Verification Forms

Selected for FAFSA Verification?

As part of the Financial Aid Process, a student may be selected for Verification. This is usually a random selection by the federal processor.  Georgia Southern University also may select additional files to verify.

If you are selected for verification, it means that we must request certain documents from you in order to verify that certain information that you supplied on the FAFSA form is correct.

Once the FAFSA form is received by Georgia Southern, and it is determined that you have been selected for verification, you will receive an e-mail indicating that you should log into your Georgia Southern WINGS account in order to view the documents needed from you in order for us to complete the verification process. You will be able to create an account in Student Forms in order to be able to upload or complete the required documents. These documents usually include official IRS Tax Transcripts or a signed copy of tax returns, and the Verification Household Form. Other documents may be needed as well. Examples of additional documents include, but are not limited to,  W2’s, schedules from your tax return, or proof of other untaxed income. You will always be notified via letter, phone call, or e-mail of documents that are needed.  It is important that these documents are uploaded as soon as possible. No federal aid will be disbursed to your tuition account until the documents are received and your file has been verified.

Verification may require that the University verify all or some of the following information supplied on the FAFSA is correct:

• Household size
• Number in college
• Adjusted Gross Income
• US income tax paid
• Education credits
• Untaxed IRA distributions
• Untaxed pensions
• IRA deductions
• Tax-exempt interest
• Income earned from work
• Other Untaxed Income
• High school completion status
• Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose

You also may be asked to verify other FAFSA information if any conflicting information is found.

If during the verification process any amounts previously reported on the FAFSA need to be changed, Georgia Southern University will make those corrections and send them electronically to the federal processor. You will be notified that we made those changes by the federal processor. If any resulting changes occur to your financial aid award, you will be sent a new financial aid award letter/notification.

It is a federal crime to deliberately falsify any information on the FAFSA form in order to receive federal financial aid inappropriately. Any cases where it is determined that deliberate tampering with FAFSA information occurred will be referred to the Office of Inspector General as required by the institution’s Program Participation Agreement.

What Happens if YOU are Selected?

Federal Financial aid funds cannot be disbursed to you until you have submitted all requested documents and the accuracy of your information has been checked.

The documents needed to complete your verification will be available through your Student Forms portal. New students will create a Student Forms account using the instructions provided. Students with existing Student Forms accounts can log onto their accounts to view the documents requested. Please only submit documentation that is requested.

You can verify by logging onto your MyGeorgiaSouthern account, in the WINGS box, click Student Information, then “Financial Aid”. If you scroll down under the “Home” tab, you will see a section called “Student Requirements”. Under this section, you will see all “Satisfied Requirements” and, if you have any, a section for “Unsatisfied Requirements” will populate, and will list any requirements needed.

In addition, based on your FAFSA dependency status you may be required to provide additional information regarding your parents. Outlined below are the criteria that must be met in order to be considered independent for FAFSA purposes.

Signing the FAFSA

The signature page is a document that is generated by FAFSA on the Web. It includes your, name, address, the type of application you completed, and a randomly generated identification number.

You can sign your FAFSA by printing, signing, and mailing a signature page. However, the application process is faster if you use your FSA ID to sign your FAFSA electronically, and you must use an FSA ID to sign a Renewal FAFSA or corrections to a FAFSA. You may also call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) to request a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR) which can also be used to process a signature.

When a parent’s signature is required, your parent can print, sign, and mail a signature page if he or she does not want to sign electronically with an FSA ID.

By signing and submitting the signature page, you agree, if asked, to provide information that verifies the accuracy of your completed FAFSA. This information may include a copy of your U.S. or state income tax form. If you utilized the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT), you certify that the U.S. income tax form that you filed with the IRS is true and complete to the best of your knowledge and you agree, if asked, to provide information that will verify the accuracy of your income tax return form. Do not mail income tax forms with the signature page.

By signing the signature page, you also certify that:

• You will use federal student aid funds received during the award year covered by this application solely for educational expenses related to attendance during that year at the institution of higher education that determined eligibility for those funds;
• You are not in default on a federal educational loan, or have repaid or made satisfactory arrangements to repay the loan if you are in default;
• You do not owe an overpayment on a federal educational grant, or you have made satisfactory arrangements to repay that overpayment;
• You will notify your school if you do owe an overpayment or are in default; and
• You understand that the Secretary of Education has the authority to verify the income reported on this application with the Internal Revenue Service and other federal agencies.

If you purposely give false or misleading information, you may be fined up to $20,000, sent to prison, or both.

Last updated: 11/2/2023