What is Verification?

Verification is a process in which information on a student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is reviewed by a school for accuracy and completeness. Each year, the Federal U.S. Department of Education selects certain applicants for verification. The verification process requires the Office of Financial Aid to confirm the data supplied by the student and/or parent(s). Although the college cannot determine who will be selected for verification each year, students should anticipate selection. If your FAFSA is selected for verification, immediately submit all requested documentation to our office for review. Failure to provide required documentation by stated deadlines will affect the timely delivery of award package by posted payment deadline dates.

Make sure to check the Academic Calendar each semester for the Document Submission Deadlines.

What should I do if selected for verification?

All students selected for verification must submit the appropriate documentation to the Office of Financial Aid. This may include, but is not limited to:

  • An Independent/Dependent verification worksheet, with all items completed and student/parent or student/spouse signatures included
  • IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX) or Tax Return Transcripts
  • Any applicable tax schedules (i.e., Schedule 1, 2 or 3) for student/parent or student/spouse
  • All student/spouse W-2 form(s) or 1099-MISC form(s) for total wage income or an IRS Wage and Income Transcript
  • All parent W-2 form(s) or 1099-MISC form(s) for total income or an IRS Wage and Income Transcript
  • Parent verification of non-tax filing if parents did not file taxes
  • Parent Statement of Financial Support (if requested)
  • Statement of Educational Purpose
What happens during the verification process?

During verification, our verification team compares information from the student’s FAFSA with all other required verification documents. Once the verification review is complete, necessary corrections to the student’s FAFSA may be needed. If needed, we will make the necessary corrections to the student’s FAFSA and submit them to the federal processor. Therefore, it is very important during or after verification that a student (or parent, spouse) NOT make any changes to the FAFSA as this will only delay the awarding and disbursing of Federal forms of aid such as the Pell Grant, Federal Direct Loans, and Federal Work-Study.

Why was my FAFSA selected for verification?

The Department of Education does not provide applicants with specific reasoning why their FAFSA was selected, as most are selected at random. The Department of Education uses a formula, not revealed to colleges and universities, to select applicants based on common data errors.

How long does the verification process take?

Please allow up to 4 weeks for processing Financial Aid awards. Always check your Gwinnett Tech student email account and Banner account, for additional information and requests.

How can I expedite the verification process?
  • Direct Data Exchange (DDX) OR Request Tax Return Transcripts as soon as notified.
  • Fill out all documents completely before submitting as incomplete documents can cause delays in the processing of your financial aid file.
  • If you are submitting a 1040 tax return document, it is required to be signed by the tax filer on page two of the 1040 where it says “sign here“.
  • Keep a copy of all documents submitted for your records.
  • Monitor the student’s Gwinnett Tech email account for requests for additional information and updates.
  • Allow up to 4 weeks for processing. 
How do I check for missing requirements in Banner?

Please follow the instructions in Step 3 of the Navigating your Financial Aid Checklist.

How do I submit my verification documents to the Office of Financial Aid?

Gwinnett Technical College uses CampusLogic to assist our students who are chosen for verification or have conflicting information from the results of their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). We also use CampusLogic for Satisfactory Academic Progress and Professional Judgment Appeals.

If you are required to submit documents, you will be notified through your student email. In this notification, you will be instructed to create a CampusLogic account (if you have not already created an account). The account you create will be checked against the information from your FAFSA application so please remember to enter your demographic information when creating your CampusLogic account just as you entered it on your FAFSA application.

How will I be notified if I have incomplete verification materials?

We will notify students via their Gwinnett Tech student email if their verification is incomplete. We encourage students to check their Student Banner accounts often for updates regarding their financial aid status.

Please follow the instructions in Step 3 of the Navigating your Financial Aid Checklist to check for missing or incomplete documents.

What happens if I do not complete verification?

If a student who is selected for verification does not complete the process then they will not be awarded aid.  This includes Pell grant, SEOG, Work-Study, Federal Direct loans, certain Scholarships, and institutional aid.

What is the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX)?

The Internal Revenue Service Direct Data Exchange (DDX) (formerly known as the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) allows students and parents who filed a U.S. tax return with the IRS to access the tax return information needed to complete the FAFSA form and transfer the data directly into the FAFSA form.
The IRS DDX remains the fastest, most accurate way to input your tax return information into the FAFSA form. To address security and privacy concerns related to the IRS DRT, the tax return information you transfer from the IRS will no longer be displayed on the FAFSA or the IRS DDX web page. Instead, you’ll see “Transferred from the IRS” in the appropriate fields on FAFSA.

