FAFSA Verification Process

Verification Process for FAFSA – Ensure Your Aid Eligibility at TSU

FAFSA Verification Process at Texas Southern University

The FAFSA verification process ensures accurate financial aid eligibility. The U.S. Department of Education may select applications due to inconsistencies or random selection. If your FAFSA is chosen, a note will appear on your Student Aid Report, and TSU will be notified electronically.

TSU FAFSA Verification Guidelines TSU also reviews applications for inconsistencies per federal regulations. Being selected does not indicate wrongdoing—it simply means additional review is required. If necessary, TSU may request additional documentation to resolve discrepancies before awarding financial aid.

Completing the Verification Process

Prior to logging into StudentForms you will authenticate your identity to ensure your information match the FAFSA application. Students who are required to provide parental information on the FAFSA are required to have one parent also authenticate and create an account with StudentForms. This parent will be required to e-sign or provide an ink signature once all documentation has been submitted.

Confirm your identity (authentication).
Both parent and student will need to create a secure username and password.
The information that you used on your FAFSA needs to be the same information that you use to create your account. If you use a different name or other personal information than what is in your FAFSA you will be shown error code 1010.
You need to create your account before your parent does.
Your parents password is also their E-sign (pin)
Don’t forget that once your parent signs the requested documents, you will need to go back in and complete all required steps.

Upon receipt of all required documents, we will begin the verification process. Students will be notified if there are any questions or if any additional documentation is required via email, text or notification within the portal. Once verification has been completed, the student will be notified and awarded.

Please note that the verification process must be completed prior to receiving an award package from TSU. Failure to provide the requested documents could result in the delay or denial of financial aid.

What information will be used to complete the verification process?

Students selected for FAFSA verification must confirm key financial data to maintain eligibility for grants, scholarships, and federal aid. This process helps ensure accurate funding distribution based on FAFSA details.

Need More Info? Visit the official Free Application for Federal Student Aid site at StudentAid.gov for full guidelines and verification requirements.

If you are chosen for Verification the information must be submitted through the Student Forms student portal before your financial aid package can be awarded.

What happens if information supplied on the FAFSA is found to be inaccurate?

If inaccuracies are found during the review process, corrections will be forwarded to the U.S. Department of Education prior to the disbursement of any financial assistance. In some cases, files are selected for verification after the disbursement of financial assistance. Once the university receives such notification, additional disbursements will not be processed until the verification process is completed.

How do I request a federal tax transcript, non-filer’s or wage statement?

If you didn’t use the IRS DRT, or if you filed an amended tax return and used the IRS DRT, your school may require you to submit a tax transcript as part of the verification process. You can find your tax transcript through the IRS’s Get Transcript service at irs.gov/transcript.

Why use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool?

You may return to your Free Application for Federal Student Aid and use the Internal Revenue Service Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT). By doing so, you may reduce the number of additional items TSU is required to collect during the verification process. The IRS DRT is available on the FAFSA application for eligible individuals. (You’ll need an FSA ID to use the tool).

Here’s how the IRS DRT process works, assuming your tax information is available:

The IRS DRT takes you to the IRS website, where you’ll need to provide your name and other information exactly as you provided it on your tax return. Some information will be prepopulated from your FAFSA form.
At the IRS site, you’ll see a page that indicates that your tax information is available. You can choose to import your information into the FAFSA form, or you can cancel your request and return to the FAFSA site.
If you choose to import your information into the FAFSA form, you’ll find that on the FAFSA site, instead of your tax information being displayed, you’ll see “Transferred from the IRS” in the appropriate fields. You won’t be able to make changes to those answers.

Special Circumstances

Household circumstances such as a significant reduction or loss of income, or exorbitant medical expenses may warrant additional consideration. You may contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance for assistance in understanding and assembling the documents required to submit your case for review.

I’ve been selected for verification, what does that mean?

The U.S. Department of Education is requiring Texas Southern University (TSU) to review your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information and verify the data entered on your FAFSA is accurate. We complete the verification process by comparing FAFSA data with federal tax documents and other forms you must provide to the TSU Office of Student Financial Assistance. Corrections to your FAFSA may be necessary if discrepancies are found.

Financial Aid Resources

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