<p>The instructions for the IDOC packet says to "print the SS number of the document owner" on each page of the documents---probably a stupid question, but does that mean that the parent 1040 should have the parent SS number and NOT the student one printed on it? Won't it be confusing if some docs have the student SS and others the parents'? I would think they'd want the student number on all the docs in the packet.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Yeah, I agree with your logic, but what they’re asking for is the document owner’s SSN, so that’s what you should give them. We don’t really have any way to understand the details of their processing procedures, so for them it may make the most sense to have the parent’s SSN on the parent docs. Whatever. They command, I obey. ;)</p>
<p>I also found that confusing but also put a parent’s SSN on the parent docs. Since the front page cover sheet does list the student’s and parents’ SSNs I figured they can tie them together that way if needed.</p>
<p>Thanks for your responses. I wound up putting my husband’s SSN on his documents, and my son’s on his. I also put the IDOC ID number on all of them below the SSN number. Some of the school FA sites said to do this, so I figure I have all bases covered.</p>
<p>I was confused by this as well, but followed their instructions and put my husband’s SS # on our tax forms and my son’s on his (that is how they are printed anyway with the tax software we use).</p>
<p>I did the same. I also was worried about giving them my bank account #s and routing numbers to my checking acct (on the 1040 2nd page if you get an electronic refund). I blacked them all out. Anyone handling them knows what are in these big envelopes and the people working there know as well. Am a bit amazed this isnt a large source of identity theft. Plus I assume the colleges see scanned images of these forms. I dont even like giving them my SSNs, but I guess they demand those, but they certainly could encrypt that info on the coverpage they give you. IDOC is possibly a lawsuit waiting to happen.</p>
<p>^^I agree. I only had one Profile college to deal with during S2s admissions cycle and I sent the documents directly to the college…didn’t care for the “IDOC” concept for the same reasons you mention. There’s much regulation around banks and credit card companies regarding personal data but who is regulating College Board’s business.</p>
<p>When you only have one college to deal with it’s one thing, but when a student has, say, 8 or 9 or 10, then IDOC is great. In fact, it may be better than sending out 8 to 10 separate packets of information, all looseleaf hardcopy, to 8 to 10 different colleges with different procedures for keeping information secure (or not.)</p>
<p>“print the SS number of the document owner”</p>
<p>I think this question is confusing and I just ignored it. I just followed the instruction from one college that does not use IDOC: put student name and DOB on top of each piece of paper. I think this will give a way for an IDOC worker to figure out which pieces of paper belong to which student so that they can regroup them back together when the he/she accidentally drops the whole stack of paper on the floor and the sheets fly apart.</p>
<p>Most of the tax documents already have the owner name and SSN on them.</p>
<p>I don’t think the question is confusing, it’s very straight-forward. We don’t understand why they ask for it, but it’s a clear and specific request.</p>
<p>It’s not <em>that</em> clear. My SSN is first on our joint tax return, so I put my SSN at the top of most of the pages, except on pages that relate only to my spouse (his schedules C and SE for example) I put his. That seemed unnecessarily confusing to me. In the case of many joint documents, it’s not clear who the (singular) owner is. I just took my best guess.</p>
<p>I’m sure it’ll all be fine anyway. My recollection is that last year we didn’t have to put any other information on those document copies. I can’ understand in some cases, though, why they want the document owner’s SSN. My husband get lots of W-2s from different payors due to the nature of his work. Quite a few of them are on this paper with a tight pattern that is dark grey and lighter grey. It’s not too hard to read his SSN off the originals, but it’s not as easy on the photocopies. Then, when on top of that, they are scanned and sent electronically to the college… I can imagine they wouldn’t be that easy to read. (Of course, nothing on them will be easy to read, including the amount – but at least they’ll know who they belong to. ;))</p>
<p>I’d love to know how all that stuff gets delivered. There must be an electronic file folder or something with all the student/family scanned docs in there.</p>
<p>“print the SS number of the document owner”</p>
<p>I agree that the phrase “document owner” is ambiguous, however, as the student (not the parent) is applying to college, the implied “owner of the document” is the student. SS number on every page should be the student’s – that is how colleges identify the recipient of financial aid.</p>
<p>I was just Googling around on this, and although I can’t find a simple, direct explanation, from this IDOC information “for professionals”, it seems that what happens is that each document is coded for the type of document it is (W2, 1099, tax return, specific tax schedule, etc.). The owner of the document is keyed for their relationship to the student - such as mother, father, or spouse - depending on the information you fill in on the cover sheet. If there is a mismatch of SSNs so that a document is submitted with a missing SSN or with an incorrect SSN, it will be coded as “Other”, meaning, I suppose, that the document owner’s relationship to the student is not clear. However it still will be available for viewing to the colleges.</p>
<p>So, I think that’s it. It just tells them how to code the document in terms of its owner’s relationship to the student.</p>
<p><a href=“Financial Aid Services”>Financial Aid Services;
<p>Gibby, I guess if you put the student’s SSN on all the documents what will happen is that they will all be coded as the student’s documents. That is to say, Dad’s W2 will be coded as if it’s the student’s earned income, not the father’s. Same with tax returns.</p>
<p>I’m sure the schools can sort it out once they’re looking at the document images and trying to match names, SSNs, etc.</p>
<p>Probably best in situations like this to just do it the way they ask for it. By saying “document owner’s SSN” they are being very specific. Otherwise they would have just said “student’s SSN.”</p>
<p>^^Every W-2 already has the employee’s name and SSN on it. Ditto with tax returns prepared with Turbotax. It’s redundant to put the same information at the top of the page. </p>
<p>For the past 3 years, I’ve put the student’s name and SS number on the upper right hand side of all documents sent through IDOC and there has not been an issue.</p>
<p>As you said, I’m sure the schools can sort it all out once they’re looking at the documents.</p>
<p>How can you have IDOC package? I didn’t receive any instruction from collegeboard so far. I am worry about there is something wrong?</p>
<p><a href=“Financial Aid Services”>Financial Aid Services;
<p>IDOC Operations
After the documents are scanned, data from tax forms are key-entered and an electronic record is created. This record contains information captured from the IDOC Cover Sheet and from tax documents in the packet, including:</p>
<pre><code>• Student’s identifying information (name, address, etc.)
• Student’s Social Security Number and CSS ID, if present
• Identity of person(s) submitting documents (parent, student, noncustodial parent)
• Parents’ Social Security Numbers
• Student’s email address
• IDOC packet receipt date
• Type and number of documents received in the packet. Each tax schedule is identified as a separate document type.
• Information from pages 1 and 2 of the federal tax return(s), including a signature present indicator and the tax filer’s Social Security Number. (Generally, the data elements keyed will correspond to taxable income captured on the PROFILE Application and used in the need analysis. All taxable income information required for federal verification will be captured and transmitted.)
• Information from W-2 forms
• Selected information from tax schedules
</code></pre>
<p>Quailridgegirl: </p>
<p>Go to: <a href=“Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC) – CSS Profile | College Board”>Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC) – CSS Profile | College Board;
<p>See if you can log-in and print your cover sheet. If not, you should call (305) 420-3688 and speak with a College Board representative.</p>
<p>I’ve been directed to mail (snail mail) my tax, w-2, etc. packet to IDOC rather than submit items electronically. Is that usual?
And do most of you send these packages some special way (need a signature, receipt, etc) or just throw them in the mail? I agree with the poster above that it makes me very nervous to put this package in the mail!</p>