Federal verification is a review process in which the Office of Student Financial Aid is directed by the Department of Education to determine the accuracy of the information provided on a FAFSA.  The Federal processor randomly selects FAFSA applications for verification.  If there is an asterisk next to the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) on your Student Aid Report (SAR), your application has been selected for verification.  Goucher may also select additional FAFSA applications for verification.  The Office of Student Financial Aid will notify you via email if your FAFSA has been selected for verification and to request required documents to complete the process.  The required documents will also be listed on Net Partner.

Documentation required to complete the verification process includes IRS transcripts for both the student and parent if a Federal tax return has been filed.  Or, families may choose to the use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool in the FAFSA application. A Goucher Federal verification worksheet is also required and downloaded from Goucher's financial aid page.   Additional documentation may be requested based on the FAFSA data or any discrepancies identified during verification.  The requested documents must be submitted within two weeks of the request or your aid may be modified or cancelled. Federal financial aid will not disburse to your student account until the verification process is complete.

Schools are required to verify the following data elements depending on FAFSA verification group:

• Household size
• Number enrolled in college
• Certain untaxed income and benefits such as child support paid, SNAP benefits (food stamps)
• Identity
• Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or income earned from work if income is below the minimum for tax filing.
• US Income Tax Paid     
• High School Completion