Verification Policy

Selection for Verification

The Financial Aid Department at Truman State University verifies all students that are randomly selected by the FAFSA Processing System (FPS) who are eligible to receive need-based aid. Students with conflicting information that wasn’t selected by the FPS will be selected for verification by the Financial Aid Office. The verification process is a tool used by the federal government to ensure students are awarded the correct types and amounts of aid. After completing the FAFSA, students who are selected by the FPS are notified by email in their FAFSA Submission Summary that they have been selected for review a day or two after completing their FAFSA on https://studentaid.gov/ .

Timeline

Please allow a minimum of two weeks for the verification process to be completed. The process might take longer if we receive incomplete documents or request additional information. Not responding to emails or phone calls will delay the amount of time needed to complete the process.

Federal aid and some state aid will not disburse into your Truman student account until the verification process is completed. If you are selected for verification after your aid was disbursed, the verification process will need to be completed before receiving additional aid. Not completing verification after the federal aid was disbursed could lead to some of the federal aid being returned to the Federal Government leaving a balance due on your Truman student account.

Documents

Verification Worksheet and the Identity and Statement of Educational Purpose Form

The form(s) you receive will depend on the verification group selected for you by the federal processor.

• Standard Verification Group
• Aggregate Verification Group
• Custom Verification Group

While most students selected will fall into the Standard Verification Group, some students will be selected for one of the other groups. The Financial Aid Office will mail a Verification Worksheet and/or Identity and Statement of Educational Purpose Form for the appropriate verification group to you at your permanent address. It is extremely important that you submit the information that is requested in your verification worksheet.

Tax Return Transcript

Students and parents who are selected to verify income and did not have their Federal Tax Information (FTI) transferred from the IRS while completing their FAFSA will need to submit copies of an IRS Tax Return Transcript.

• The following information is needed to request a transcript – Social Security Number, date of birth, and the address on file with the IRS (normally this will be the address used when the most recent tax return was filed).
• It takes up to 10 days for IRS income information to be available.
• Be sure to request the “IRS Tax Return Transcript” and not the “IRS Tax Account Transcript”.
• Request the transcript sent to you, then submit a copy to our office and keep a copy for your own records.
• Be sure to submit all pages of the transcript.

Online To Be Mailed

This method will let you request a transcript online to be mailed to the address you have on file with the IRS. The IRS recommends you allow 5-10 business days for arrival.

Go to www.IRS.gov and Click Get Your Tax Record. Select GET TRANSCRIPT BY MAIL. Enter the taxpayers information and click Continue.

Tips: Be sure you are typing the address exactly as it appears on the tax return. Spellings, punctuation, and abbreviations such as Rd., RD, Road will make a difference.

Online To Be Downloaded

This method will let you request a transcript online to download as a PDF instantly.

Go to www.IRS.gov and Click Get Your Tax Record. Select GET TRANSCRIPT ONLINE. You will have to create an account and provide answers to security questions based on your credit history to verify your identity.

By Phone

This method will let you request a transcript by phone to be mailed to the address you have on file with the IRS. The IRS recommends you allow 5-10 business days for arrival.

Call 1-800-908-9946. Enter the tax filers social security number. Enter the numbers at your street address.

Tips: The online requests require an exact match on the address, whereas the phone method only requires your house number, so it is often easier to get.

What To Do If You Have Trouble Obtaining a Transcript

When did you submit your return? In some cases, it can take up to 8-12 weeks after filing your return before transcript information is available.

Try a different requesting method; if you were unsuccessful with the online method, the phone method may work for you.

If you are unable to order a Tax Return Transcript, we will accept copies of the signed Federal Tax Returns.

Amended Returns

If an amended tax return was filed, we need the following:

• A copy of the Tax Return Transcript or a signed copy of the Federal Tax Return.
• A signed copy of the 1040X that was filed.

Victims of Identity Theft

A tax filer will be unable to obtain a Tax Return Transcript from the IRS because they are identified by the IRS as a victim of tax-related identity theft. These individuals must provide the following:

• A copy of the signed federal tax return the individual filed with the IRS; AND
• An IRS 4674C letter (This letter is from the IRS acknowledging the identity theft)

Processing

If errors are found, the Financial Aid Office will submit any corrections or updates to the FAFSA Processing System (FPS). The FPS will email you an updated FAFSA Submission Summary with changes made to your FAFSA. After the verification has been completed, your federal aid package will be reevaluated. If changes occur to your federal aid package, the Financial Aid Office will email you a revised Financial Aid Offer letter.