Financial Aid Verification

Verification Processes for Community Colleges

PLEASE NOTE: EVEN IF A PRIORITY DEADLINE HAS PASSED, YOU MUST STILL TURN IN THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION TO COMPLETE FINANCIAL AID VERIFICATION. DO NOT DELAY!

Click On Your School to Find More Information

Chattanooga State Community College
Fall Priority Deadline: May 1

Students will receive a letter in the mail from Chattanooga State reminding them that they need to log into their TigerWeb portal to check their requirements for financial aid and admissions. Students are sent follow-up emails every other week from that point on until their documentation is received. If upon review the documentation is not complete or contains conflicting information, the file is marked as INCOMPLETE and students receive an email to inform them. Files are not reviewed by Chattanooga State until all required documentation is received.

Here is a video on how to check if you have Financial Aid requirements on your tiger web account.

Here are videos on how to complete a Chattanooga State verification form for a dependent student.
Part One  Part Two

More videos will eventually be posted to TigerWeb on the TigerTutorial page!

Click here for more information about financial aid at Chattanooga State

Cleveland State Community College
Fall Priority Deadline: July 1

Cleveland State will start alerting students of verification requirements in April. Students can check their financial aid status on their CougarNet accounts, where missing documents will be marked with a red flag. Once a document is received and confirmed by the school, the flag is updated to show a green checkmark. Once Cleveland State receives all documentation needed, the student will see a red flag on their account that says "File is pending counselor review." This requirement then triggers an alert on the student's account providing them a date by which their file will be completed.

First-time freshmen will be assigned a Success Coach, who will be reaching out to them through phone calls, emails and text messages to help them complete their admissions and financial aid requirements. These students will also receive a weekly "Missing Item," email from the Financial Aid Office to both their Cleveland State email and the email address listed on the FAFSA if they have missing requirements.

The most common documents that students have been missing are usually tax documents, but new Dept. of Education guidelines now allow them to accept signed tax returns (1040, 1040EZ, 1040A) instead of a tax return transcript.

Click here for more information about financial aid at Cleveland State

Columbia State Community College
Fall Priority Deadline: July 1

Columbia State students can check on what documents they need to submit on their online student portal, ChargerNet. Columbia State sends email reminders to students who still need to submit their required documentation. Some verification documents can be submitted online, but others must be submitted in person and require a student to show a form of ID.

Click here for more information about financial aid at Columbia State 

Dyersburg State Community College

FALL PRIORITY DATE: AUGUST 1

  • Dyersburg State students are strongly encouraged to submit their required documentation as soon as possible. Once Dyersburg State receives a student’s FAFSA, their MyDSCC account is created and students will have access to their student portal within 1-2 weeks of applying to the college. On their MyDSCC accounts, there are red flags listed next to documents that students need to submit. Each flag turns to green once they have submitted the corresponding document. Students who need to submit documentation receive a postcard in the mail and an automated email letting them know they have outstanding documents. Every time a new requirement is added to a student’s account, an additional email is sent to the student. Also, if students have questions during the verification process, Financial Aid will respond to questions from the automated emails.
  • Generally, IRS Tax Return Transcripts and Letters of Non-Filing are the biggest issues for students because they can often take some time to receive. Dyersburg State recommends that parents order these transcripts after their taxes are processed every year so that they have a copy at hand, but students and parents can order a copy of these any time from the IRS. There are also verification forms students have to complete with a signature from a parent or guardian. Once the student completes a form, the parent/guardian is sent an email with instructions on how to sign the form electronically. The forms can also be printed off and submitted in person or faxed into the FA office. We can now accept a signed copy of a tax return (1040), those can be submitted to the FA office with all other documentation. All financial aid forms can be found at https://www.dscc.edu/node/6817.

Click here for more information about financial aid at Dyersburg State

Jackson State Community College

FALL PRIORITY DEADLINE: JULY 1

Once a student’s FAFSA is received, a letter is sent out to the student the following day if documents need to be verified. When students receive that letter in the mail, Jackson State strongly encourages students to start submitting verification documents as soon as possible. Follow-up emails are sent to the students once a month and additional letters are sent out within 5-7 days if documents have discrepancies. Once students have submitted all documents, an award letter is sent via e-mail to confirm. Students can also review their required documents through the Jweb portal.

Click here for more information about financial aid at Jackson State

Motlow State Community College
fall priority deadline: June 1

Once a student’s FAFSA is received by Motlow State, financial aid requirements show up on their myMotlow student portals by April/May. Students and parents must register for a system called Dynamic Forms to submit their verification documents online (students should not have parents complete their Dynamic form for them). Student communication is primarily done through email. By April, financial aid requirement reminders are already in the process of being sent out.

In addition to the email, Motlow State plans to send out a text message to students letting them know that financial aid requirements have been posted to their student accounts. Every Monday starting in April, follow-up emails are sent to students who have yet to complete their financial aid requirements. Motlow reaches out to students via their personal emails with a general reminder to check their student email if they have not been responsive. They also call students that seem to be struggling to complete requirements.Students are strongly recommended to check their accounts frequently (on a weekly basis at least) so they do not miss additional information requests from the financial aid office.

