Financial Aid Verification

What is Verification? 

Verification is a process that confirms the accuracy of the information reported on the FAFSA. Each year, the US Department of Education selects students nationwide for FAFSA verification and requests additional documentation, but not all students are selected for verification. We are required to make corrections to Federal and State aid if there are differences between what was reported on the FAFSA and the information submitted through the verification process in order to make sure you recieve the appropriate amount of financial support.

How will I know if I have been selected for Verification? 

We will notify you and advise you of your next steps through your SU email if you have been selected for verification. We will list the additional required documents in your mySeattleU account, within your Financial Aid Checklist. Your Student Aid Report (SAR) confirmation email will also show if you were selected for verification. 

How do I complete the Verification Process?

Review the requested documents within your Financial Aid Checklist. The requested tax documentation should be from the 2021 tax year for the 2023-24 FAFSA. Below is a list of documentation that you may be asked to complete. Please make sure to review your Financial Aid Checklist to confirm what you are being asked to submit. 

• Dependent and Independent students may be asked to complete a verification worksheet to confirm the family household size. 
• Dependent students may provide their parents’ tax return, tax return transcript or complete the IRS Data Retrieval tool on the FAFSA. In addition, if you filed your own taxes, you may provide your own tax return or complete the IRS Data Retrieval tool.
• Independent, married students who used the “married filing separate” tax filing status must provide their spouse’s IRS tax return or tax return transcript.
• Independent students who are currently married but were not married for the tax year requested by the FAFSA may provide a copy of their spouse’s IRS tax return/tax return transcript (or IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter) for that tax year.
• If you did not file a tax return for the tax year used on the FAFSA, you must submit the IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter, which provides proof that the IRS has no record of your tax return for that year. You can request this letter online (if you have filed a tax return in previous years) or by mail (if you have never filed a tax return) using the IRS Get Transcript Service.
• Statement of Educational Purpose will require you to appear in person at Seattle University to verify your identity by presenting an unexprired valid government-issued photo identification (ID), such as, but not limited to, a driver's license, other state-issued ID, or passport. This form will verify your identity and certify that you are only using your Federal student financial assistance for educational purposes. 

When do I need to complete my verification? 

The deadline for submitting your verification documents is 30 days after receiving notification or September 1, but prior to the end of your last quarter of attendance.

If you miss the deadline:

• Need-based aid may not pay toward your charges.
• Late fees can accrue on your owing balance.
• If your account is not paid in full, you will not be allowed to register for classes in future quarters.
• Financial aid may be cancelled if verification requirements are not completed.

Once all verification requirements are received by our office, we will review them and you will receive an updated offer of financial assistance via your SeattleU e-mail account within 2-3 weeks.

IRS Data Retrieval Tool 

Seattle University encourages the use of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT). The DRT will help ensure accuarcy and a streamlined verification process, cutting down greatly on the number of physical documents that you will need to submit for review.