“Verification” just means that your college will request documentation to double-check the accuracy of the information you’ve provided in your FAFSA®, before disbursing any financial aid funds. Your financial aid office (rather than the federal government) will get in touch with you directly to explain what you need to verify and how. Usually, you will need to fill out a “verification worksheet” and send in documentation proving the specific financial elements that have been “flagged.” In most cases, you only need to “prove” five (or fewer) data points, not all your answers.
The most commonly flagged elements are often those that are most prone to error, including:
Income information - You’ll usually need to submit your W-2s.
Tax information, like your adjusted gross income, taxes paid, or specific untaxed benefits - You’ll need to connect to the IRS DRT, provide a signed tax return (what you submitted to the IRS), or provide a tax transcript (summary of your return, given to you by the IRS). Double-check with your college, as it may only accept one or two of these options.
Number of people in your household or in college - Usually you’ll submit a signed statement verifying how many people are in your home. You might also need to provide proof of enrollment (like a registration form, transcript, or tuition bill) for any other college students in the household.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamp) benefits - Usually, you can just submit a signed statement saying you receive SNAP benefits, but sometimes colleges will ask you to obtain documentation from the state agency that provides you the benefits
Child support - You’ll likely need to provide a signed statement about who pays it, how much, and which child it’s for. You may also need to provide copies of checks, receipts, or bank statements showing those payments.
High school completion - You can submit a copy of your diploma, GED, or your final transcript (if it shows your graduation date).
On the verification worksheets, make sure you respond to every question. If a question doesn’t seem relevant, just answer “N/A” so it’s clear that you saw the question. (Otherwise, the college might assume you didn’t fill it out properly.) Make sure you respond ASAP, and certainly by the relevant deadlines. Since financial aid is often given on a first-come, first-served basis, delaying may be costly.
Once you submit your verification worksheets and documents back to the college, your college will check everything and respond with any follow-up questions. If there are no follow-ups, the financial aid officer will make any necessary corrections to the FAFSA®, load that information into their data systems, and provide you with an updated financial aid offer. This may be more, less, or the same exact financial aid package as before. Note that some schools will do this all quite quickly (within a few days), while others may take 2-4 weeks.