
<p>Re: the reasons…believe me…there is no method I can figure out. One of our kids was verified EVERY year for four years. He didn’t receive a nickel of need based aid at all. The only reason we did the FAFSA was so he could get the unsubsidized Stafford loan.</p>