The Catholic University of America

Verification

Verification is a review process in which the Office of Financial Aid determines the accuracy of the information provided on the student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The U.S. Department of Education  selects approximately 30 percent of aid applicants for verification. The Catholic University of America selects another 10 to 20 percent of our freshmen students for federal and institutional verification. During the verification process the student and parent will be required to submit documentation for the amounts listed (or not listed) on the financial aid application. The verification process ensures that eligible students receive all the financial aid they are entitled to receive and  prevents ineligible students from receiving aid they are not entitled to receive.

Typically, students can expect to receive notification that they have been selected for verification within 10 to 14 business days after the Office of Financial Aid receives the student’s FAFSA results from the federal processors. The Office of Financial Aid will send Missing Information Letters (MIL) to those students who have been selected for verification. The MIL will direct the student to submit several required documents to the Office of Financial Aid. Since academic aid years overlap calendar years, please refer to your MIL or online account for the year appropriate form needed. They should be completed in their entirety, signed and mailed to our office within 30 days of your notification.

Important: Please submit all requested forms and supporting documentation together at the same time. No processing can take place until all documentation is received.

Participation in the verification process is not optional. If the student does not submit the requested documentation, the student will not be eligible to receive federal or institutional need-based financial aid and parents of dependent student will not be eligible to receive a PLUS loan.

Students selected for verification will not be packaged for financial aid until our office has received all requested documentation and the verification process has been completed. Depending on the time of year, the verification review process can take up to 20 business days from the time the Office of Financial Aid receives all requested required documents. The process can take longer if additional nonstandard documentation is required. Individuals who have filed extensions or are self-employed and file their taxes later in the year are not excused from the verification process. It is recommended that federal income tax returns be filed as soon as possible if selected for verification, since no aid or estimates of aid will be offered until the verification process is completed.

The following is a list of standard verification documents:

  • Verification Worksheet (dependent or independent)
  • Signed copy of your complete federal tax forms*
  • Signed copy of your parents' complete federal tax forms* (dependent students only).

*A complete tax return includes all schedules and W2s. If self-employed, please provide a complete copy of your business return. Verification can not be completed unless all supporting schedules referenced on the tax return are submitted.

Additional verification documentation needed based on student specific criteria:

  • A signed copy of the business tax return for self-employed students and/or parents.
  • A copy of Rental Property Valuation Worksheet if the students and/or parents federal income tax return indicates income or loss from rental property.
  • A Parent Expense Breakdown Worksheet for dependent students whose parents report an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) below $30,000.

Please send all required documentation at the same time as we will not start the verification process until we receive all documentation.