Verification Policy

Verification

The U.S. Department of Education or The College of St. Scholastica may select a financial aid application (FAFSA) for verification (34 CFR 668.51-61). This would require the College to obtain additional documentation in order to verify the information that the student and/or the parent provided on the Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) prior to the disbursement of non-merit based financial aid funds. In most cases, the student and/or parent will be required to utilize the Direct Data Exchange (DDX) through the FAFSA at www.studentaid.gov. The DDX process will populate the income fields on the FAFSA directly from IRS tax data. Another option to verify tax information is for the student and/or parent to request an IRS Tax Return Transcript directly from the IRS at www.irs.gov. A signed photocopy of a student and/or parent Federal tax return is also sufficient for verification of income. Additionally, a “Verification of Non-filing letter” may be required from an independent student or dependent student’s parent(s) to prove non-filing status.

Deadline Dates for Verification

All applicants for whom the College has received a valid FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS or ISIR) requiring verification, must submit all necessary documentation by the deadline date. The deadline date for completing the verification process is no later than 120 days after the student’s last day of enrollment for the award year or August 31st (at the end the of award year), whichever is the earlier date. Students who complete verification while enrolled and attending classes will be reviewed for all types of aid eligibility. Students completing verification after ceasing enrollment can generally only be considered for Federal Pell Grant funds they may be eligible for.

Any student who does not complete the verification process by the deadline date will forfeit all rights to payment.

Verification Forms and Worksheets

The Financial Aid Office will notify students of the specific forms, worksheets and/or documentation that will be required in order to complete verification.

Notification to Student of Required Documentation

When a student’s financial aid application has been selected for verification, the student will receive weekly emails as to what documentation is needed to satisfy the verification requirements. This email directs the student to www.css.edu/verification. The weekly email continues until all documents have been submitted. The student may also view student specific requirements on my.CSS.edu.

Required Documents for Verification

When a FAFSA is selected for verification, the CSS Financial Aid Office will determine and then notify the student of the documentation and forms required to complete the verification process. These requirements may vary by student and the verification group assigned by the U.S. Department of Education. Verification of the following information may be required:

All applicants selected (exception V4 selection group)

•  Family size
• Tax filing status

Tax filers

• Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)
• U.S. Income Tax Paid
• Untaxed portions of IRA Distributions
• Untaxed portions of Pensions
• IRA Deductions and Payments
• Education Credits
• Tax Exempt Interest Income

Non-Tax Filers

• Income Earned From Work (W-2’s)
• Confirmation of non-filing status from the IRS (Independent students and parent(s) of dependent students only)
• Payments to tax deferred pension and savings

Other Information (applicable to V4/V5 selection groups)

• Signed Statement of Educational Purpose
• Verification of Identity with Photo ID

Direct Data Exchange (DDX) and IRS Tax Return Transcripts

A student and/or parent who filed a Federal tax return will generally use the FAFSA IRS Direct Data Exchange or IRS Tax Return Transcript options for verification. Signed photocopies of parent/student Federal tax returns can also be accepted. The first preference is for a student and/or parent to use the IRS Direct Data Exchange option. If a student/parent is not able to use or is not eligible to use the IRS Direct Data Exchange, the student/parent will need to request an IRS Tax Return Transcript directly from the IRS or supply a signed copy of the Federal tax return, including applicable schedules.

A student or parent who filed an amended federal tax return (1040X) will need to submit a signed copy of the amended return along with a signed copy of the original federal tax return to the Financial Aid Office if unable to use the DDX process. An IRS Tax Account Transcript along with an IRS Tax Return Transcript also satisfies this requirement.

Victims of identity theft who cannot get an IRS Tax Return Transcript, will need to submit a Tax Return DataBase View (TRDBV) Transcript ordered from the IRS via phone (800-908-4490). The TRDBV Transcript must be submitted to the CSS Financial Aid Office along with a with a signed and dated statement indicating the student and/or parent was the victim of identity theft and that the IRS is aware of the identity theft.

Notification to Student of Results of Verification

If errors on the FAFSA are discovered as a result of verification, the College will make the necessary corrections on the student’s or parent’s behalf. The student will be sent an email indicating when the verification process is complete.

If no errors are found, the student will be sent an email indicating when the verification process is complete.

Office of Inspector General Referrals

The College must refer to the Department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) any credible information indicating that a student who applied for Federal student aid may have engaged in fraud or other criminal misconduct in connection with the FAFSA application or verification documentation. Common misconduct includes false claims of independent student status, false claims of citizenship, use of false identities, forgery of signatures of certifications, and false statements of income. Suspected intent on the part of a student to commit fraud will be reported to the OIG by phoning 1-800-MIS-USED, submitting a complaint online at https://oig.ed.gov/oig-hotline, or writing a letter to the following address:

Inspector General’s Hotline
Office of Inspector General
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-1500

Publicizing Verification Requirements and Procedures

The verification policy is published on the College’s website at https://www.css.edu/admissions-and-aid/financial-aid/forms-and-resources/policies/. Verification requirements and procedures are found at www.css.edu/verification.