Hi. It’s come to my attention that I was selected for verification process of the FAFSA. My question is, should I submit all these annoying additional documents to each school I applied to once they ask for them or should I wait until I hear back from my top school and only send it to them? If I don’t get into my top school, will I receive less aid if I don’t submit these additional documents ASAP?
Thanks
Do you want a financial aid package on time to make your matriculation decision? The verification process can take some time. I would strongly suggest you send every school what THAT school asks for…as soon as they request it. That way, your verification can take place…and the school can send you a finalized financial aid award in time to make your matriculation decision.
ETA…what “annoying documents” are you talking about?
Send the information to what ever school has requested the information if you expect to get a financial aid package.
There is some funding that is given on a first come first served basis. You can wait, but you risk not getting the funding as it may be exhausted.
One example: One school requires me to send my W2. I never received one because I didn’t work enough in 2015 to file taxes. So it’s making me submit a non filer statement and request that tax returns be sent (so that they will send a statement saying I didn’t file taxes) AS WELL as my W2…but I don’t have a W2???
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Just because one doesn’t file taxes doesn’t mean a W2 wasn’t received. You could have made $1000 or more and still not be required to file, yet your employer would have been required to send a W2. The schools ask for a list of the common documents and you supply what you have. I think if you didn’t file it is asking for the statement of not filing and a tax transcript that will show no return was received for your SSN.
My kids have filed taxes even when not required to just to avoid this. If they file, they can use the IRS data tool on the fafsa. It’s easy to file, nothing is owed.
I have no record of a W2 being received. None. So…?
So you don’t have one. Tell the school that asked for it ‘No W2 received.’
The verification is to show that what you reported on your FAFSA is consistent with your tax documents, your bank statements (if they ask for those), with any employment documents. No W2, no tax filing? Makes sense for a student who is supported by parents.
It is a list of common documents. You won’t have them all. If you worked for an employer, you’ll have a W2 but most likely won’t have a 1099. If they are asking for your parents’ W2 or tax forms, and your parents don’t have them, they are going to ask how they are meeting the family needs. How are they paying for food, housing, car insurance? They want a chain of documents that tell the story.
If you worked for an employer but you never received a W2, call them and request it.
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-return-transcript-types-and-ways-to-order-them
Above link is where you can order ‘Verification of non-filing letter’ from the IRS to prove you didn’t file a return.
You are applying for need based financial aid. As I recall, your situation was one where your custodial parent didn’t earn al LOT and younwould be eligible for at least part of the Pell Grant. But your non-custodial parent had more significant earnings, and he actually declared you as a dependent on taxes. Do I have that correct?
You are hoping to receive money from the schools. As “annoying” as it may seem to you, it is incumbent that you get this information to the colleges AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. And yes, I’m yelling. Until your verification process is complete, your financial aid award will be a big estimate…oh…and you won’t get a nickel disbursed to you at all until the verification process is done.
So do it NOW.
Every year, there are students here who delay getting verification materials to the colleges. Then these same students are upset because the college won’t disburse money for their payment for costs when those come due…because the verification process has not been completed.
In addition…you want a finalized financial,aid award before May 1 when you have to make your matriculation decision.
So…when the school asks for verification materials…send them…as immediately as possible.
If you didn’t file taxes, you will need to complete a non-filers statement.
Did you work in 2015 and earn money as an employee?
Because, @MissSuzyQ , your following comment does not make sense:
The reason it doesn’t make sense is because if you were employed, you received a W-2. Your employer wouldn’t skip sending you one if you “didn’t work enough in 2015 to file taxes”. Your employer is required to send you a W-2 if you earned ANY amount of money (1 cent or more).
So, did you work in 2015 and receive money as an employee? Even if it wasn’t enough to require tax return filing you would have received a W-2 which you now need to find and send a copy for verification.
Were you possibly working as a contract worker…self employed?
Any chance you got a 1099 instead of a w-2?
How much did you earn in 2015?
Alright so when I asked my dad if I got a W2 he said no (I think he thought I was asking if he filed taxes for me). But I asked him again, he says I do have a W2 so at least that’s cleared up. Although I’m a little confused as to why it would be sent to him and not me.
How soon is ASAP? I mean I am working on these things but some of them take time and my parents are really reluctant to go through all these forms for potentially seven colleges. It’s strange to me that they would punish the unlucky individuals they select for verification because they, just by happenstance, have more forms to fill out.
Look at it this way, then pick your poison.
If you do not do the verification, you will not receive a financial aid package. You will definitely not receive any money.
If you need financial aid, then you need to complete the verification process ASAP.
Remember the majority of schools do not meet 100% and limited financial aid budgets. With prior, prior schools are processing packages sooner.
If you wait, the process is still going forward, just with out you and there will be less institutional/scholarship money (because it has already been disbursed to others).
We don’t know why your application was selected for verification. We and you also don’t know what EACH college will request you send them. This could vary by college.
Just get them done as the requests come in. You are hopig to get free money in your financial,aid package, right? If you want the awards in a timely fashion, you need to respond to the requests in a timely fashion…like ASAP.
So…you have your w-2 form. Good. Start a file with all,the hard copies of these items…so that when you need them for additional schools, you can just reach in and copy them…and send them.
In the meantime…complete a non-filers statement for all of your application schools. It won’t cost you anything but the postage to mail…and everyone is going to want THAT.
When you completed your FAFSA, did you link your mom’s tax return via the IRS data retrieval tool? As I recall, you are not a dependent on her tax return. This could be ONE of the reasons why you were selected for verification.
Also, you said in an earlier post that your mom earned $20,000 or so. Did you have an auto $0 EFC? If so, those are almost always selected for verification.
Usually the employer will send the W2 to the address you provided in your employee paperwork when you started the job (W4 withholding form).
Did you check if any federal or state tax was withheld from your paychecks? If so, you might want to file a 2015 return and get that refunded to you.
^it would also save you from having to do the non filers statement. Once your return processes, you can link it to your FAFSA, and it will be sent to all the schools that you listed on the FAFSA.
A basic 1040EZ should not be hard to do and should be free at online tax prep sites like Taxact or Turbotax.
My son’s in his second year of college and we’ve been chosen for verification both years. The amount of aid we qualify for is fairly low (a couple thousand, maybe), but that couple thousand is the easiest we’ve ever “earned”.
You don’t have more forms to fill out “just by happenstance.” Something triggered the verification. For us, it’s the fact that we’re a one income household. I expect to be selected for verification until I go back to work (after my youngest graduates next year). We can use the money so I fill out the forms. If you can afford to attend college without getting the money that filling out the forms may entitle you to then don’t fill them out. But if you need the money, make a list of what each college wants, fill out the forms, make copies of everything, and get them sent out.