Verification Information

Verification is a process used by the U.S. Department of Education to ensure that certain information reported on the FAFSA is accurate.

The school conducts the verification to validate that the data on your FAFSA, which is used to determine your financial aid offer, is accurate.

Your FAFSA may have been selected by the Federal Central Processing System for verification because it was randomly selected or your FAFSA is incomplete or contains inconsistent or estimated data.

Please don't view this as a negative process. And remember that the process does not automatically reduce your aid eligibility. In some cases, it may actually increase your eligibility for aid.

Verification Instructions

All students who are selected for verification are required to:

1. Complete a Verification Worksheet.

2. Obtain your prior-prior year tax information.

It is highly recommended that this be done using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT), which is the fastest, easiest, and most secure way to verify income. However, certain conditions won't allow certain people to use the DRT, so the information can also be submitted by providing a copy of your Tax Return Transcript.

Tax Return Transcript Instructions

Get Transcript by Mail - Go to irs.gov, select "Get Your Tax Record by Mail." Click "Get Transcript by Mail." Make sure to request the "IRS Tax Return Transcript" and NOT the Account Transcript.
Get Transcript ONLINE - Go to irs.gov, select "Get Your Tax Record Online." Create an account. Make sure to request the "IRS Tax Return Transcript" and NOT the Account Transcript.
Automated Telephone Request - 1-800-908-9946. Request the Tax Return Transcript, NOT the Account Transcript.
Paper Request Form - Go to irs.gov. Enter 4506-T in search box. Print the form and submit directly to the IRS.

3. Submit all documentation noted above to the PennWest Edinboro Financial Aid Office.

Fax: You may fax the documents to 814-732-2129 (you don't need to address it to anyone's attention). Our fax is in service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's in a secure location accessed by employees only.

Mail: You may mail the documents to PennWest Edinboro, Financial Aid Office, 210 Glasgow Road, Edinboro, PA 16444.

In Person: You may turn in the documents to our office. We are open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please note during the summer, we are only open until 4 p.m. There is also a drop box located outside the Student Accounts office to drop off items during nonbusiness hours.

What happens after my documents are submitted?

The Financial Aid Office will send an email notification to the student's Edinboro email account and the email addresses listed on the FAFSA if additional documents are still needed to complete the verification process. Please check these accounts frequently.

If all the documents are submitted, the information on your required documents will be compared to the information you submitted on your FAFSA. The school will make any corrections, if necessary, and you will receive an email from the U.S. Dept. of Education notifying you if changes are made by the school. If your financial aid changes as a result, you will also receive an email from Edinboro to your Edinboro email account notifying you of the change in your award.

How long does the process take?

Verification of required documents is generally completed in two weeks after submission of all documents. During peak periods (March - September) more time should be allowed. It is important to submit complete and correct information as soon as possible to avoid any delay in the processing and disbursing of your financial aid. Please remember that verification must be completed prior to any financial aid being disbursed to your account.

What if I do not complete verification?

If a student's application is selected for verification, the student must complete the verification process or forfeit federal student aid, and the student will be responsible for any charges incurred.

If the student selected for verification does not provide the required documentation by the deadline:

The University cannot disburse federal financial aid on behalf of the student. This includes: the Pell grant, FSEOG grant, Stafford Loans, Parent Plus Loans, Teach Grant, Iraq/Afghanistan Grant. It also can't allow a student to participate in the Federal Work Study program.
Future registration of classes will be delayed.
The student is responsible for any late fines incurred because the financial aid has not been disbursed.
The student must repay any Pell or FSEOG funds he/she received during the academic year.

What if I need help?

Please contact our office for any assistance by calling 814-732-3500 between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (or 4 p.m. during the summer). You may also email any questions to finaid-edn@pennwest.edu. We are happy to guide you through this process.

Conflicting information or referrals of fraud cases

Universities are required to verify any information they have reason to believe is incorrect on any application. As a result, Edinboro may require a student to verify certain FAFSA information and to provide reasonable documentation in accordance with our consistently applied verification policy.

If it's suspected that a student or other individual has misreported information or altered documentation to fraudulently obtain federal funds, PennWest Edinboro is required to refer the case to the Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Education. If it's determined that you've purposely given false or misleading information, you may be fined, sent to prison, or both.

For more detailed information on Verification, please view Edinboro's Verification Policy.

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