Verification and Conflicting Information
If you're selected for federal verification or have conflicting information, we'll notify you via email so you can help us verify that the information you submitted on your financial aid application is accurate.
What to Submit
If you're selected for federal verification or have conflicting information, you'll receive an email from our office indicating what you (and your parents, if applicable) need to submit. Required documents may include:
- Student and/or parent W-2s
- Signed student and/or parent tax returns
- Other forms
If you're applying for aid for the 2024-25 academic year, tax returns and W-2s should be from 2022. Tax returns must be signed or include tax preparer information. Not all documents will be required of all students. Prospective, admitted students should log into the Ranger Portal to view their financial aid checklist which details any items needed to complete their application. Current students should also regularly check the Ranger Portal for any updates to their financial aid checklist or offer.
Need to submit ID Verification and Statement of Educational Purpose? Learn more
When to Submit
Make sure to submit your documents as soon as possible! We're unable to generate your financial aid offer until we complete the review process.
The final deadline for federal verification is your last day of attendance during an academic year or June 30 of the academic year, whichever comes first. Students submitting documents after the final deadline will not be eligible for financial aid for that year.
Required Documentation for Other Scenarios
If your financial aid checklist indicates that your FAFSA has been rejected, it means the U.S. Department of Education had trouble processing it. Your FAFSA can be on hold for several reasons—the most common reasons are missing signatures or a discrepancy between the name and social security number you reported on the FAFSA and what the Social Security Administration has on record.
To resolve this issue, log in to your FAFSA. On the applicable aid year tab, you'll see the reason your FAFSA is on hold and instructions for what to do next.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us or the Federal Student Aid Help Center.
If your financial aid checklist has an item that begins with "C-Flag," it means that the Department of Education has had one or more problems processing your FAFSA. This issue (commonly referred to as "c-flags" or "comment codes") must be resolved before we can generate a financial aid offer for you, and usually means you need to submit additional documentation to our office.
To view the problem(s) with your FAFSA:
- Log in to your FAFSA
- Click the "View Student Aid Report" link on the appropriate aid year tab
- Select the "FAFSA Data" tab
- Review the "What you must do now" section
If you have any questions about what to submit, please feel free to contact us or the Federal Student Aid Help Center
If your financial aid checklist includes an "IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter," you must submit a letter from the IRS confirming that you (or your parent) did not file a tax return.
This letter must come directly from the IRS.To obtain a verification letter online:
- Go to irs.gov.
- Click on "Get Your Tax Record" then "Get Transcript Online."
- Log in or complete the steps to register.
- Be sure to request a Verification of Non-filing Letter.
Please contact us with any questions.
If your financial aid checklist includes orphan/ward of the court documentation, it means that you indicated one or more of the following scenarios on your FAFSA, and we must collect additional documentation. Please identify your scenario below and submit the required documentation indicated in the "what to submit" column.
If none of these circumstances apply to you, you must correct your FAFSA (questions 52-27) online at FAFSA.gov and provide parent financial information.
| Scenario | What to Submit |
|---|---|
| At any time since you turned age 13, were you an orphan (no living biological or adoptive parent)? | Copies of your parent(s) death certificate(s) and your birth certificate |
| At any time since you turned 13, you were in foster care? | A copy of official court documentation or documentation from your state child welfare agency that shows you were in foster care |
| At any time since you turned 13, you were a dependent or ward of the court? | A copy of official court documentation or documentation from your state child welfare agency that shows your status as a ward of the court |
| Are you or were you a legally emancipated minor, as determined by a court in your state of residence? | Court ruling granting emancipation |
| Are you or were you in a legal guardianship with someone other than your parent or stepparent, as determined by a court in your state of residence? | A copy of the court documentation confirming your status in a legal guardianship and the effective date(s) of that legal guardianship status as well as a statement from your legal guardian that you were in their care just prior to your 18th birthday |
You’ll be allowed to fill out the FAFSA form as an independent student if you indicate that you are unaccompanied and homeless or at risk of being homeless on the FAFSA form for the first time. You must submit documentation from an individual at an eligible agency which includes one of the following:
- Your high school or district homeless liaison or designee
- The director or designee of an emergency or transitional shelter, street outreach program, homeless youth drop-in center, or another program serving those experiencing homelessness
- The director or designee of a project supported by a federal TRIO program or a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant