How is fafsa information verified

Remember, any delay in sending your documentation back runs the risk of losing out on financial aid, as colleges often give our financial aid on a first-come, first-serve basis. Errors can happen in the rush to get the FAFSA form out the door, but you can cut down the odds of being verified with an error-free form.

That means thoroughly reviewing your FAFSA form — have a spouse or trusted family member or friend double-check it, if possible. Also, take full advantage of the IRS data retrieval tool , which automatically steers key household financial data straight from your federal income tax returns onto the FAFSA. Know where to go with questions. If a data element is transferred from a federal income tax return to the FAFSA, it is not selected for verification.

By Brian O'Connell February 25, Or to prove you graduated high school, you might need to provide your diploma or transcript. The final step is to submit everything on time, first making sure the documentation is error-free.

You or your parents, if they provided the documents will also need to sign each piece of documentation to certify it. When erroneous or outdated information is found in the verification process, it is corrected.

If the errors are in FAFSA data that determined your financial need, your college will recalculate and adjust your student aid package accordingly. In some cases, you might even need to repay money that you got from federal aid. A correction could increase the amount of student aid for which they qualify.

Federal Student Aid. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Unfortunately, due to the challenges they face in acquiring the required documentation, some students never complete verification, and thus do not receive the financial aid they need to enroll.

Targeting verification for the —22 FAFSA cycle will make it easier for millions of students from low-income backgrounds to access federal financial aid. It will also alleviate some of the burden faced by financial aid administrators, allowing them to focus their time and resources on administering emergency relief funds, getting students into and through higher education, including by updating FAFSA information for students who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and by helping students learn about and access emergency financial aid grants provided under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.

This temporary verification process accompanies the many tools and oversight measures the Department uses to monitor suspicious activity, mitigate fraud, and identify over- and under-awards of Pell Grant funds. Current tools and oversight measures include the following:. Today's announcement builds upon the Biden Administration's commitment to addressing inequities exacerbated by the COVID pandemic and targeting resources and relief efforts toward the colleges and communities that need it most.

Toggle navigation U. Department of Education. Student Loans Grants Laws Data. July 13, Contact: Press Office, , press ed.