Verification

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the federal financial aid application students complete to apply for all federal aid eligibility.

Each year the U.S. Department of Education (and California Student Aid Commission) selects a group of financial aid applicants for a process called Verification. This process requires each institution to verify (or confirm) the accuracy of specific information submitted on the financial aid application (FAFSA or California Dream Application). Not all students selected for verification will be requested to verify the same items.

In addition to those students selected by the U.S. Department of Education and the California Student Aid Commission, the Financial Aid Office at SDSU reserves the right to select additional students for verification at its discretion. This discretionary selection may be due to conflicting information or due to concerns that data may not be accurate or complete. The following policies and procedures for verifying information contained in a student aid application are in accordance with federal regulations 34 CFR §§ 668.51 to 668.61 and the Federal Application and Verification Guide for Title IV Financial Aid Programs.

Notification and Communication

When a student is selected for verification, they will be notified of the items required, acceptable documentation, a requested time frame to comply, and the consequences for not completing verification or submitting the documentation by the date specified.  The notification process is as follows:

1. The U.S. Department of Education (or California Student Aid Commission) will notify the student on their FAFSA Submission Summary form if the student was selected by the governing agency. With this notification, the student is informed that the school will follow up with them for necessary documents.

2. SDSU will provide email notification to the student that additional documents are required before their aid eligibility can be determined and their aid package finalized. The student is prompted to refer to their my.SDSU portal Task Tile (To-Do List).

A completed file will be reviewed within approximately 4-6 weeks or longer during peak times.

Commonly Requested Verification Items & Documents

The student aid agency (Federal Student Aid or California Student Aid Commission) will determine the type of verification for each student who is chosen. Based on which verification category a student falls into, documents required may include one, or more items.  Each student selected for verification will be notified of the specific items requested. Commonly requested items include:

• Family size
• Adjusted gross income (AGI)
• U.S. income tax paid
• Income earned from work
• IRA Deductions and Payment
• Untaxed portions of IRA Distributions and Pensions
• Education Credits
• Tax Exempt Interest Income
• Tax Filing status
• Identity and Educational Purpose
• Assets
• Foreign Exempt Income
• Additional Documents as determined by the Financial Office as part of the review process
  Time Period for Providing Documents

The priority deadline to submit verification documentation is by August 1 for the fall semester and December 1st  for students enrolled in Spring only.  Submitting the required documentation by the priority deadline facilitates the office’s ability to verify all information, process financial aid, and post financial aid to the student’s account in a timely manner – prior to the beginning of the semester.  We cannot guarantee an on-time disbursement of aid for students who submit documentation after the priority deadline. If a student does not submit documentation by the published deadlines, they will be required to adhere to the University’s published tuition & fee payment deadlines.

If a student provides verification documents after these due dates, the student’s eligibility will be reviewed, and financial aid will be awarded based on funds available at that time.  However, all verification documents must be submitted prior to the last day of the aid year in order to receive financial aid funds for that year.

All verification items must be submitted by whichever date is sooner:

within 120 days of the student’s last date of enrollment

or

by September 20, 2025 (for the 2024 – 2025 aid year)

Failure to provide required verification documents and all other supporting documents will result in forfeiture of aid for that award period.  If aid was previously released, it will be canceled and the student will owe back the funds.

Submitting documents after the student’s last date of enrollment may limit eligibility to only the Federal Pell Grant.

Consequences of Not Submitting Verification Information in a Timely Manner

Funds from the financial aid programs will not be disbursed to a student’s account if the student is selected for verification and the verification process is not complete.  The SDSU Financial Aid Office cannot guarantee an on-time disbursement of aid for students who submit documentation after the stated deadline. If a student does not submit documentation by the published deadlines, they will be required to adhere to the University’s published tuition & fee payment deadlines.

If a student provides verification documents after the deadline, the student’s eligibility will be reviewed, and financial aid will be awarded based on funds available at that time.  However, all verification documents must be submitted prior to the last day of the aid year in order to receive financial aid funds for that year.

If financial aid has already been disbursed and the student is subsequently selected for verification, any future disbursements are placed on hold until the documents are received and the process is complete. Failure to submit the required documentation will cause the student to lose eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid funds – including any funds that have already been released.

Submitting documents after the student’s last date of enrollment may limit eligibility to only the Federal Pell Grant.

Conflicting Information

The Financial Aid Office at SDSU may seek additional information whenever there is conflicting information in a student’s application for financial aid. Conflicting information must be resolved before financial aid funds may be processed and/or disbursed. The Financial Aid Office will notify the student by adding the requested item(s) to the student’s my.SDSU Task tile (To Do List).  A student who does not provide the requested documentation may lose financial aid eligibility.  Overpayments of federal and state aid, if they occur, are resolved with subsequent adjustments to the student’s account.

Correction of Information

SDSU will submit the verified corrections to the U.S. Department of Education (or California Student Aid Commission) electronically. This will ensure that corrections are made accurately and that the student is notified of the appropriate corrections. 

Referral Process

The Financial Aid Office at SDSU will report any suspected fraud or falsified information on the part of the student, or contributor of the FAFSA to the U.S. Department of Education (or California Student Aid Commission) Office of Inspector General (OIG) as instructed in the Federal Financial Aid Handbook in addition to informing the Student Rights and Responsibilities for fraud or misrepresentation.

Notification of Award Change

The Financial Aid Office at SDSU will notify a student of the results of verification by preparing an Award Notification or a revised Award Notification and email notice that the Award is ready to be viewed on my.SDSU. If corrections or changes to the students’ application have been sent electronically to either the U.S. Department of Education or the California Student Aid Commission, the student is notified of the changes by receiving a new FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) form from the application processor.