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Verification

Verification is a quality-control method used by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to check the accuracy of the information submitted on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The federal processor determines who is selected for verification. The Office of Student Financial Assistance also has the authority to select files for verification if there appears to be a conflict of information.

Students selected for verification will be requested to provide the Office of Student Financial Assistance copies of specific tax documentation (e.g. income tax return transcripts, non-tax filer statements, W-2 statements, or 1099 forms) to support the information reported on their FAFSA form.

Financial aid administrators are required to ask for any documentation that may be necessary to clarify discrepancies in order to complete the verification process. If a family refuses to supply the requested documentation, the student’s eligibility for any federal student aid and/or need-based aid awarded may be forfeited.

Please submit all requested official documents by the May 30th document submission UCF priority date but, no later than 60 days prior to the start of the semester for which federal aid is being requested. Students whose verification is incomplete, will not receive a disbursement of federal, state or institutional need-based aid.

Students selected for verification by the federal processor are notified on their Student Aid Report (SAR). Student Financial Assistance will also notify students of their selection via email communication to the student’s Knight’s email. Documents required to complete the review process are listed on the student’s “To-Do List” on myUCF in the Student Center. Verification forms will be available for students and parents to complete and sign electronically via Dynamic Forms.

Students must click on the “details” of the items to read the instructions for each item. In order to avoid processing and disbursement delays, we have established May 30 as a UCF priority deadline date for submitting verification documents.

Student Aid Report

The Student Aid Report (SAR) is an electronic document that gives students some basic information about their eligibility for federal student aid and lists their answers to the questions on the FAFSA. It also provides the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number which is used by institutions to determine the student’s eligibility for financial aid.

If a valid email address is listed on the FAFSA, students will receive an email with instructions on how to access an online copy of their SAR. Typically, students can access their SAR within two weeks of filing their FAFSA.

If corrections were made to the FAFSA while completing verification, the student will receive an email to access their SAR with the updated information.

Federal regulations require the following:

  • Federal financial aid cannot be disbursed until verification is complete.
  • Financial aid administrators are required to request certain financial documents and any other documentation that supports the information provided in the FAFSA, and to resolve discrepancies in order to complete verification.
  • Verification may result in corrections that could change award amounts, which may affect the ability to receive aid and the deferment of your tuition and fees.
  • Estimated financial aid awards may be removed if verification is not completed within specified deadlines. As a result, any deferred tuition and fees become due immediately.

Deadlines to submit documents and complete verification are provided to students via email in the Notification of Verification.

Federal Income Tax Return Copies Now Accepted

Effective: January 9, 2019 To reduce burden on students and families that have difficulty in obtaining documentation needed to verify their Free Application for Federal Student Aid/Institutional Student Information Record (FAFSA/ISIR) information, the U.S. Department of Education has granted universities permission to accept signed copies of students’ and parents’ federal income tax returns to satisfy financial aid verification requirements. View the Signing Tax Documents for Verification and Valid Signatures on Forms and Taxes sections for helpful tips on document submission.

Updated Verification of Non-Filing Status Information

If you and/or your parents were not required to file a tax return, the following steps should be taken:

  • If you were classified as a dependent student, based on the FAFSA requirements, and you were not required to file taxes, you must answer NO on the Dependent Verification Worksheet.
  • If you were classified as an Independent student, based on the FAFSA requirements, and you and your spouse (if married) were not required to file taxes, you must answer “No” on the Independent Verification Worksheet and submit the IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter. Each non-filer listed must provide the letter. Please complete the IRS Form 4506-T to request the IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter (VNFL) for the tax year. It could take up to 10 business days for processing. Please do not request the letter to be sent directly to our office.
  • If you were classified as Independent and you and/or spouse (if married) are not able to provide the IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter, each non-filer must provide a signed statement certifying that an attempt was made to obtain the VNFL from the IRS. The certified statement should include that the non-filer was unable to obtain the required document; has not filed an income tax return and is not required to file an income tax return.
  • How to Request IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter

Verification FAQs

Dependent Verification of Tax Information FAQs

An individual who was required to file an IRS income tax return and was granted a filing extension by the IRS must provide all the items below:

  • A copy of IRS Form 4868, ‘‘Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return,’’ that was filed with the IRS for the tax year;
  • A copy of the IRS’s approval of an extension beyond the automatic six-month extension;
  • Verification of Non-filing Letter (confirmation that the tax return has not yet been filed) from the IRS or other relevant tax authority dated on or after October 1;
  • A copy of IRS Form W–2 for each source of employment income received for the tax year.
  • If self-employed, a signed statement certifying the amount of the individual’s Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and the U.S. income tax paid for the tax year.