How do I request a Tax Return Transcript?

You can order a Tax Return Transcript on the IRS.Gov website. To order the Tax Return Transcript online, you will be required to make a profile account with the IRS by clicking on the Request Online Option.  If you are unable to make an account, you will select the Request by Mail option and the IRS will mail you a copy of the Tax Return Transcript. Follow the link to order the Tax Return Transcript from the IRS:  https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

Below is a screen shot of the ordering options on the IRS website

screen shot of the ordering options on the IRS website

Telephone Requests:

  • Call the IRS Transcript line at:  1-800-908-9946
  • Follow prompts and enter Social Security # and address
  • Choose “Option 2” – request an IRS Tax Return Transcript, enter the appropriate tax year.
  • Once you receive confirmation of a successful request, a Tax Return Transcript will be mailed within 5 to 10 business days (phone requests for IRS transcripts CANNOT be sent directly to the Office of Financial Aid or other third parties).
Who should be considered a parent on the FAFSA?

The FAFSA application requires dependent students to provide information about a student’s LEGAL parents (biological, adoptive and step-parent). The following people are NOT considered parents on the FAFSA (unless they are considered adoptive parents): grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, older brothers or sisters, and uncles or aunts.
Under certain circumstances, the student DOES NOT need to include parent information, if:

  • The student is in Legal Guardianship:  A legal guardian is NOT considered a parent in the financial aid process (the verification will require additional documentation needed to verify Legal Guardianship status in order to determine and consider a student’s dependency status)
  • The student has foster parents: A foster parent is not considered a parent in the financial aid process (the verification team may require additional documentation in order to determine and consider a student’s dependency status).
How should I answer the question about parent marital status?

Indicate the parent marital status as of the day you submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA considers five marital status categories for parents of dependent students based upon a parent’s particular marital status. Parent marital status affects what additional information is needed for other FAFSA questions; therefore, it is IMPORTANT to answer the parent marital status questions accurately. Following is a list of the five marital status categories including information on how to answer FAFSA questions based on that marital status:

  • Never married: a (single) parent who was never married and does not live with the student’s (other) legal parent, or a parent who is widowed but not remarried. Answer questions about that parent.
  • Unmarried and both parents living together: a student’s legal parents who are not married but live together. Provide information about BOTH parents. Do not include any person who is NOT married to the student’s parent and who is NOT a legal or biological parent.
  • Married or remarried:   legal parents (biological, adoptive or step-parent) who are married and/or living together. Consistent with the Supreme Court decision holding Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, same-sex couples MUST report their marital status as married if they were legally married in a state or other jurisdiction (foreign country) that permits same-sex marriage, without regard to where the couple resides. NOTE: If legal parents are divorced but LIVING TOGETHER, answer “Unmarried and both parents living together.” If legal parents are SEPARATED BUT LIVING TOGETHER, answer “Married or remarried,” NOT “Divorced or separated.”
  • Divorced or Separated: legal parents (biological, adoptive or step-parent) who ARE NOT living together. Provide information about the parent that you lived with most during the last 12 months. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, provide information about the parent who provided most of your financial support during the last 12 months.
  • Widowed: If a widowed parent is unmarried, answer questions about that parent. If a widowed parent is remarried as of the date of the FAFSA submission, answer questions about parent and step-parent.
Why do I have to include step-parent information?

Reporting step-parent information does not require a step-parent to offer financial assistance to the student for educational expenses. However, if a legal parent (biological or adoptive) is divorced and remarried, then step-parent information (including income and assets) is considered an important aspect of the family’s financial situation. The step-parent’s information will be required for the calculation of the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) which determines a student’s eligibility. Including step-parent information on the FAFSA provides an accurate picture of the family’s total potential to pay college costs.

What if I was unmarried when I filed my taxes, but I am now married?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form asks for your marital status as of the day you fill it out.  If your marital status has changed since you filed your tax return, your information and your current spouse’s information are required on the FAFSA form.

For the 2024-2025 FAFSA, if you’re married or remarried as of the day you fill out the FAFSA form but filed your 2022 tax return as single, you must enter your 2022 tax information on your FAFSA form and invite your current spouse to report their 2022 tax information on your FAFSA form as a contributor. Even though you weren’t married when filing 2022 taxes, you’re married now and therefore your current spouse’s income must be reported.