Each year the federal government requires that we verify the accuracy of data submitted on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from selected financial aid applicants. We may ask you to submit various documents, such as a tax return, to our office. The following FAQ should help answer most of your questions regarding the verification process.
Q: Why was I selected?
Q: You have asked for
my tax return and W-2 forms, but I didn’t keep a copy. What should I submit to you?
Q: How long does the verification process take?
Q: How will I be notified if I was selected?
Q: What happens after I submit my documents?
Q: Is there a deadline to turn in my forms?
Q: Why was I selected?
A: Any student that completes a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may be chosen for verification. MU is a participant in the United States Department of Education Quality Assurance Project, which allows the Financial Aid Office to select students that will be verified based on a set of edits which check for consistency and accuracy.
Q:
You have asked for my tax return and W-2 forms, but I didn’t keep a copy. What should I submit to you?
A: You can contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to request a tax return transcript and/or a w-2 transcript. You may have the transcript mailed directly to us at 11 Jesse Hall Columbia, MO 65211 or faxed to to our office at 573-884-5335. If you prefer to have the transcript mailed to you, then you must sign the transcript before mailing it to us.
Q: How long does the process take?
A: Please allow two weeks for the verification process to be completed. The process may be longer if we receive incomplete documents or if we request additional information.
Q: How will I be notified if I was selected?
A:
- If you have agreed to do business electronically with SFA by answering the eConsent question, the request for verification documents will be emailed to your MU email address.
- If you have not agreed to do business electronically with SFA, the request for verification documents will be sent to you via US Postal Service. You are strongly encouraged to eConsent so that you may receive information from us in a timely manner.
- If you have eConsented but have not yet been assigned an MU email address, we will send paper letters to you until your email account has been activated.
Q: What happens after I submit my documents?
A: We will compare the information provided to us on the documents you submitted to the information provided on the FAFSA. We may ask for additional information if we find discrepancies that cannot be explained.
We will correct any variances we may find and resubmit your FAFSA to the Central Processing System (CPS). In turn, CPS will submit an updated Student Aid Report (SAR) to the student.
If you were packaged with financial aid prior to completing verification, your aid eligibility will be reevaluated by your financial aid advisor after verification is complete. You will be notified if your awards change after verification.
Q: Is there a deadline to turn in my forms?
A: Your financial aid funds cannot be applied to your MU account until verification is complete. Therefore, you should return the requested documents to us as soon as possible. Verification must be complete before the last month of the semester in order to allow plenty of processing time of your financial aid.
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