What is Federal Verification?
Verification is a federally mandated process to confirm the
accuracy of the information provided by you and your parents on the
FAFSA you filed.
How do you know if you are selected for verification?
Your federal Student Aid Report (SAR) will indicate if your
FAFSA has been selected for verification.
Why is your file being verified?
The federal government selects which FAFSAs will be reviewed for
verification. The following are the most common reasons for being
selected:
- You were selected randomly.
- The data you provided on your FAFSA was incomplete.
- You provided contradictory information on your FAFSA.
- You provided estimated income information on your FAFSA.
What documents need to be submitted to complete
verification?
All students selected for verification will be required at a
minimum to complete a verification worksheet and to submit an
official Federal Tax Return (IRS) Transcript and W-2 forms
for the student and/or parent or spouse from every employer
for that tax year.
Students must log into the Mount Saint Mary Web Portal for a
complete list of all required documents. Required forms may be
downloaded at
www.msmc.edu/studentservices/financialaid/formsyoumayneed
Important Notice: If you and/or your parents filed federal tax
returns with the filing status of either “single” or “married
filing jointly” you may select the IRS data retrieval option on
your FAFSA. This will allow the IRS to verify your tax information
automatically, but you will still be required to send us a copy of
that transcript.
How are IRS Tax Transcripts requested?
You and/or your parents may request an IRS Tax Transcript by any
of the following methods:
- www.IRS.gov – select Order a Transcript
- Call – 1(800) 908-9946
- Complete – form 4506-T and mail to the address indicated
Please do not have an IRS TAX Transcript sent directly to Mount
Saint Mary College. You must make the request to the IRS to send
the IRS transcript to your home address. Upon receipt please keep a
photocopy for your files, list your name and MSMC Student ID number
at the top of each page of the IRS tax transcript and submit it to
the Mount yourself.
Where are the requested documents sent?
Please send copies of requested documentation to our processing
center:
Mount Saint Mary College
Office of Financial Aid
330 Powell Ave
Newburgh, NY 12550
- Remember to make photocopies of all forms for your records
- Print your name and MSMC Student ID on each page of the
documents that you submit
What is the Verification Processing Timeframe?
Processing usually takes two to three weeks but may take longer
during the summer months since they are peak processing time.
What happens if there are discrepancies in the
application?
After you turn in all required documents, the Office of
Financial Aid will compare them with the data you reported on your
FAFSA. If errors are found, corrections will be made. If the errors
are significant enough to change the amount of financial aid that
you were awarded, the Office of Financial Aid will send you a
revised award letter showing changes in award amounts. Please note
you may monitor your aid status on your Mount account.
What if I do not supply the verification documentation?
Verification must be completed before the Mount’s need based aid
and aid from federal programs can be disbursed to your student
account. If you are a federal work study student and are selected
for Verification, your file must be verified before you may work.
It is essential to complete the verification process on a timely
basis to insure that financial aid is credited to your student
bill.
What is the deadline for verification?
Federal guidelines allow for students who have a valid FAFSA on
file to complete verification up to 120 days after the last date of
enrollment. However, it is important to note that Mount Saint Mary
is allowed to set its own processing deadlines.
The Mount extends anticipated aid credit pending verification
until the end of October. If you have not submitted all requested
documents by October 31st the anticipated aid credit will expire.
From this point, your aid will only be reinstated only after all
requested documents are submitted and verification has been
completed.
Families seeking a reconsideration of aid eligibility should
note that federal regulations require a file to be verified before
a reconsideration request may be reviewed.
Failure to submit all requested documentation will result in the
forfeiture of your financial aid eligibility.
How will I be notified about the status of my
verification?
A message will be posted to your Mount account indicating that
verification has been completed or if additional documents are
needed. It is the student’s responsibility to monitor his/her aid
status through access to his/her personal Mount account.