The Master’s College - Prospective Undergrads

The Federal Verification Process

When you submit the FAFSA on the Web, you may be randomly selected by the Federal processor for a process called “verification.” This means the Department of Education requires our office to determine the accuracy of the information provided on your FAFSA on the Web application. If you receive this notification, please complete the following steps in compliance with Federal guidelines.

NOTE: The priority deadline is March 2nd. The following steps must be completed before March 2nd to be considered for priority awarding.

Verification Steps:

1. Complete the IRS Data Retrieval through FAFSA on the Web (See our IRS Data Retrieval Guide).
2. Submit the current 2012-13 Federal Verification Worksheet to the Office of Financial Aid.
3. Sign and submit our Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
4. Submit all documents listed above and/or requested by the Financial Aid Office by March 2nd for priority awarding. Some scholarships and grants may require additional forms, which can be found here.

What is the IRS Data Retrieval?

The IRS Data Retrieval is a feature of FAFSA on the web, which links your FAFSA with your already filed federal tax information through the IRS. Beginning February 5th you may update your FAFSA by linking to your federal taxes and pulling your tax data directly from the IRS ‘auto-filling” the tax portion of your FAFSA. Taxes submitted electronically require 2 weeks before they can be requested. If they were submitted by paper, they will require up to 8 weeks. If you do not wish to complete the IRS Data retrieval and are required for verification, you must contact the IRS to request a copy of student and/or parent’s IRS tax transcript to provide to the Financial Aid Office (See below, “Requesting an IRS transcript”).

How to use the IRS Data Retrieval:

See our IRS Data Retrieval Step by Step Guide

NOTE: The student and parent must go to the IRS separately. Please ensure that you have a valid Social Security Number and have already filed taxes for the previous year.

What if I Cannot Complete the IRS Data Retrieval?

If you cannot complete Step 1 (above), you may request an IRS transcript and submit it to the Financial Aid Office. (See our guide on How to Request an IRS Tax Transcript). You must request an IRS transcript if:
—-You (or your parent) did not use the IRS Data Retrieval Process either at initial FAFSA filing or through subsequent corrections.
—-You changed information after using the IRS Data retrieval process.
—-Your tax status is ‘Married, filing separately.’
—-Your parents filed separate tax returns.
—-You (or your parent) had a change in marital status after the end of the tax year on December 31.
—-You (or your parent) filed an amended tax return.
—-You filed taxes outside the U.S.

Requesting an IRS Transcript:

1. On the IRS website choose “Order a Tax Return or Account Transcript.” (See our guide on How to Request an IRS Tax Transcript).
2. Under step number 3, (“Go get your transcript!”) select “Order a Transcript.” (Or call 1-800-908-9946 or request a transcript by using the IRS form 4506T-EZ).
3. Enter your information and request a tax transcript for the proper year.
4. Once you receive your transcript (within 5 to 10 days), submit it to the Office of Financial Aid for verification.