"THE FREE APPLICATION for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, opens for a new round of applications in October, but to actually receive federal financial aid, simply submitting the application isn't always enough. Many students – about one-third of those who submit the FAFSA – will be asked to provide proof of their information through a verification process," U.S. News & World Report writes. 

"Verification is changing. The process has come under scrutiny by higher education experts over the past few years, as it appeared that more students were being put through the sometimes-arduous process of verification than in prior years and that low-income students were being targeted.

The U.S. Department of Education announced changes this year to the way applications are selected for verification and the types of tax documents students can use to prove the validity of their FAFSA.

'There had been cases in the past where selection rates, while still near 30% overall, had been higher for some schools and resulted in an increased administrative burden for schools and for students,' says Jeff Appel, deputy under secretary of education at the Department of Education. 'The department has tested several models that would better target applications that are more likely to be prone to errors and consequently improper payments. We anticipated that the final model would alleviate these problems, and based on recent statistics, we believe this concern has been addressed.'

...

Depending on the institution, a college, particularly a small institution, might verify 100% of financial aid applicants, experts say. So students should remain calm and respond quickly.

'While the process itself may feel intrusive and intimidating, it should not be viewed in that manner,' wrote Lori Vedder, director of financial aid at the University of Michigan—Flint, in an email. 'The aid office is available to help. There is no need to let dollars slip away or to allow the verification process to prevent one from attending college.'

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 8/15/2019