FAFSA Verification

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool should be used to import your tax information into the FAFSA. This method of completing your FAFSA will reduce errors and prevent students and parents from the requirement to submit tax transcripts to Ohio University to complete the verification process.

If you do need to submit documents to complete the verification process, we recommend you use our Secure Upload Portal. This is a secure method to transmit your documents to our office. When using this portal, we recommend that you do not use a Safari browser. You can also drop documents off at our office in Chubb Hall, room 020, or place them in the drop box located inside the south entrance doors on the ground floor of Chubb Hall (Court Street side of the building). You can submit documents by fax (740.593.4140) or by mail to:

Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships

1 Ohio University

Chubb Hall 020

Athens, OH  45701

Verification Selection Criteria and Procedures

Ohio University receives the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for all admitted students. FAFSA data may be selected for federally required verification, which requests students submit additional documents. Verification parameters vary from year to year. Parameters are determined by the U.S. Department of Education.

If incorrect information is found during the review of your FAFSA, you will be manually selected for verification. This can occur if FAFSA data appears to be inaccurate or discrepant.

Students selected for verification will be informed by email monthly until all requested documents are received. Visit MyOHIO Student Center to view your To Do List and submit all requested items using the Secure Upload Portal. A tax return transcript or a signed copy of a federal tax return may be required to complete verification. Please review the instructions for requesting Tax Return Transcripts and other IRS related documents. DO NOT request the “Tax Account Transcript”. This cannot be accepted to complete verification. If both student and parent tax transcripts are requested, both must be provided. Once all documents are reviewed, additional documents may be requested.

Documents provided will be compared with the data reported on the FAFSA. If discrepancies are found, corrections to the FAFSA will be submitted. These corrections are typically processed by the U.S. Department of Education within five to seven days.

Identity Verification

In addition to verifying specific FAFSA data, some students may be selected by the U.S. Department of Education to verify their identity. Students selected for Identity Verification should complete the requirement in-person in the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships on the Athens campus, or at a regional campus Student Services office with an authorized staff member, if possible. Students completing Identity Verification in-person must present a valid, unexpired state-issued photo ID or a valid U.S. Passport. A college ID or a military ID cannot be accepted.

Students who are unable to complete Identity Verification in-person, may choose to complete the requirement remotely with the assistance of an authorized U.S. based notary public. International or online notaries cannot be accepted. Students completing the process remotely must print an Identity Verification Form (aid year specific) and take it to a notary. The student must complete the form in the presence of the notary and present the notary with an unexpired state-issued photo ID or U.S. Passport. The notary will verify the student’s identity and complete the notary portion of the form, including affixing their notary stamp to the form, and indicating the document used to verify the student’s identity. The student must mail the original notarized form and a clear photocopy of the photo ID used to verify their identity to the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Students may be selected for FAFSA data verification and/or Identity Verification, even after financial aid has been offered and disbursed.  Students who fail to provide requested documents for verification of FAFSA data or identity in a timely manner may see their financial aid disbursements held or even reversed.

Some students may be required to complete OHIO Student Identity Verification. This process is separate from the federal Identity Verification. If you are required to complete OHIO Student Identity Verification, visit MyOHIO Student Center and follow the instructions provided.

Offering and Disbursing of Aid

Freshmen students with a valid, non-rejected FAFSA may be offered financial aid before they complete verification through mid-March. If chosen for verification, they will receive a tentative Financial Aid Offer until the process is complete. Once verification is complete, changes in the Student Aid Index (SAI) may result in changes to financial aid offered. All students offered financial aid after mid-March must complete verification before receiving their Financial Aid Offer. Verification must be completed before financial aid funds will disburse or pay toward student accounts.

If a student was chosen for verification after being offered aid, no aid will disburse until verification is complete. Failure to submit all verification items will delay aid from being offered and disbursed to a student's account.

Deadline

Students may receive a Federal Pell Grant if Ohio University receives a valid FAFSA prior to the end of the academic year. Students must complete verification within 120 days after the last day they are enrolled. Verification cannot be completed after August 30. Students with Campus-Based Aid or Direct Loan eligibility must provide all needed items for verification two weeks prior to the last day of enrollment. If a student does not complete verification by the deadlines listed, they forfeit their financial aid. Eligibility for aid during or after the semester has ended is based on successfully completed enrollment. If a student is selected for verification after one of the above deadlines has passed, in general, verification is canceled. 

Verification Exclusion

The U.S. Department of Education's Application and Verification Guide does provide several exclusions that permit students to bypass verification. Ohio University does not grant these exclusions, in general, but uses them on a case-by-case basis. At any time, if questionable data is found, it must be verified and corrected.

For more information, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarship or review Ohio University's Verification Policy.

For specific verification questions, please email financial.aid.verification@ohio.edu.