Verification

What is Verification?

To be considered for Federal Student Aid, a student must complete a FAFSA. It collects financial and other information used to calculate the expected family contribution (EFC) and to determine a student’s eligibility through computer matches with agencies.

Because students occasionally make errors on their FAFSA applications, there is a process for verifying applications and making corrections.  The Central Processing System (CPS) selects which applications are to be verified, but on a case-by-case basis the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office may select individual students for verification.

UVU verifies all students selected by the Central Processing System (CPS). Students may select themselves for verification. Students initially selected for verification by CPS must complete verification before the student is awarded. Students who are selected for verification on a subsequent FAFSA transaction after their aid has disbursed must complete verification before they can receive additional aid; in addition, if they have been awarded work study they must stop working until their verification is completed. Students who have received a Direct Loan cannot have future loans originated until verification is completed.

If a student's financial aid application is found to have any conflicting information regarding eligibility for aid, the UVU Financial Aid and Scholarships Office must resolve the conflict. We may request additional documents at any time to resolve the discrepancies.

Verification Deadlines: Students must have a valid FAFSA by the last day of the term for which they are enrolled or June 30^th, 2013, whichever is sooner for the 2012-2013 year. Students must have a valid FAFSA by the last day of the term for which they are enrolled or June 30^th, 2014, whichever is sooner for the 2013-2014 year.  However, the ability to be awarded and/or retroactively awarded is determined by meeting all eligibility requirements at the time the student's file is completed. This includes Satisfactory Academic Progress.  For the Pell Grant program, as long as a student has met these conditions, he or she may submit verification documents no later than 100 days after the last day of enrollment or two weeks before the deadline established each year by the Department of Education, whichever is sooner. For the Direct Stafford Loan and Campus-Based Aid programs, a student may submit verification documents no later than two weeks before the last day of enrollment or two weeks before the last day of summer term, whichever is sooner. For all programs, a student may only be awarded retroactively for terms during which he or she met and maintained Satisfactory Academic Progress standards and met all other eligibility requirements. 


Students who fail to submit their verification documents by the appropriate dates forfeit receiving Title IV aid as well as any other State or Institutional Aid that requires FAFSA information. If the student chooses to wait until the deadlines listed above to submit their verification documentation, the documentation will be processed; however, if they do not meet all eligibility requirements for the term they were enrolled in (including SAP), they cannot be retroactively awarded. We encourage all students to submit verification documentation at least two weeks before they cease to be enrolled. 

Note that loans cannot be originated after the last date of the student’s enrollment; consequently, failing to submit verification documents during the term he or she is enrolled will prevent him or her from receiving a loan. Therefore, the student must submit verification documents at least two weeks before they cease to be enrolled in order to receive a loan. 

Selected for Verification After Aid Has Disbursed

If the student is not initially selected for verification and receives a Pell Grant, but is then selected on a subsequent FAFSA transaction, the student cannot have additional Pell Grant funds disbursed to him or her. The student must provide the appropriate verification documents at least two weeks before he or she ceases to be enrolled. If the student does not provide the verification documentation within this time, he or she will forfeit Title IV aid and any State or Institutional aid that requires verification for the remaining award year. The student must repay any Pell Grant, SEOG, or Perkins funds already received for that award year. The student must also stop working if he or she is receiving Work Study funds. A student does not need to return to UVU the Direct Loan funds that were received before being selected for verification.

What do I need to submit if I am selected?

If selected, you will be required to provide the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office with specified forms and documents. Students can view their UVLink requirements to determine what documents are needed.  All UVU forms can be obtained through your UVLink Account. When returning the documentation to the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office, please label your documents clearly with your name and UVID.

The following documents and items may be requested for verification for the 2012-2013 year:

• Verification Worksheet (Independent or Dependent) to verify household size and number in college.
• IRS Tax Transcripts (see below for IRS Data Retrieval Tool information) to verify certain tax and income information.
• Verification of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits Received (SNAP Benefits; formerly known as Food Stamps). Only students who are selected for verification and who listed SNAP benefits on their FAFSA application need to verify this benefit by submitting a copy of the card that the individual uses to purchase food to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.
• Verification of Child Support Paid. Only students who are selected for verification and who listed child support paid on their FAFSA application need to verify this. Students will complete the Child Support Paid form.

The following items may be requested for verification for the 2013-2014 year:

• Household Information Form (Independent or Dependent) to verify household size and number in college.
• Financial Information Form with attached financial documents (such as IRS Tax Transcripts or other financial statements, depending on your individual circumstance) to verify financial information from 2012.
• Verification of Child Support Paid Form to verify child support paid in 2012.
• Verification of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits Received Form (SNAP Benefits; formerly known as Food Stamps) to verify if benefits were received in 2011 or 2012.   
• Verification of High School Completion. Acceptable forms of documentation, which must be submitted to the Admissions Office, include: a copy of the high school diploma; final high school transcript that shows the date when the student completed secondary school education; or a recognized equivalent of a high school diploma, such as a General Education Development certificate; a state certificate received by a student after the student has passed a State-authorized examination that the State recognizes as the equivalent of a high school diploma; or documentation of homeschool completion.
• Verification of Identity and Statement of Educational Purpose Form. Students must appear in person at the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office or One Stop and present a valid, government-issued photo identification, such as a passport, driver's license, or other state-issued ID. Students must also sign a statement of educational purpose the certifies who they are and that the federal aid they may receive will only be used for educational purposes and for the cost of attending school for the 2013-2014 year. Students who are unable to appear in person must sign and submit the statement of educational purpose and must submit a copy of his or her ID with the statement signed by a notary public confirming that the student appeared before the notary and presented the ID confirming their identity. The student must then mail the original signed statement to the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office (faxes will not be accepted for this form).

Using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool

The Federal Government has made changes to the FAFSA and verification processes for the 2012 – 2013 year. If you are selected for verification and you did not use, but were eligible to use, the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing your 2012 – 2013 FAFSA (filtering questions on the FAFSA determined eligibility), you may go back into your FAFSA and use this tool to reduce the need to submit your 2011 IRS Tax Return Transcript. We strongly recommend you use this tool if you are eligible.

If you are unable to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and you are selected for verification, you will be required to submit a copy of your 2011 IRS Tax Transcript. If applicable, your spouse or parent(s) will be required to submit a copy of their 2011 IRS Tax Transcript as well. If you are a dependent student and you want to use the tool, but your parents are unable to use it, they will be required to submit copies of their 2011 IRS Tax Transcripts.

Please see our IRS Data Retrieval Tool page for help in using the Tool or to view the steps on how to obtain your 2011 IRS Tax Return Transcript.