Tax return transcripts are usually the biggest roadblock when it comes to missing documentation, but this should become easier for students and parents now that they are allowed to submit signed copies of their tax returns. Motlow does recommend using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool on the FAFSA.

Click here for more information about financial aid at Motlow State

Nashville State Community College
fall priority deadline: July 1

Nashville State emails students directly and provides them deadlines (two weeks to respond) by which they must submit their documentation to the school. If students miss the deadline, Nashville State then marks them as “verification incomplete,” and they are removed from the school roster until they submit all of the necessary documentation.

Students can login to their MyNSCC portal, click the financial aid tab, select the appropriate academic year and view the requirements they need to submit. The requirements are listed in PDF format so the student can print them off to complete and return to Nashville State's financial aid office.

If you decide not to use the IRS data retrieval process and you are selected for verification, then you need to submit Nashville State's preferred IRS 2018 Tax Return Transcript or provide a signed copy of your 2018 Federal IRS Income Tax Return.

Click here for more information about financial aid at Nashville State

Northeast State Community College
fall priority deadline: July 1st

July 1 is the recommended due date in case additional documentation is requested. Northeast State begins processing financial aid information for the next academic year in late March/early April and sends letters to students selected for verification shortly thereafter. Students can log into their MyNortheast accounts to access all of the documents they need to turn in. In May, Northeast State sends follow-up emails, letters and phone calls to students who are still missing their required documentation. One tip for students to remember that makes this process smoother: it is easiest to visit campus to complete and submit requirements instead of via email, phone or fax.

Click here for more information about financial aid at Northeast State

Pellissippi State Community College
Fall Priority deadline: July 1

Pellissippi Financial Aid Days:
RSVP for June 3, 2-7 p.m. at Blount County Campus.
RSVP for June 5, 12:30-4:30 p.m. at Magnolia Avenue Campus.
RSVP for June 6, 2-7 p.m. at Strawberry Plains Campus.

Once FAFSAs are submitted to Pellissippi State, Banner automatically generates verification requirements for students. An automated email is then sent out to the student notifying them of the requirements and instructing them to log into their myPellissippi account. Email reminders are sent to students every month until June, then every two weeks from that point forward. Students can access online forms, messages and all of their requirements on their myPellissippi account, which they can access within 24-48 hours of applying to the school. The most common documentation that students struggle to submit are tax transcripts that students have to obtain through the IRS (Wage transcripts, W-2s, etc.). 

Click here for more information about financial aid at Pellissippi State

Roane State Community College
fall priority deadline: August 1st

Roane State students are each assigned a Success Coach who helps guide them through each of their requirements, including verification. When students are selected for verification, coaches receive a ticket from the financial aid office with an explanation about why the student was selected and what documents are required from them. Coaches then reach out to students within a day of receiving the ticket, generally through email, and then with a follow-up text.

Students can also check their student portal, RaiderNet, to check their financial aid status and to access the required documents. Students can click on a link entitled, “Outstanding Financial Aid Requirements for the XXXX-XXXX Aid Year,” to access a list of required documents with additional information about how to obtain the documents. All documents are submitted directly to the coaches, and they check in weekly with their students through text and email if they still have outstanding documentation.

Click here for more information about financial aid at Roane State

Southwest Tennessee Community College
fall priority deadline: June 15

Reminder emails are sent to the students’ Southwest Tennessee email address and the email address listed on their FAFSA. Follow-up robo-calls and student portal messages are then sent to students who are still missing required documentation. The MySouthwest student portal also lists documents that have been received and that are outstanding. The most common missing documents from students are parent tax return transcripts, verification worksheets, proof of their parent’s marital status, and official copies of their high school transcripts.

Click here for more information about financial aid at Southwest Tennessee

Volunteer State Community College
Fall Priority Deadline: June 1

It is recommended that Vol State students complete verification requirements by June 1 to ensure their files are complete before payment due dates. Phone calls are made to students and emails are sent to their Vol State addresses informing them if they are selected for verification.

Students can check their MyVolState student portals if they have outstanding requirements and Vol State is currently developing a process to text students reminders to check their student accounts as well. Students can access all required documents from their student portals 24/7 and can also use Dynamic Forms to complete and submit documents online.

Click here for more information about financial aid at Vol State

Walters State Community College
Fall Priority Deadline: June 30

Walters State students that are selected for verification or have missing information necessary for processing their application will receive an email to their Senators Mail account. Students can review their eligibility requirements through MyWS or follow up with the financial aid office to determine what documents are required to complete their financial aid application. Automated calls are also made on a weekly basis from mid-February through the start of the fall semester to students who have outstanding requirements. Walters State also sends representatives each high school in their 10-county area to directly support students in completing the verification process.

Click here for more information about financial aid at Walters State