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Verification

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Verification is a process mandated by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). When a student is selected for verification by the ED, they are required to submit documentation (such as Federal Tax Returns) to the Cypress College Financial Aid Office (CC FAO) for review. The CC FAO must review these documents and verify the information in order to determine the student’s eligibility for financial aid. If your Financial Aid application is selected for verification, you will not be eligible for Federal aid until this process is completed.

What happens after my file is selected for verification by the Financial Aid Office?

Step 1: submit all required documentation.

If your application is selected for verification, you will need to complete all required documentation through our online student verification portal to submit your documentation.

The following documentation is required as part of the verification process:

  • A completed Verification Worksheet
  • Copies of your (and your spouse’s, if married) signed IRS tax return, W-2s, and 1099s
  • Copies of your parents’ signed IRS tax return, W-2s and 1099s
    (For students who were required to provide parent financial information on their Financial Aid Application)

To avoid unnecessary delays, please upload and submit all required documents promptly via the online student verification portal. Also, be sure you have filled out the Verification Worksheet completely, and that all documents are signed by the appropriate parties. Cypress College cannot complete the verification process until complete documentation is received. Incomplete documentation or blanks on the worksheet will cause substantial delay.

Verification documents must be received by the institution no later than the earlier date of 120 days after the student’s last date of enrollment for the current award year or August 1.

Step 2: your file gets reviewed.

When the CC FAO receives your all of your documentation, the information on those documents will be compared to the information provided on the student’s most recent Financial Aid Application. If information from the documents you submit conflicts with what was entered on your financial aid application, your technician may require additional documentation to clear up the discrepancy. Responding quickly to any requests by the CC FAO will help avoid further delays. Verification may take approximately two weeks after all the required documentation is submitted to the CC FAO.

In some cases, as a result of the verification process, the CC FAO must submit corrections to your Financial Aid Application. If these changes impact your eligibility, you will receive an email with updated information from the ED. The corrections process takes an additional five to seven business days, and then the verification process can be completed. Once your technician begins processing your verification, please do not make any additional changes to your FAFSA/CADAA without consulting your technician first.

What do I need to know about required documentation?

  1. If you did not file taxes, you must submit a Verification of Non-filing Letter.
  2. Copies of W-2s and 1099s may be required even if the student (and/or parents/spouse, if applicable) did not file a Tax Return (If an employer did not send a W-2, contact the CC FAO for instructions).
  3. A signed copy of your 1040 IRS Tax Return (or Tax Return Transcript) is required. Please do not submit a State Tax Return. IRS Tax Returns must be signed by the taxpayer or their Professional Tax Preparer.
  4. IRS Tax Return Transcripts and Verification of Non-filing letters may be requested from the IRS.
  5. If the student (and student’s parent, if applicable) used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool on the FAFSA and did not make any changes to the transferred information, they do not need to submit IRS Tax Returns/Transcripts.
    • If a student (or parent, if applicable) amended their tax return (submitted a 1040-X), they will be required to submit a signed copy of their IRS 1040-X for review.