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How To Complete Financial Aid Verification

July 23, 2020

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an annual requirement for TN Promise and other forms of federal and state financial aid. Verification happens when you are selected by the Department of Education to verify that the information on your FAFSA is correct. Not all students are selected for verification. Students selected for verification are required to submit certain documents to the college’s financial aid office to verify the information provided on the FAFSA.

How do I know if I’ve been selected for verification?
Your college’s financial aid office will notify you that you have been selected for verification. It will do so via email or in your college portal, so make sure to check both regularly. If you are selected, make sure you complete the necessary steps as soon as possible!

What do I do once I am selected for verification?
If you are selected for verification, call your college’s financial aid office. Sometimes all you will need to do is link your FAFSA back to the IRS website. In other instances you will need to collect copies of the documents requested by the financial aid office and send them in. Once all paperwork is submitted the financial aid office will make corrections and process your financial aid.

How quickly do I need to complete the verification process?
As soon as possible! Remember, it can take up to 4 weeks for the financial aid office to process your paperwork. Simply submitting documents does not mean that you have completed verification. The review process at the college is considered part of the verification process.

How do I know when the verification process is complete?
The verification process is not complete until your college has verified all documents that have been submitted and there are no other outstanding requirements. Simply submitting all requested documents does not mean the verification process is complete. Remember, it is YOUR responsibility to call the financial aid and admissions offices to make sure they have everything they need from you!

What happens if I am selected for verification and I do not complete the process?
If you are selected for verification and you do not complete the entire verification process, you will not be able to receive ANY of your state or federal financial aid until it is completed. This includes TN Promise, HOPE, Pell Grant and more. If you are not sure if verification has been completed or if you are not sure if you have been selected for verification then call your college’s financial aid office TODAY!