What is Verification?
Verification is the process by which schools review student financial aid applications for accuracy. Institutions that participate in Federal Title IV aid programs are required to perform verification on a selection of students. Verification is done by collecting the documents the student used to complete the FAFSA and comparing them with the information the student provided on the FAFSA. You will not be able to receive financial aid until the verification process is complete. To receive maximum consideration for aid such as grants and/or work study, turn in all documents as quickly as possible.
Who Is Selected For Verification?
Approximately 30% of financial aid applications are selected for verification by the U.S. Department for verification. Tennessee State University also reserves the right to select a student for verification. Students typically are selected for verification for the following reasons: FAFSA appears to contain inconsistent information, student used estimated tax return information, or the student was randomly selected.
What Is The Verification Process?
If you are selected for Verification, you will find out in a couple of ways:
- When you receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Department of Education, you will see a comment stating "Your FAFSA has been selected for a review process called verification. Your school has the authority to collect certain financial documents from you.
- Once our financial aid office receives your processed FAFSA, a Missing Information Letter will be sent to you indicating what information and documents are needed. After all requested information is submitted to the financial aid office, your file will be reviewed. If the financial aid office has further questions regarding your file, you will be contacted for additional clarification or document requests. It is your responsibility to respond to these requests. If you do not turn in the required information, your file will be held until all missing information has been received. You are encouraged to contact the financial aid office at any time with verification questions.
- You can also view required documents via your myTSU account.
What Documents Does TSU Need to Complete Verification and what is Verified?
Verification Form [must be signed by student and parent (if required)] which verifies:
Family Size (as defined on the FAFSA)
Number of College Students (at least half-time pursuing a degree in student's household)
Untaxed income of student, spouse (if required), parent (if required)
Untaxed income may include child support received, untaxed interest and dividends, payments to tax deferred savings and pension plans, etc.
Child support paid by student, spouse (if required), parent(s) (if required)
Signed Federal Income Tax Return [for student, spouse (if required), parent(s) (if required)] which verifies:
Adjusted Gross Income
Taxes Paid
Tax-exempt interest
Untaxed IRA Distributions/Deductions
Untaxed pensions and annuities
Keogh retirement plan and self-employed SEP
Education Tax Credits
My parents do not claim me on their taxes; why am I still considered a dependent?
For state and federal financial aid purposes, a student is only considered independent if one or more of the following are true: you are 24 years old; you are enrolled in a graduate degree program; you are married; you have children or other dependents who receive more than half of their support from you; both of your parents are deceased; you are (or were until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court; or you are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces. If none of these statements apply to you, you must provide parent information on your FAFSA and other financial aid documents. Extenuating circumstances may be reviewed by the financial aid office on a case by case basis to determine whether or not a professional judgement is necessary. If you are an independent student, you will need to complete the independent verification form. If you are a dependent student, you will need to complete the dependent verification form.
When Will I Receive My Award Notification?
Because the verification documents must be reviewed by the verification counselor, the verification process may take longer than if you were not selected for verification. Once you have turned in the required documents, your file will be reviewed. If it is determined that more information is needed, you will be contacted for this information. Once you turn in any subsequent documentation or clarification, your file will be complete. If your file is accurate, your award notification will be generated and sent to you within a week from when the file is reviewed. If an error is found in the documentation, a correction will be sent to the U.S. Department of Education. Once the correction is processed and sent back to our financial aid office, your award notification will be generated and sent to you. Correction processing can take several additional days.
Tips for Saving Time with Verification Processing
During the verification process, the financial aid office compares information you submitted on the FAFSA to information you provided on the verification worksheet and financial documents. It is important to know that if the information you provided on the FAFSA is accurate, you should complete the verification worksheet with the same information. You can view the information you put on the FAFSA by retrieving your Student Aid Report (SAR) from the U.S. Department of Education. You can access your SAR at www.fafsa.ed.gov. If the information on the FAFSA does not match the verification documents, a correction must be processed. This will delay the processing of your financial aid.
When completing the verification requirements be sure to:
Complete all sections of the Verification Worksheet
Sign the Verification Worksheet
Sign all tax returns being submitted (Student, Spouse, Parent)
Keep copies of all documents you turn into the financial aid office
Include your TSU student id or social security number on all forms you turn in to the financial aid office