Verification
Verification is the process of confirming that information reported
by the student and parent(s) or spouse on the FAFSA is accurate. Each
year, approximately 30 percent of student applicants are randomly selected
by the federal processor for verification. A student may also be selected by
the university. If selected for verification, students will initially be
notified on their Student Aid Report. In addition, the Office of Financial
Aid and Scholarships will notify the student via alerts on their myUMBC account
if necessary documentation is needed.
Verification of Income Data
If you are selected for the verification process, our office will send you an email
and post alerts on your myUMBC account specifying the documents required. Many students
will have the option to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool
to satisfy the requirement for tax data. When all necessary documentation is received,
our office will compare the submitted paperwork to the information provided on the FASFA.
If there are any discrepancies, our office will make the corrections, and you will receive
notification if your financial aid has changed. The revised awards will be available on
your myUMBC account. Occasionally, our office must request additional documentation
because the originally submitted documents do not provide all of the necessary information
to complete the verification process. In these situations, you will be notified via e-mail
that additional documentation needs to be submitted to our office.
Verification of Citizenship Status
If your citizenship status is not verified by the Department of Homeland Security when you
initially complete your FAFSA, you will be required to submit documentation verifying your
citizenship status to our office. One of the following original documents must be brought
to our office, mailed or faxed copies are unacceptable.
If you are an U.S. citizen born in the United States, examples of acceptable documentation
include:
- Your birth certificate
- Your U.S. passport
If you are a U.S. citizen born outside the United States, examples of
acceptable documentation include:
- Your Certificate of Citizenship
- Your U.S. passport
- Your Certificate of Naturalization
If you are an eligible non-citizen, examples of acceptable documentation
include:
- Your Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551 or I-151)
- Your passport stamped, "Processed for I-551 . . . valid
until ___"
- Your Departure Record (I-94)
Verification of Selective Service Status
Federal law requires that all male U.S. citizens (regardless of where they live), and
male immigrants residing in the United States (permanent resident aliens), must be registered
within 30 days of their 18th birthday. For more information on how to register, visit the
Selective Service website.
Men born after December 31, 1960, who are not registered with Selective Service, are not
eligible for federal, state, or institutional grants or loans. If your Selective Service
registration is not verified upon completion of the FAFSA our office will request documentation
of registration. Acceptable documents include a copy of your Selective Service Registration
Card, print out confirmation page from the
Selective Service website, or a Registration Status Letter from Selective Service.
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