Verification
Verification is a review process in which the Office of Student Financial Assistance determines the accuracy of various data elements reported by the student/parent on the student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The U.S. Department of Education selects approximately 30% of all aid applicants for verification. The Catholic University of America selects an additional percentage of first-time undergraduate students for federal and institutional verification. During the verification process the student and parent will be required to submit documentation for the amounts listed (or not listed) on the financial aid application. The verification process ensures that eligible students receive all the financial aid they are entitled to receive and prevents ineligible students from receiving aid they are not entitled to receive.
Typically, students can expect to receive notification that they have been selected for verification within 10-to-14 business days after the Office of Student Financial Assistance receives the student’s FAFSA results from the federal processors. (Note: Catholic University will not start requesting FAFSA information from the federal processor until February 1st) The Office of Student Financial Assistance will send Missing Information Letters (MIL) to those students who have been selected for verification. The MIL will direct the student to submit several required documents to the Office of Student Financial Assistance. Since academic aid years overlap calendar years, please refer to your MIL or online account for the year appropriate forms and documentation needed. They should be completed in their entirety, signed and mailed to our office within 30 days of your notification. You should not submit verification materials unless you receive a request.
Important: Please submit all requested forms and supporting documentation together at the same time. No processing can take place until all documentation is received.
The IRS announced an upcoming change to federal tax return transcripts. Transcripts will now contain partially redacted personally identifiable information (PII) such as name, Social Security number, and addresses. Make sure to write student ID numbers on all submitted documents.
Participation in the verification process is not optional. If the student does not submit the requested documentation, the student will not be eligible to receive federal or institutional need-based financial aid and the parents of dependent student will not be eligible to receive a PLUS loan.
Students selected for verification will not be packaged for financial aid until the Office of Student Financial Assistance has received all requested required documentation and the verification process has been completed. Depending on the time of year, the verification review process can take up to 20 business days from the time the Office of Student Financial Assistance receives all requested required documents. The process can take longer if additional nonstandard documentation is required. Individuals who have filed extensions or are self-employed and file their taxes later in the year are not excused from the verification process (more information available here). It is recommended that federal income tax returns be filed as soon as possible if selected for verification, since no aid or estimates of aid will be offered until the verification process is completed. The following is a list of standard verification documents
NOTE: If you used the IRS Data Retrieval process when completing your FAFSA and if you did not make any changes to that data, then you do not need to submit an IRS Transcript or W2’s, you only need to complete, sign and submit the Verification Worksheet. Please review the Missing Information Letter (MIL) for information specific to your status. Please send all required documentation at the same time as we will not start the verification process until we receive all documentation.
Verification requirements could change based on federal regulations issued by the Dept. of Education. Your Missing Information Letter (MIL) will include the latest requirements.