Office of Student Financial Assistance

Verification

Federal verification process

Verification is a process required by the U.S. Department of Education to ensure the accuracy of the information reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The verification process requires our office to verify or confirm certain data elements reported by you and/or your parents on your FAFSA.

If you are selected for verification, the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) will inform you of the necessary documentation required. Students are encouraged to utilize KSIS to view their Tasks tile or the Student Center tile for specific information on what must be submitted. The information may be submitted through our Secure Document Upload utility.

The verification process is not complete and federal financial aid will not be awarded or disbursed until all required documentation has been received and verified by OSFA, and the U.S. Department of Education has received and accepted any changes to the FAFSA data.

Why was my FAFSA selected to be verified?

The U.S. Department of Education uses a risk model to determine which FAFSAs will be selected for verification and which data elements will be verified. Approximately 18% of FAFSA applications are selected for verification each year. Data elements required to be verified may vary from student to student and may include financial, demographic and identity information. FAFSAs that score high on the risk model are more likely to be selected, but even very low-risk applications may be selected in order to maintain the 18% selection target. Factors which make a FAFSA more likely to be selected are:

  • Incomplete data or data with contradictions
  • Taxes paid are inconsistent with income
  • Indicating no tax return filed, but income exceeds IRS filing thresholds
  • Indicating tax return has not yet been filed (estimated information)
    • Remember, the target tax year is two years prior to the fall semester of the aid year you are applying for (ex. 2020 income for Aid Year 2022-2023). The vast majority of tax payers already filed these tax returns six or more months prior to FAFSA completion.

Students who submit a Professional Judgment Appeal Form will have their FAFSA data verified before we make changes to any data elements.

Students who only qualify for unsubsidized aid like TEACH Grants or unsubsidized loans are not required to be verified.

How will I know if I am selected for verification?

You will be notified by your K-State email and/or the U.S. Postal Service if you have any outstanding requirements that must be met before a federal financial aid award will be made. Students are encouraged to utilize KSIS to view their Tasks tile or the Student Center tile for specific information on what must be submitted.

If you are selected for verification, the documentation you submit will be compared to your original FAFSA and corrections may be made. These corrections may change your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which could affect the amount of aid for which you are eligible. If corrections are made, you will receive a new Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Department of Education.