Students and/or parent(s) can submit a completed and signed Dependent Verification Worksheet to certify that s/he has not filed and is not required to file a income tax return. Only parents are also required, by the Department of Education, to provide an IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter.

There are two ways to request an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter from the IRS.

  1. Your parent(s) can request an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter be mailed to them by using Form 4506-T or by going to IRS.gov and clicking the “Get Transcript by Mail” option. Make sure to request an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter. Please allow 5 to 10 calendar days for delivery of letter at the address the IRS has on file for you, from the date the IRS received your request.
  2. By telephone at 1-800-908-9946. Please allow 5 to 10 calendar days for delivery.

A more comprehensive guide on how to request and receive a IRS Non-Filing Letter can be found at How to Request IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter.
If your parent(s) were unable to obtain the Verification of Non-filing letter from the IRS, they must complete the Parent Tax Filing Statement form to certify that an attempt was made to request the Verification of Non-filing Letter but was unsuccessful.

If income from work was earned and the W-2’s are not available, request a “Wage and Income Transcript” from the IRS. You will need to request it online, complete the Form 4506-T or contact your employer or previous employer and request a new copy of W-2 form(s).

Victims of Identity Theft must submit a Tax Return Database View Form (TRDBV) by contacting the IRS Specialized Identity Theft Assistance line at 1-800-908-4490. Along with the TRDBV form, we will require a signed and dated statement from the tax filer indicating that he or she was a victim of identity theft and that the IRS has been made aware of the issue.

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool in the online FAFSA application is the fastest, easiest, most secure method of providing the required tax verification. You may log in to your FAFSA and submit a correction to use the IRS Retrieval Tool. There are certain circumstances in which your parent(s) are not eligible to use the IRS retrieval such as when your parents filed separate tax returns if married or your parent’s marital status has changed after December 31 of the tax year.

There are three ways to request a Tax Return Transcript from the IRS.

  1. Online at IRS.gov. Click on “Get Your Tax Record”. Make sure to request a Tax Return Transcript not a Tax Account Transcript.
  2. By telephone at 1-800-908-9946. Please allow 5 to 10 calendar days for delivery.
  3. By Mail: You can request an IRS Tax Return Transcript be mailed to you by using Form 4506-T or by going to IRS.gov and clicking the “Get Transcript by Mail” option. Make sure to request a Tax Return Transcript, not a Tax Account Transcript. Transcripts will arrive in 5 to 10 calendar days at the address the IRS has on file for you, from the date the IRS received your request.

Read a more comprehensive guide on how to request and receive a IRS Tax Return Transcript.

For the 2022-2023 FAFSA, if you and/or your parents filed taxes in 2020, you must submit a signed copy of the 2020 income tax return or a copy of the 2020 tax return transcripts from the IRS. This is required to complete the verification process.

For the 2023-2024 FAFSA, if you and/or your parents filed taxes in 2021, you must submit a signed copy of the 2021 income tax return or a copy of the 2021 tax return transcripts from the IRS. This is required to complete the verification process.

You must submit the verification of tax information if you were selected for verification, and on your ‘To-Do List” you have listed:

Dependent Verification Worksheet

  • This form is now available to complete and sign electronically. When you are completing this form, it will require the student and/or parent to provide the tax information according to the answers provided on the FAFSA and if the IRS Retrieval Tool was used to retrieve the tax information.
  • According to the tax information you reported on your FAFSA, you and/or your parent(s) will be required to upload the tax information on the electronic verification worksheet form before signing and submitting the form electronically.
  • If your parents were divorced or separated on the day you filed the FAFSA, you would use the parent with whom you lived with the most in the 12 months before filing the FAFSA. If you lived with neither parent in those 12 months, you would use the parent that provided the greatest financial support in those 12 months or the most recent year in which you received support.
  • If the parent you are using was remarried on the day you filed the FAFSA, you must also provide the information for the step-parent.
  • If your parents (regardless of gender) are not married to each other and live together, you must provide financial information for both parents.

You should submit ALL of the following:

  • A copy of the IRS Tax Return Transcript that includes information from the original tax return or a signed copy of the IRS Form 1040 that was filed with the IRS.
  • A signed copy of the IRS Form 1040X for the calendar year that was filed with the IRS.

If you and/or your parent(s) filed a tax return in a foreign country or in a U.S. territory such as Puerto Rico, please submit signed copies of the foreign tax returns with dollar amounts converted to U. S. currency or the territory’s tax return.

