<p>I just got an email from the collegeboard saying that Harvard needs this thing called an IDOC, whatever that is. And it says that they sent me this form earlier, since the deadline was March 1. Well I never recieved an IDOC. And it says that we need to send in 2004 tax returns, but my parents already sent signed copies directly to Harvard. All my other eight schools aren't asking for this form, so what gives??? I dont understand this at all. Why do they make financial aid so confusing?!</p>
<p>Harvard and some other schools use the College Board (IDOC) to handle this part of the financial aid process. I would just make some extra copies of the return, copy the cover letter and mail it to the College Board address. Also call Harvard to let them know.</p>
<p>
[quote]
This is NOT my fault
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Grow up and take some personal responsbility. I just checked Harvard's website and the IDOC requirement is spelled out very clearly. If you don't have it in by now, it's no one's fault but your own.</p>
<p>IDOC is designed not to make things confusing, but rather to provide one place for applicants to submit their tax returns (especially for those schools who also use IDOC).</p>
<p>If you are applying to Harvard, make sure the other schools you are applying to don't also require IDOC (we do). And if they do, make sure to send it ASAP to IDOC. </p>
<p>Check the College Board's IDOC page (or my blog) for more information on how IDOC works.</p>
<p>What IS the IDOC? I never heard of this before reading posts on CC.</p>
<p>What I meant by this not being my fault was that on the Harvard site it says the college board will send me the IDOC, and they never did.</p>
<p>They should have sent it by mail to your home address (as reported on the Profile). We sent ours this year (in a pilot project) by email to the email address reported for the student on the Profile.</p>
<p>IDOC....please...what does that stand for?? We had to send verification of our income using our tax forms. We never had to do an "IDOC" whatever that is. Could someone please explain what this is?</p>
<p>Thumper1,</p>
<p>the IDOC is an imaging service that some school use to gather the financial documents from families. Schools have to subscribe to it, and not all do. It is connected to the Profile and Collegeboard.
Here's a description from their site:</p>
<p>IDOC - Institutional Documentation Service</p>
<p>Through the Institutional Documentation (IDOC) Service, institutions contract with the College Board to collect families federal tax returns and other documents on their behalf. The College Board will notify students selected by participating institutions that they must submit the required documents.</p>
<p>The notification will identify the colleges for which the documents are being collected, as well as the deadline date for submitting the documents to the College Board. The College Board will handle the document collection, imaging, and data capture functions. In addition, it will transmit to participating institutions data regarding the documents collected, as well as a subset of data elements from pages 1 and 2 of the tax returns, certain schedules, and W-2s. The College Board will also make available for viewing via the Web the images of all documents submitted by the student. Institutions may opt to receive the images electronically to permit local management. Institutions pay for the service.</p>
<p>Sounds like your schools didn't require you use this service, I'm guessing!</p>
<p>Thanks for the explanation Momofthree. I honestly had never heard of this before. We have been selected for verification of our FAFSA two years running (and we don't qualify for a cent of merit aid...go figure). This "IDOC" was not used.</p>
<p>You are welcome, Thumper1 !</p>
<p>I can't see the name IDOC without reading it "idiocy." :) Guess it is good for some schools, but it has complicated my life a lot. </p>
<p>The verification thing you have had to deal with seems a little excessive, though I understand that some schools verify one hundred percent of applications.</p>
<p>Weird..
Should I be worried that Harvard has not yet asked for my IDOC?</p>
<p>Janerdoo,
Did you recieve the IDOC cover sheet at any point? I recall mine stated which colleges on my Profile list required the IDOC and to whom the information would be accessible as I submitted my documents to IDOC. Different schools required that I have the documents in by different deadlines.</p>
<p>I think it would be good to call Harvard to see how to proceed. I am not sure if the colleges contact you at all if you miss their stated dates.
However, most seem willing towork with parents who are unsure about the process and who misunderstood what is expected.</p>