91¶ÌÊÓƵ

One third of FAFSA applicants are selected for a process called verification. If you are selected for verification, the Department of Education requires our office to double-check information on your FAFSA before you can be awarded financial aid. Our office may need to verify information such as, but not limited to, your household size, the number of family members attending college, income information, child support paid, or other untaxed income. To do this, we will request additional documents from you through Financial Aid Verify.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ may require a copy of the high school diploma and final transcript that shows all courses the student took.  If the high school is unaccredited 91¶ÌÊÓƵ is allowed to reach out the Department of Education of the state to which the high school is located, if that agency has jurisdiction over that specific high school.

Weber State is responsible to resolve any conflict with a student's high school validity.  To be Title IV eligible 91¶ÌÊÓƵ must admit only those with a high school diploma or the recognized equivalent.

Other equivalents of a high school diploma are

· GED

· Foreign high school diploma

· Completion of secondary requirements through home schooling

· An associate’s degree

· Enrollment in a Bachelor’s degree where at least 60 semester credit hours have been completed.

· Successfully completing at least 60 semester credit hours that does not result in awarding an associate’s degree, but is acceptable for credits towards a bachelor’s degree.

· A certificate or other official completion documentation demonstrating that the student has passed a state authorized exam that the state recognizes as the equivalent of a high school diploma.

· For a student who enrolls without completing high school, a transcript indicating the student has excelled in high school is needed.  The student must no longer be enrolled in high school, must satisfy Weber State’s written policy for admitting such students, and must be starting a program that leads at least to an associate’s degree or its equivalent.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ has implemented Financial Aid Verify to help you complete the financial aid application process. This system allows you (and your parents, if applicable) to sign and upload required financial aid forms electronically.

To create an account:

1. Open the  form.
2. Verify your personal information, email address and phone number to receive text messages.
3. Complete the tasks listed on your Financial Aid Verify account.

Our office will review the information you submit. We reserve the right to correct your information on the FAFSA (including spouse/parental information) based on the forms we receive. Corrections may change the type of aid you qualify for and/or the amount of your awards. You will be notified of any corrections and updates to your account through email and/or text message. 

Tips

There are a few things you can do to simplify this process:

• Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) on the FAFSA. This tool allows you to transfer your tax information from the IRS to your FAFSA. If you use this tool, additional tax information is generally not required for your file.

• If you enter your phone number while creating your Financial Aid Verify account, our office can text you with updates to your file. Your phone number will only be used to notify you of these critical updates.

• Complete your Financial Aid Verify task list by the FAFSA priority deadline on April 1.

• When submitting documents, be sure to click “Submit” and “Finish” to complete your requirements.  

Q&A

Q: I already submitted the FAFSA. Why do I need to create a Financial Aid Verify account?

If the Department of Education selects you for verification, your verification requirements must be completed for your financial aid to be processed and awarded. Financial Aid Verify allows you to submit/upload your required verification forms electronically. 

Even if you are not selected for verification, we recommend you create an account. Additional information may be required if there is conflicting information in your file or if our office must confirm your eligibility for financial aid.

Q: How do I know if I have been selected for verification?

After you complete the FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Department of Education. If you are selected for verification, your SAR will contain the following note: “Your FAFSA has been selected for a review process called verification. Your school has the authority to request copies of certain financial documents from you (and your spouse/parent(s)).”

Q: How do I sign my documents electronically?

You will be prompted to create a Financial Aid Verify PIN when your electronic signature is required.

Q. How does my parent sign my documents electronically?

If you are prompted to request a parent e-signature, you will need to enter the email address of a parent listed on your FAFSA. Financial Aid Verify will send an email request to your parent, prompting him or her to create an account with which to sign your document electronically. You will be notified once the signature has been obtained, so you may finish submitting the document.

Only the parent that you select to send the request to will be able to create an account.

Q: My Financial Aid Verify account is asking for information I do not have. What should I do?

The requirements on your task list are created by the answers you provided on the FAFSA and on Financial Aid Verify. If your task list is asking for information you do not have, you may need to correct your FAFSA and/or your answers within Financial Aid Verify.

You are welcome to contact our office with questions at 801-626-7569. 

Q: I am having difficulty uploading a document. What should I do?

Check the format of the information you are uploading. Financial Aid Verify will accept PDF, JPEG, TIF, PNG and BMP files. We recommend converting your document to a PDF if it has multiple pages, or if you need to upload more than one page, use the “Add Page” function.

Q: Why were my documents rejected?

Documents can be rejected for a number of reasons (for example: if the uploaded image is blurry or cut off, or if the document that was submitted was the incorrect document). If your document is rejected, you will be notified, and a note of explanation will appear in your Financial Aid Verify account.

Q: I have completed all of the tasks on my task list. Is anything else required?

If additional information is required, or when your documents have been reviewed and completed, you will be notified using the email and text message phone number you entered during account creation. Please allow a few weeks processing time (6-8 weeks during peak times).