Pop Quiz – For V4 Verification, Is “Personally Known” Acceptable for Type of Government ID?
Scenario:
A student completed a V4 form and had a notary sign; however, the notary indicated "personally known" on line for "type of government-issued ID." According to the notary website, some states allow this to be used. Can it be used for the U.S Department of Education (ED) V4 purposes?
Answer:
No, this is not acceptable. Some form of government-issued identification is required. However, the COVID-19 national emergency flexibilities for V4 and V5 verification are still in place.
The following guidance applies to verification of identity and Statement of Educational Purpose and is from the April 3, 2020 Electronic Announcement:
"For those borrowers in verification groups V4 or V5, the flexibilities listed below apply if the institution is unable to receive the required documents in person or by mail (e.g., qualified staff are not on campus to complete this task or students are not able to mail documents). These flexibilities also apply if the applicant or student is unable to provide the required documents in person or cannot provide notarized documents by mail.
We suspend the in-person submission and notary requirements for V4 and V5 verification. The institution may allow an applicant or student to submit copies of the required verification documents electronically to the institution. This may occur by uploading a photo of the documents (including from a smartphone), PDF, or other similar electronic document through a secure school portal, by email, etc."
Effective Period of COVID-19 Exception: Per the January 15, 2021 Electronic Announcement and attached chart, the above guidance now applies through the end of the payment period that begins after the date on which the COVID-19 federally declared national emergency is rescinded.
Looking for more questions to test your financial aid knowledge? Head to our Pop Quizzes page to read through questions, all based on real scenarios from financial aid offices, and see if you can guess the answers.
Publication Date: 6/23/2021
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