Verification

Verification is the process by which the SJC Financial Aid Services Office (FASO) must confirm the information you reported on your application for financial aid (FAFSA) and resolve any conflicting information before eligibility for aid can be determined. An application may be selected for verification by either the federal government or by SJC. You can determine if your application is selected for verification by (1) reviewing your Student Aid Report (SAR) at www.fafsa.ed.gov and entering your PIN number and checking the comments on your Student Aid Report (2) check your file online at www.sos.sjcd.edu site and then click My Financial Aid Application Status and then click Student Requirements. Once you identify the documents we need, you should submit the documents immediately as your application cannot be processed until all required documents are received. If you do not provide these documents to the Campus Financial Aid Services Office, we will not be able to process your request for financial aid. Your Campus Financial Aid Services Office will be glad to assist you with any questions you have about the verification process or the documents you need to submit to that office.

Discrepant/Conflicting Tax Data

Under federal financial aid regulations, SJC is obliged to know whether or not a person was required to file a tax return, what the correct filing status is for that person and that an individual cannot be claimed as an exemption by more than one person. Common errors include individuals:

  • Mistakenly filing as Head-of-Household.
  • Not filing a tax return when income is over the minimum to file.
  • Filing under the incorrect filing status.
  • Claiming dependents who do not meet the definition of a dependent.

Individuals who are uncertain as to IRS tax filing requirements should consult the Department of the Treasury, Publication 17, YOUR FEDERAL INCOME TAX FOR INDIVIDUALS or contact your local IRS office.

Items for Verification

Items that must be verified could include, but are not limited to, the taxable and nontaxable income of the student/spouse and, if applicable, parent(s), name, date of birth, citizenship status, social security number, number in the family, number in college, and selective service registration, to name a few.

Verification Documents

Depending on the item to be verified, you will be asked to provide to the FASO certain documents, which might include the following:

  1. A signed copy of your, your spouse’s and, if applicable, a copy of your parent’s most recent federal income tax return including all supplemental pages and attachments
  2. A copy of your Social Security card
  3. A copy of your birth certificate
  4. A copy of your child(ren’s) birth certificate
  5. A copy of your marriage/divorce papers
  6. A copy of documents related to your citizenship status
  7. A properly completed verification form
  8. Documents regarding untaxed income
  9. W-2 forms from each employer
  10. Other forms, documents as directed

Deadlines for Document Submission

You must submit all required documentation within thirty calendar days (30) of the date requested, but no later than the deadlines listed below. Please submit all documents needed at the same time to your Campus Financial Aid Services Office.

Penalty

If the necessary documents are not submitted within the 30-day deadline, eligibility for need-based financial aid cannot be determined and you will forfeit any funds to which you might have been eligible.

Errors in Data

When detected, errors in information will be reported electronically by the FASO to the Federal Processing Center. They will make the necessary corrections to the application and will send a revised Institutional Student Information Report (ISIR) electronically to the college and a revised SAR to you. When the ISIR is received by the FASO, the FASO will continue to determine your eligibility for financial aid.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

If the EFC changes as a result of verification, the change will be noted on your SAR and you will be notified by the Department of Education at the time your application is processed.

SJC Processing Deadlines

  1. FAFSA ON THE Web, Renewal FAFSA on the Web, and applications must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time, July 2, 2007.
  2. Corrections on the Web forms must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time, September 17, 2007.
  3. To receive a Pell Grant, a school must have a valid output document (one with an EFC computed from correct data) while the student is still enrolled for the award year, but no later than the processing deadline.
  4. For Pell recipients selected for verification, the school must have verification documents and a valid output document no later than 120 days after the last day of enrollment or by the processing deadline, whichever is earlier.

Referral of Fraud Cases

Cases of suspected fraud where a student, employee, or other individual has misreported information and/or altered documentation to increase student aid eligibility or to fraudulently obtain federal funds are reported to the Office of Inspector General.

Change in FAFSA Data Regulations requires schools to re-evaluate student eligibility, even retroactively, when there is a change to data reported on the FAFSA. Changes in data could result in a change in student eligibility.