Verification from FAFSA

Verifying PaperworkBecause students sometime make errors on their FAFSA, the United State Department of Education has developed a process known as Verification, whereby the Central Processing System (CPS), which processed your FAFSA, selects certain FAFSAs to be verified. The Verification process is conducted by a student’s college/university. The school is required to collect, at a minimum, a Verification Worksheet, filled out and signed by a student if the student is classified as Independent. If a student is considered to be Dependent, the student’s parent must also sign the Verification Worksheet. Additional documentation may be required and varies according to the “Verification Group” in which the CPS places a student.

Verification Groups

Students who are selected for verification will be placed in one of the three following groups. The group determines which FAFSA information must be verified for the student.

Students in this group must verify the following if they are tax filers:

  • adjusted gross income
  • U.S. income tax paid
  • untaxed portions of IRA distributions
  • untaxed portions of pensions
  • IRA deductions and payments
  • tax-exempt interest income
  • education tax credits
  • household size
  • number in college

Students who are not tax filers must verify the following:

  • income earned from work
  • household size
  • number in college
Students must verify high school completion status and complete the Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose.

Students must verify high school completion status and complete the Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose, in addition to the items, listed above, in the Standard Verification Group (V1). 

The Chicago State University Office of Student Financial Aid has developed both Dependent and Independent Verification Worksheets for each of categories V1, V4, and V5, which you must use in completing the Verification process.

Please pay careful attention to any instructions or requests for information on the Verification Worksheets and complete the Worksheet fully. Don't forget to sign and date as required.

In addition to completing any of the Verification Worksheets, a student and/or parent of Dependent students may be required to provide supporting documentation for any information disclosed on a Verification Worksheet or on the FAFSA. If you have questions as to how to retrieve IRS documents, or if you have an unusual filing circumstance, please visit our Verification FAQs web page.

If a school has any reason to believe that any information provided on the FAFSA is incorrect, it has the right to require a student and/or parent of Dependent students to verify any FAFSA information and provide documentation to support the information.


Verification Worksheets

Use CSU X-press if needed to review your Group classification.

 

Please Note: The last day that we will accept Verification paperwork, for the 2023-2024 academic year, is Thursday, September 5, 2024. Failure to submit paperwork by this deadline will forfeit eligibility for the 2023-2024 award year.