View All FAQs

InDependent Verification of Tax Information FAQs

An individual who was required to file an IRS income tax return and was granted a filing extension by the IRS, must provide all the items below:

  • A copy of IRS Form 4868, ‘‘Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return,’’ that was filed with the IRS for the tax year;
  • A copy of the IRS’s approval of an extension beyond the automatic six-month extension;
  • Verification of Non-filing Letter (confirmation that the tax return has not yet been filed) from the IRS or other relevant tax authority dated on or after October 1;
  • A copy of IRS Form W–2 for each source of employment income received for the tax year and,
  • If self-employed, a signed statement certifying the amount of the individual’s Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and the U.S. income tax paid for the tax year.

Students and/or spouses can submit a completed and signed Independent Verification Worksheet to certify that s/he has not filed and is not required to file a income tax return, along with an IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter.

There are two ways to request an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter from the IRS.

  1. By Mail: You and or your spouse can request an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter be mailed to you by using Form 4506-T or by going to IRS.gov and clicking the “Get Transcript by Mail” option. Make sure to request an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter. Please allow 5 to 10 calendar days for delivery of letter at the address the IRS has on file for you, from the date the IRS received your request.
  2. By telephone at 1-800-908-9946. Please allow 5 to 10 calendar days for delivery.

A more comprehensive guide on how to request and receive an IRS Non-Filing Letter can be found at How to Request IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter.

If income from work was earned and the W-2’s are not available, request a “Wage and Income Transcript” from the IRS. You will need to request it online. Complete the Form 4506-T or contact your employer or previous employer and request a new copy of W-2 form(s).

Individuals who are unable to obtain an IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter (VNLF) may submit a Tax Filing statement form to certify that an attempt was made to obtain the VNFL from the IRS.

Victims of Identity Theft must submit a Tax Return Database View Form (TRDBV) by contacting the IRS Specialized Identity Theft Assistance line at 1-800-908-4490. Along with the TRDBV form we will require a signed and dated statement from the tax filer indicating that he or she was a victim of identity theft and that the IRS has been made aware of the issue.

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool in the online FAFSA application is the fastest, easiest, most secure method of providing the required tax verification. You may log in to your FAFSA and submit a correction to use the IRS Retrieval Tool. (There are certain circumstances in which you and your spouse, if married, are not eligible to use the IRS retrieval such as when you and your spouse if married, filed separate tax returns, or your marital status has changed after December 31).

There are three ways to request a Tax Return Transcript from the IRS.

  1. Online. Click on “Get Your Tax Record”. Make sure to request a Tax Return Transcript not a Tax Account Transcript.
  2. By telephone at 1-800-908-9946. Please allow 5 to 10 calendar days for delivery.
  3. By Mail: You can request an IRS Tax Return Transcript be mailed to you by using Form 4506-T or by going to IRS.gov and clicking the “Get Transcript by Mail” option. Make sure to request a Tax Return Transcript not a Tax Account Transcript. Transcripts will arrive in 5 to 10 calendar days at the address the IRS has on file for you, from the date the IRS received your request.

Read a more comprehensive guide on how to request and receive a IRS Tax Transcript.

For the 2022-2023 FAFSA, if you and/or your spouse filed taxes in 2020, you must submit a copy of the 2020 income tax return or a copy of the 2020 tax return transcripts from the IRS. This is required to complete the verification process.

For the 2023-2024 FAFSA, if you and/or your spouse filed taxes in 2021, you must submit a copy of the 2021 income tax return or a copy of the 2021 tax return transcripts from the IRS. This is required to complete the verification process.

You must submit the verification of tax information if you were selected for verification, and on your ‘To-Do List” you have listed:

Independent Verification Worksheet:

  • This form is now available to complete and sign electronically. When you are completing this form, it will require the student and/or spouse, if married, to provide the tax information according to the answers provided on the FAFSA and if the IRS Retrieval Tool was used to retrieve the tax information.
  • According to the tax information you reported on your FAFSA, you and/or your spouse, if married, will be required to upload the tax information on the electronic verification worksheet form before signing and submitting the form electronically.

You should submit ALL of the following:

  • A copy of the IRS Tax Return Transcript or a signed copy the 1040 that was filed with the IRS.
  • A signed copy of the IRS Form 1040X that was filed with the IRS.

If you and/or your spouse filed a tax return in a foreign country or in a U.S. territory such as Puerto Rico, please submit signed copies of the tax returns with dollar amounts converted to U.S. currency.

View All FAQs