Verification

Each year, the federal government requires schools to participate in the distribution of financial aid to verify the accuracy of data submitted on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

If your FAFSA is selected for verification, you must submit copies of federal tax documents to the Office of Financial Aid and/or complete other assigned verification forms, which you can find in your Financial Aid Portal to-do list.

Who is selected, and what should you do if selected?

Any student who completes a FAFSA may be chosen for verification.

If your application is selected for verification by the federal processor or by Manhattan Tech, you must complete a Manhattan Tech Verification Worksheet, possibly provide Federal Income Tax information and the W-2s of the student and parents, and any other documents requested. Please note that per Department of Education regulations, schools can temporarily accept signed copies of individual income tax returns and applicable schedules. A student may also provide the school with copies of tax return transcripts if desired. These can only be ordered from the IRS website.

Timeline & Deadline

Please allow at least two weeks for the verification process to be completed. The process might take longer if we receive incomplete documents or require additional information. Sometimes, we require clarification on forms you submit, which could also delay processing if you do not respond in a timely manner.

Your financial aid funds cannot be applied to your account until verification has been completed. Return the requested documents to us as soon as possible.

Verification must be completed before the last month of the semester to allow processing time for your financial aid.

Documents

Some applicants must submit copies of signed Federal Tax Returns and W-2s. This is a requirement from the U.S. Department of Education to guarantee the accuracy of the information reported on the FAFSA to ensure federal aid is awarded properly.

If you prefer to submit a copy of your IRS Tax Return Transcript, call the IRS at 1-800-908-9946. You can either request that the IRS send the transcript directly to the college, or have it mailed to your home. For instructions on how to request a Tax Return Transcript online or how to request a Tax Return Transcript by mail, go to irs.gov/transcript. If you filed your return electronically, you should be able to request a copy within 2-3 weeks. If you filed a paper return, you should be able to request a copy within 8-10 weeks.

If any of the following apply to the applicant, they will have to submit a signed Federal Tax Return to the Office of Financial Aid:

• Parents with all zeros for SSN
• The student/parent is married, and either the student/parent or their spouse filed as Married Filing Separately.
• The student/parent is married, and either the student/parent or their spouse filed as Head of Household.
• The parents’ marital status is “Unmarried and both legal parents living together.”
• The student/parent filed a Puerto Rican, foreign tax return, or an IRS Form 1040-NR or 1040NR-EZ.
• If FA-DDX was unable to be used and tax information was manually entered.
• If FA-DDX was used but the information was changed.

Any students or parents meeting the above criteria must enter their tax return information manually.

Additionally, students or parents who filed their tax returns electronically within the last three weeks or through the mail within the last 11 weeks, might need to manually enter their tax return information or return at a later date to transfer their tax return information into the Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form because their tax return information might not be available for transfer from the IRS.

Forms

Visit our Forms page for additional resources. Note: Some financial aid forms are updated annually. Check the date on the form to ensure it matches the academic year you’re applying for aid.

Forms, Worksheets & Resources

Troubleshooting E-Forms for Verification

If you are trying to complete one of the verification forms that are available online and encounter issues with it not being accessible, please try the following:

• Clear your cookies and cache and make sure you don’t have your pop-up blocker on, then try again

If you still have trouble, please contact our office for further assistance.

Victims of Fraud

If you are selected for verification and you or your parent are believed to be a victim of Identity Theft and cannot request a tax return transcript, follow these steps:

• The tax filer must call the IRS at 1-800-908-4490
• A signed and dated statement from the tax filers indicated that he or she was a victim of IRS tax-related identity theft (Form 14039 Identity Theft Affidavit).
• Upon authentication of the tax filer’s identity, the IRS will provide the tax information to you
• Submit the tax information to the financial aid office to complete verification

Amended Returns

If an amended tax return was filed, to complete verification, we need the following:

• A copy of the tax return transcript, which can be ordered online
• A signed copy of the 1040X that was filed with the IRS

Processing

The Office of Financial Aid will correct any inaccuracies and resubmit your FAFSA to the Central Processing System (CPS). CPS will then send you an updated FAFSA Submission Summary. If you have received a financial aid package before completing verification, your aid eligibility will be reevaluated by financial aid after verification has been completed. You will be notified if your awards change after verification.