Verification Process
The federally mandated verification process uses documentation to confirm that the information provided on the FAFSA is correct. Verification ensures that eligible students receive all the federal financial aid to which they are entitled. Below are answers to commonly asked questions about the verification process.
How will I know if I am selected for verification? Answer
If you are selected for verification by the federal processor, there will be an asterisk next to your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) on your Student Aid Report (SAR). You will also be informed of having been selected for verification in the SAR Acknowledgement letter. You can view your SAR online or view a sample SAR.
If you are selected for verification by the WPI Office of Financial Aid, you will be notified of any additional documentation that is required. If you have a Federal Pell Grant estimated in your financial aid award, you will be selected for verification. Federal Pell Grant recipients are welcome to submit verification documents prior to being notified by WPI, if not selected by the federal processor.
Why was I selected for verification? Answer
Reasons vary; it may be that your FAFSA was incomplete or contains estimated or inconsistent information. You may have also been chosen randomly. Verification is a federal regulation. Students selected for verification are not being punished; rather verification prevents ineligible students from receiving aid by reporting false information and ensures that eligible students receive all the aid for which they qualify.
How will I know what additional documentation is required for verification, and where and when to send it? Answer
If your SAR indicates you were selected for verification or if the WPI Office of Financial Aid determines that your application needs to be verified, you and your parent(s) will be required to provide supporting documents to the WPI Office of Financial Aid. In most cases, this documentation includes the following information from the tax year prior to the current aid year:
- For tax filers
Utilize the IRS data retrieval tool (DRT) within the FAFSA website. Step-by-step instructions and screen shots for using this tool are available.
Or
Submit copies of student's and parents’ federal tax return transcripts. (Please have transcripts sent directly to your home address. The IRS will NOT send tax transcripts directly to the WPI Processing Center.) Tax transcripts can be ordered from the IRS transcript ordering page.
- For non-tax filers
Student and parent W-2 statements will be required. Additional documents may be requested by the WPI Office of Financial Aid. To avoid delays, all verification documents should be mailed only to our processing center:
WPI Financial Aid Processing Center
PO Box 850
Randolph, MA 02368
If the federal processor selects your application for verification, do not wait for the Office of Financial Aid to request additional documentation from you. It is your responsibility to review your SAR to determine if you are selected and submit additional documentation to the Office of Financial Aid by the first day of class of the first semester you are entering for that academic year or within one month of the date of the request, whichever is later.
If the WPI Office of Financial Aid selects your application for verification, you will be informed that you have been selected and that additional documentation is required. Be sure to provide documentation by the deadline to avoid delays in crediting your financial aid to your student account.
If I am selected for verification, am I required to submit additional documentation? Answer
Yes. Participation in the verification process is not optional. If a student who is selected does not submit the required documentation by the established deadline, he or she will not be eligible to receive federal financial aid as a WPI student, and all federal student aid will be canceled prior to the second term of the entering semester.
Should the verified financial information differ significantly from the original information provided on the FAFSA, your aid may be adjusted, in which case you will be notified within two weeks.
